Our Co-op
Welcome
We are The Food Co-op, a community-run Canberra organisation that provides
food for people, not for profit.
We’ve been operating since 1976 and aim to create an environment that fosters community, participation, diversity, inclusiveness, creativity and fun! We are passionate about providing low-waste, affordable, locally-sourced, fair trade, organic and sustainable products to the community. Our shop is open 7 days a week including public holidays and our cafe is open 6 days!
The Food Co-op members own the Co-op, contributing in their chosen capacity towards its daily functioning & longevity. The Food Co-op is managed with consensus-based decision making and all members are invited to participate.
See our Co-op Rooftop Garden:
Working Members
Working members form the backbone of the Co-op and do the majority of the work to keep things rolling! All members are invited to work in the Co-op in a large range of tasks that covers almost the entirety of co-op functioning.
There are roles that suit a large diversity of interests, availability and accessibility for our members. From drop-in ‘vollies’, to Activity Teams taking care of everyday tasks, to Working Groups helping to nut-out critical aspects of the Co-op’s running, to the Board who provides ultimate legal oversight!
See our Become A Member and Working Member Roles pages for more details about how to get involved and about working members’ eligibility for an additional discount on purchases.
Below are some of our key working member roles!
Activity Teams
We have a number of activity-based Working Member teams that are managed by the Working Members Manager.
Head to our Working Member Roles page to find out more!
Shop & Cafe Coordinators
Shop & Cafe Coordinators are the greeting-face of our Co-op. Coordinators open and close our shop & cafe, serve our wonderful customers and keep the spaces clean and welcoming.
Shop Coordies keep our shelves stocked, sign up new members and provide guidance and oversight to drop-in members wanting to fill their Working Member hours.
Cafe Coordies serve lunch & our member-made baked goods and make hot drinks like our amazing in house chai & cold drinks like our smoothies.
Our Shop & Cafe Coordinators receive store credit in return for their time and dedication.
Chat with a Coordinator on shift or get in touch with our Working Members Manager if you’re interested in finding out more about this critical and rewarding role that places you at the centre of things at the Co-op!
Board Members
Our Board is responsible for the broad strategic decisions and oversight of the Co-op.
Our Board meets monthly and members receive the working member discount for their important work.
All members are welcome to get in touch with the Board about any issue that is not able to be addressed by a staff member. Head to our ‘Contact Us’ page to do so.
Working Groups
We have a number of working groups that aim to improve various aspects of our Co-op, such as:
- Return-for-Labour
- Purchasing Policy
- Staff Review
- Original Sovereign Solidarity
- Strategic Planning
- Finances
- Grievance Policy/Code of Conduct
Staff members
Co-managers
The Co-managers are responsible for overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the Co-op. They work hard. We love them! Our Co-managers receive part-time salaries in return for their big-time commitment and efforts.
In addition to general duties, our Co-managers’ roles are differentiated by the following:
Products Manager – takes care of everything related to what you find on the shelf! This includes corresponding with suppliers, taking care of invoices and liaising with members in regards to bulk order inquiries and product suggestions/feedback.
Working Members Manager – organises the huge number and diversity of Working Member roles and comes up with creative ways to bring everyone in for the ride.
Communications & Events Manager – runs the social media accounts, books venue hire and catering.
Operations Manager – takes care of everything else! This includes insurance, lease and maintenance issues, , logistics and systems of the Co-op, and anything that arises in the day-to-day running of the place.
Finances Coordinator
Our Finances Coordinator looks after our accounting and bookkeeping, liasing with our Treasurer to keep us on good financial track. This role receives a casual wage in return for their time and skills in keeping our financial hygiene in check.
Co-managers
Products & Ordering Manager
products@cbrfoodcoop.org.au
Our Fabulous Cooks
Weekday lunches:
Ayen
Tuesday & Friday
Cook
Thursday
KC
Monday & Wednesday
Dinner & Weekends:
Ayen
Saturday
Suiya
Saturday
Mitch
Thursday Night Dinners
Tyla
Thursday Night Dinners
Our Brilliant Bakers and Makers
Amanda
Poppy
Jasmine
Shop Coordinators
Here are some of the faces you’ll see serving shoppers…
Cafe Coordinators
Here are some of the faces you’ll see serving drinks & cake…
Our Board
Contact: Email: food.coop.mcc@gmail.com
The Food Co-op Board meets monthly, on the second Wednesday evening at 6pm. Members are welcome & encouraged to attend. Please email with 48hrs notice.
