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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Suma (co-operative)

53°41′44″N 1°49′35″W / 53.6956°N 1.8264°W / 53.6956; -1.8264

Triangle Wholefoods Collective Limited
Suma
Company typeWorker co-operative
IndustryWholesaler
Founded1977 (1977)
Headquarters,
United Kingdom
Area served
United Kingdom
ProductsWhole food, organic food and natural products
Revenue£58.7 million (2019)
Members200 employee-owners (2019)
Websitesuma.coop

Suma is the trading name of the Triangle Wholefoods Collective Limited, a worker co-operative wholefoods wholesaler. It was founded in Leeds in 1977 and is now based in Elland, West Yorkshire. It is the largest independent wholefood wholesaler in the United Kingdom as well as the country's largest common ownership co-operative. The co-operative specializes in vegetarian, fairly traded, organic, ethical, ecological and natural products.

Its turnover for the year ending 2019 was reported as £54 million, ranking it 49th among British co-operatives.

History

A Suma delivery lorry in Hackney, London

Suma was started in 1975 by Reg Tayler, who had worked with wholefoods in London. In Leeds, he opened a retail shop. In August 1975, at a meeting with all the wholefood shops in the north of England, he proposed they set up wholefoods wholesaling co-operative in order to supply each other.

See also