Bolton family business, Warburtons has announced it is partnering with Bolton Council, and award-winning social enterprise, Community Shop to open a new social supermarket in Great Lever, Bolton.
Community Shop Sunnyside, opening later this year, will be located in the former Sunnyside Park lodge in Great Lever and will house three distinct but interconnected spaces: Community Store, Community Hub and Community Kitchen. Warburtons, who is celebrating its 150th birthday this year and Bolton Council are funding the regeneration of this vacant building into a new community asset.
The new Community Shop will provide access to deeply discounted food and household essentials, including its Plenty for 20 range which provides fruit, vegetables and bread for only 20p. Profits will be reinvested into the Community Hub, which will deliver life-changing holistic support and development programmes, helping people across the local community to learn new skills and build their confidence. In addition, the Community Kitchen is a café that will enable people to connect with others and will offer home-cooked meals, with kids eating for free every day.
Located within Great Lever, which is one of the UK’s most deprived communities[1], the new Community Shop will operate a free membership which is open to those who live locally and are in receipt of a means-tested benefit.
Brett Warburton, executive director of Warburtons said: “We have been part of the local community for 150 years and are incredibly proud to be able to help bring a new Community Shop to Bolton. As a family business, we believe we have a role to play in supporting the people in our communities across the country. This new shop will offer much more than just food, and we hope it will become a central part of the community, connecting people and offering life changing support.”
Gary Stott, OBE, Executive Chairman of Community Shop, said: “Warburtons has supported Community Shop for a number of years, donating quality products for our members to enjoy, and I’m delighted that this new partnership will bring a new store to their hometown.
“The impact of food insecurity goes way beyond just having enough food to support yourself and your family, which is why Community Shop offers much more than just deeply discounted food and household products. Thanks to the support of Warburtons we will be able to provide local people and families with a hand up rather than a hand out, with life-changing support through our Community Hub and Community Kitchen giving members the help and guidance they need to develop their own capabilities and feel empowered to deliver a positive future for themselves.”
Cllr Zaman, leader of Bolton Council, said: “Community Shop has had a huge impact on local communities, so we are delighted they are opening its first store in Bolton in Great Lever, with backing from the fantastic team at Warburtons. It will provide a real respite to families struggling with the cost-of-living pressures while revitalising an important asset for the community.”
The new store opening comes as food insecurity reaches record levels across the UK. According to the Trussell Trust’s Hunger in the UK 2025 report, almost one in four children under five now live in households facing hunger, and nearly a third of food bank users come from working families.
Against this backdrop, Community Shop’s model has never been more vital. Since its inception in 2013, Community Shop has supported over 83,000 families through this model and saved members over £66m on their food shopping, whilst the Community Hubs have delivered more than 290,000 development programmes. Through its Community Kitchens more than 1m free kids’ meals have been served.
Born in Bolton in 1876, over the last 150 years Warburtons has grown from a local baker into Britain’s largest bakery brand. This partnership is part of the family business’ longstanding commitment to supporting local communities, and in particular its hometown of Bolton. It builds on Warburtons’ wider community programmes, including having donated over 7.5 million products to breakfast clubs and food banks, given almost £1 million to charities and community groups through our local grant programme and supported over 1 million children through its online and farm education programmes over the last 5 years.
The new Community Shop was approved by Bolton Council Planning Team on 16 April 2026.
