Great food and great prices will be right on the doorstep for residents as a new community shop opens today (Monday, March 3) at Fifth Avenue Community Centre.

Residents in Bushbury and surrounding areas will have the new community shop on their doorstep after it’s relocation from Low Hill Community centre. Anyone in the city will be able to reduce the cost of their weekly shop by popping in for a wide range of food from fresh fruit and vegetables to store cupboard items and fresh bread.

It’s the latest community shop to join the city-wide network, which also includes the flagship shop and Pomegranate Café at the Queen’s Building in Victoria Square in the city centre.

Shoppers can save a lot of money every week on groceries by using the community shops instead of major supermarkets.

The council helped create the shops with an initial investment from the government’s Household Support Fund and provides on-going support, but they are run day to day by staff and volunteers at community centres and hubs.

Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Stephen Simkins said he was glad the council had been able to work with the community to create this new shop.

‘These shops are for everyone who lives in Wolverhampton and have already helped many residents across the city save so much money on their weekly food bills over the last few years.

‘The council is committed to the future of community shops, as they really do offer a way for people to do the best for their families in these difficult times. They also help our local economy, which helps everyone in the city in the long-term.

‘This is just one of the many ways as a council we’re trying to help our citizens deal with the on-going challenges of the high cost of living. Food remains the number one item in regards to cost of living, with which residents need our help.’

Kim Payne, WV10 Consortium Partnership manager said:

‘Opening a community shop here at Fifth Avenue will be a fantastic source of support for local people that will complement other services provided here at the community centre by Bushbury Hill Estate Management board and WV10 Consortium.

‘Please drop by and see what’s on offer, we’ll have plenty of fresh produce and seasonal deals as well as every day essentials for healthy and tasty meals.’

For more information visit www.wv10consortium.co.uk and for more details about other community shops across the city and other cost of living support available from the council check out our web pages www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/costoflivingsupport.

Pocket to Plate is another key project the council developed to help residents provide nutritious and tasty food for themselves and their families on a budget.

Community chefs Prince and Simon, who both work out of Fifth Avenue, also join forces with self-taught cook and tiktok star Mitch Lane every Thursday to release new recipes and how to cook them as part of Pocket to Plate.

Follow @pocketoplate now on Instagram, tiktok and youtube to view the latest and keep an eye out for them using produce from the shop to inspire your next home-cooked meal.