7 Corfu Meals

The Workers’ Cooperative “7 Corfu Meals – 7 Giomata tis Kerkiras” is a venture established under the Social Economy Law — the first of its kind in Corfu — and it came about as a result of, on the one hand, the members’ firm conviction that strength lies in the team and in the value of sharing and working together towards visions and goals that will bring good outcomes for the many, and, on the other, the genuine need for a stable income determined solely by the members’ work and not by their age, level of education, or personal and family circumstances. As stated in our Cooperative’s articles of association, its purpose is the joint service of members’ needs through the formation of equal production relations, the creation of stable and decent jobs, and the reconciliation of personal, family, and professional life.

What originally motivated the Cooperative’s members was the possibility of offering local residents and visitors to the island well-cooked food — based on traditional Corfiot recipes passed down from our parents and grandparents — made with quality ingredients at affordable prices. There was also the need for a small grocery store to serve the day-to-day needs of people in our area, given that our location is not close to the town or to a central tourist spot on our island.

In our pursuit of quality raw materials, we seek to work with local agricultural producers, on the condition that they use gentle methods of production free from toxic pesticides or other substances harmful to health. We also collaborate with local producers of honey, sweets, pasta, and soft drinks.

At the same time, as a more distinctive social contribution, our Cooperative strives to pass on to its customers — and beyond — the vital idea of sustainable development and the need to protect the environment through recycling, the use of non-polluting products, and a mindset of mindful consumption. Our Cooperative recycles paper, plastic, and bottle caps for the most part, and recently, through the Municipality, we were supplied with a composter for organic waste from our greengrocer. We also have an AFIS (portable battery recycling) bin for battery recycling.

The significant social role the Cooperative has to play for its wider area of operation is also a key characteristic that sets it apart from other similar businesses. This was most evident during the years of the pandemic, when we helped many of our fellow citizens in various ways — people who could not move about for their daily essentials, and in particular the elderly.

Our fundamental problem for the past 4 years has been that, due to a lack of the full capital required to operate completely — including our kitchen — we began operating only as a grocery store, waiting for the SSE grants that had already been approved in the summer of ’19. Unfortunately, all of this was frozen, while in subsequent years access to bank loans became even more difficult, if not impossible. In this very difficult situation, the help we received from Co-Fund can only be described as a “kiss of life,” without any exaggeration — as it gives us the ability to at least partially launch our food operation and boost our grocery store, so that we can increase our revenues as much as possible and move our plans forward. We are truly grateful!

Through all of this, and more that we hope will come along the way, we envision our Cooperative becoming a significant point of reference for our area and our island in terms of economic development as well as social contribution.