Better Food founder steps back after four decades

After over 40 years building one of the South West’s best-known organic retailers, Better Food founder Phil Haughton MBE is stepping down as managing director this April, marking what he describes as ‘a new chapter’ for the business.

Haughton, who opened his first shop, Real Food Supplies, on Gloucester Road in 1984, has been a long-standing advocate for organic farming and forging strong relationships with producers. The original store – described as a ‘one-stop organic shop’ and among the first of its kind in the region – was stocked through direct sourcing trips across the UK.

That founding mission, he says, has remained largely unchanged: making organic food more accessible, while highlighting the farmers’ stories and reconnecting shoppers with their food and the soil that produces it.

The business evolved into Better Food in the early 1990s and has since expanded. But Haughton maintains that its core purpose to support a shift away from chemical farming feels ‘more important today than ever’.

Leadership will now pass to Craig Hawthorn, who is already closely involved in the business and will lead alongside the existing management team, with a continued focus on organic sourcing, supplier relationships and community-led retail.

Houghton wrote in a statement: “I will remain connected to Better Food as its founder, but the day to day running of the business will now sit firmly with Craig and the leadership team.

Building a community

“I am turning 68 this year and it feels like the right time to slow down a little,” he says. “I will miss my weekly involvement with the teams I know and love, but I have no shortage of things to keep me busy. More pottery, continuing my work with the charity Heart of BS13 as chair, helping with a farming project I hope will transpire and, importantly, finding more time to walk, read and write.”

Better Food will continue to position itself as an alternative to mainstream grocery, emphasizing transparency and community. “The mission hasn’t really changed,” he notes. “It’s about building a community around better food and a better future.”

By Jane Wolfe, contributor