Frequently Asked Questions
About the Uist Wholefoods Co-operative
- Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?
- How did all this get funded?
- How long has the service been running?
- How many people use this service?
- What do I do to become a member?
- How can I get involved in the work of the Wholefoods Co-operative?
- How reliable is the service? The supply chain seems to involve a lot of people (suppliers, Highland Wholefoods, local administrator, deliverers)!
- Do you have information on more locally sourced foods?
About the Highland Wholefoods Catalogue
- Help - I don’t like using the electronic catalogue!
- When does the next issue of the catalogue come out?
- Where are the prices? How do I know I’m not going to get a huge bill?
- My wife is allergic to nuts. Are those products that may contain nuts clearly marked?
- Does the catalogue only contain hard-to-find foodstuffs? Can I get staples as well?
- Is it all basic ingredients or are there any ready meals?
- Can I get free samples?
Ordering
- Do I need to buy in bulk?
- What are the ‘use by’ periods like? I don’t want to order something that has to be eaten within 24 hours!
- What happens if an item I ordered is out of stock?
- Why can’t I just send you an email listing the items I want to order instead of downloading the order form, filling it in, emailing it back?
- Can I order chilled or frozen items?
Order collection
- Do I need to bring any ID with me to collect my order?
- When I get to the collection point, how do I know which order is mine?
Returns
- What is the returns policy, i.e. if there is something wrong with a product?
- What if the items I receive don’t match what I ordered?
Contacting us
- How can I get in touch with you?
- I don’t like using the Internet all the time; it’s all very impersonal. Can I speak to someone on the phone about this?
About this website
- How can I find out when there’s new information on the site?
- Can I contribute to the website? I have a recipe that other Wholefoods Co-operative users might like.
- Where’s my comment?
About the Uist Wholefoods Co-operative
Why are you doing this? What do you get out of it?
We are doing it because we wanted to buy organic/wholefoods but couldn’t get local shops to stock what we needed, and we couldn’t order from HiHoCo as private individuals.
How did all this get funded?
Initially, we were entirely self-funded, but several years ago we got funding from BNSF so that we could employ a co-ordinator and build up the co-op. We also received funding from BNSF and the council’s business advantage fund three years ago, to improve our communication strategy, i.e. this website. BNSF stands for ‘Better Neighbourhood Services Fund’.
How long has the service been running?
We have been running since 2000.
How many people use this service?
We have over 100 members, of which around 40 order in any particular year.
What do I do to become a member?
A member is anyone who has ordered from us, or who has asked to be added to the mailing list. You don’t need to “sign up” or “join” anything first - just send in your order!
How can I get involved in the work of the Wholefoods Co-operative?
We can always find ways for people to help; if you wish to volunteer your services, please do get in touch.
How reliable is the service? The supply chain seems to involve a lot of people (suppliers, Highland Wholefoods, and the collection point)!
It works for most products every month. I would say we get 90-95% of products, although occasionally HiHoCo have a bad month. Since we have been operating this system for a while, it is pretty reliable. Our best asset is Angela, our administrator, who is a whiz at sorting out all kinds of little hitches.
Do you have information on more locally sourced foods?
See the Hebridean Food Trail for some ideas: http://www.outerhebridesfoodtrail.com/.
About the Highland Wholefoods catalogue
Help - I don’t like using the electronic catalogue!
If you don’t want to use the downloadable catalogue, you can buy a print copy for £3 from Angela Monk, plus £2 postage if you want it posted out to you. To save postage, we will try to hand-deliver where practicable.
When does the next issue of the catalogue come out?
HiHoCo normally issue Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter catalogues. Dates can vary, but we will let you know on this website and via our Yahoo Group when a new one becomes available.
Where are the prices? How do I know I’m not going to get a huge bill?
The Wholefoods Co-op charges the recommended retail price (RRP). The online stock list from HiHoCo has no prices. The paper copy does have prices included, but remember you’ll need an up-to-date version - contact us if you’d like to order a copy. Note that HiHoCo prices fluctuate on a weekly basis, depending on the price they’ve negotiated with suppliers. This means that the catalogue prices are a guide only.
My wife is allergic to nuts. Are those products that may contain nuts clearly marked?
No they aren’t. Sorry, we have no influence over the catalogue - it is produced by HiHoCo.
Does the catalogue only contain hard-to-find foodstuffs? Can I get staples as well?
We can source flour, rolled oats, and other traditional dried ingredients in bulk. We can’t do milk and bread, because we can’t store them. If you would like to buy local foods, we suggest the Hebridean Food Trail.
Is it all basic ingredients or are there any ready meals?
There is a section of convenience foods.
Ordering
Do I need to buy in bulk?
No. For first time buyers, please don’t take fright and feel that you might end up with 12 bags of flour when you only wanted one; we can manage small quantities. Our smallest order so far has been for one item worth 50p, although we do have much bigger orders too.
What are the ‘use by’ periods like? I don’t want to order something that has to be eaten within 24 hours!
The use by dates are usually about 1 year. We cannot order very perishable items, such as ice cream, because we have no chiller for them. If you find that you have received items with a very short shelf life (less than a month), let us know and we can send them back and refund you.
What happens if an item I ordered is out of stock?
You will not be charged for anything you don’t receive. Usually, we do not “back-order” - if an item is out of stock one month, we do not re-order on your behalf the next time. We have asked for no substitutions on our orders, as this was causing problems for some users.
Why can’t I just send you an email listing the items I want to order instead of downloading the order form, filling it in, emailing it back?
We collate orders and send them to HiHoCo in an Excel spreadsheet using a special format. It is easiest for us to do this if you use the downloadable form.
Can I order chilled or frozen items?
We cannot manage chilled or frozen items at present: we have no facility to transport or store chilled items, and no plans to introduce this at present.
Order collection
Do I need to bring any ID with me to the collection point?
No. We work on trust.
When I get to the collection point at the UCVO/TSH offices, how do I know which order is mine?
The orders are sorted into returnable plastic boxes, and labelled with your name.
Returns
What is the returns policy, e.g. if there is something wrong with a product?
Contact Angela; we will arrange a refund for the product. If you have accidentally ordered the wrong item, and no-one else wants it, there may be a small carriage charge for return. Problems with products should be notified within 14 days of receipt. You can also offer unwanted items via our Yahoo group, to see if anyone else can take them off your hands.
What if the items I receive don’t match what I ordered?
We will sort out those odd occasions when you might end up with something that wasn’t quite what you expected. Just get in touch as soon as you realise.
Contacting us
How can I get in touch with you?
Just send us an email or fill in the contact form. We are always interested to hear comments and suggestions, and will of course respond to any enquiries.
I don’t like using the Internet all the time; it’s all very impersonal. Can I speak to someone on the phone about this?
The organisers are out all the time during the day, and are usually unavailable to take calls. Because of this, email is our preferred method of keeping in touch and answering queries, for the time being anyway. If you leave us a message, someone can call you back to speak to you.
About this website
How can I find out when there’s new information on the site?
You can subscribe to the RSS feed.
Can I contribute to the website? I have a recipe that other Wholefoods Co-operative users might like.
Yes, please send us your contribution!
Where’s my comment?
The webby person has to check comments first, to make sure nothing unsuitable appears on the website. If you’ve submitted a comment and it hasn’t yet appeared, it’s because it’s either unsuitable or in the process of being moderated.
