The project involves working with retail experts @Rice Marketing to help engage with successful, independent food retailers to highlight a range of healthier foods across all categories in their shops. These healthier items have been chosen by parents, using the Eatwell plate as a guide, to enable them to cook healthy meals for their families. @RiceMarketing worked with the retailers to highlight the healthier items on shelves, using point of sale materials and encouraged them to reduce prices to closer match multiple supermarket pricing, thereby allowing local residents to access healthier, more affordable options, locally.

Cllr Danny Thorpe, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich said:”By using the “healthy basket of food” model, we have been able to find a measure for comparing food prices, plus range and availability, in local shops. By working with local businesses, we can help to ensure people who may be financially impacted, particularly during the pandemic, have access to great value for money groceries right on their doorstep.”

Cllr Miranda Williams, Cabinet Member for Health and Adults’ Social Care, said: "This works for both business owners and local residents. By supporting business owners to launch this campaign, we are helping them promote some of the great products and prices that they already offer, as well as reducing prices on other items to new customers. Local customers will now have more choice for buying healthier items on the High Street."

The items were chosen by a research team to represent a balanced and healthy diet* according to the  developed by the NHS, to be reasonably affordable to people on low incomes and to be appropriate to different cultures and cuisines.

Three stores have been selected along Plumstead High Street to be part of the pilot:

- Dadoo’s Food Store
- Expo International Supermarket
- Fineway Cash and Carry

From now until 31 December, residents will be able to pop along to one of the three stores and choose their items, confident that their money will go further and that they will have also helped support local businesses to continue to thrive during these difficult pandemic times.

Retailers will include the Good Food Retail in Greenwich logo on their existing point of sale - look out for signs on the shelves that will highlight healthier, affordable items.

Want to get cooking? - Good Food in Greenwich has lots of healthy and affordable items, recipes, tips and ideas to try out - visit www.goodfoodingreenwich.org