The Food Co-op 2024/25 Board
Chair: Alexandra Ford
Alex has been a member of the Canberra Food Cooperative for over 10 years originally supporting managers with volunteer engagement and product research, before becoming one of original cafe coordinators and having a stint on the Board over the COVID pandemic. Alex has over twenty years experience working across not-for-profit and government sectors. In the last 15 years she has worked across Australia, the Pacific and Asia focused on international development and community programs involving education, people and volunteers. Alex enjoys working with community, volunteers and food, and is actively involved in many local food and sustainability initiatives. In her home life with her daughter, Alex follows a zero waste lifestyle and is a lay herbalist and grower.
Treasurer: Christopher Baylis
Christopher is a dedicated advocate for community empowerment and sustainability, with experience in the community and not for profit sector. Leading Cycle Jam Canberra, a member-driven bicycle and repair cooperative focused on education, reuse, and recycling. Driven by a commitment to sovereignty, he fosters a culture of collaboration and skill-sharing, believing that empowering individuals strengthens the community. Christopher welcomes conversations with members, inviting you to share your thoughts and ideas. When not engaged with the Co-op or Cycle Jam, he enjoys exploring Canberra’s cycling paths and connecting with locals, eager to contribute to meaningful change through grassroots initiatives.
Secretary: James Davies
James is a student at the ANU. He is interested in questions about evolutionary biology, the mind, as well as questions about science and its relations to society. He sees the Food Co-operative not only as a place for fulfilling one’s needs but also as a place of encounter, helping to foster different conversations. He also sees it as a place of experimentation, where we can practise ways of working and collaborating that run counter to much of what is typical of working life – ways that might allow us to develop a different understanding of what work could be. In addition to his volunteering and studies, James works as a French teacher at a local language school.
Board Members:
Lucy Ridge
Lucy Ridge is a Canberra food writer, former chef and food sovereignty activist with a passion for local food systems. She writes about food for local digital news company Region Media, works with food and farming co-operative Southern Harvest and is a member of the National Committee for the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance. She is currently working on her debut book about experiences working with women across Australia’s food systems which will be released by Monash University Publishing in 2025. Lucy has been a regular co-op volunteer for five years and is looking forward to working closely with local producers and furthering her commitment to the local food community in this region. In her spare time Lucy plays music with local community jazz ensemble TraXion Big Band, and her own blues and soul outfit Lucy Ridge and the Derby Widows.
Josh Viljoen
Josh is a strong supporter of the Co-operative organisational model, particularly enthusiastic about empowering communities to navigate and enjoy taking democratic control of their ‘third spaces’. He is a recent graduate of a double Bachelor (Arts and Politics, Philosophy & Economics) at the ANU, during which time he discovered the Co-op in 2019, and proudly worked as the Operations Co-manager amidst the pandemic lockdown. He is currently undertaking an Honours Thesis in the field of Rural Sociology with a keen focus on understanding food system power dynamics. In his spare time, he is co-creating comix, enjoying the outdoors, self-learning French language, or pottering about at the O’Connor community garden.
John Mavrogenes
John is a long time volunteer of The Co-op.
The History Project
The Food Co-op began a humble existence in 1976 and has continually evolved amidst constant change and challenges.
We are deeply proud of our achievements to be celebrating our 50th birthday!!! in 2026.
As part of this momentus occaision, a book will be released exploring the history of our fabulous
Co-operative.
The Co-op is seeking members, past & present and other interested parties, that would like to contribute any information of the Food Co-op for the ‘History Project’.
Please send your interest to the below email & the History Project team will be in touch.
THANK YOU!
Read this Riotact article written by our wondeful member Lucy!
canberra-food-co-op-is-looking-for-people-to-share-their-stories-ahead-of-50-year-anniversary/
DUE TO CONTACT FORM ISSUES, PLEASE SEND YOUR INTEREST TO: