Speciality Food April 2024

specialityfoodmagazine.com 45 have a few grandparents come in to fill up for when their grandkids come around. “And Hodmedod’s are brilliant. They do a range of snacks in bulk and are one of the only companies in the UK, as far as I’m aware, able to grow quinoa and chia seeds here, which means we’re not having to import them.” One of the biggest success stories for Amanda has been working with wholesaler WiganWholefoods. “They’re supplyingmore andmore stores across the country, and they’re happy to provide bulk goods in paper packaging. It’s the only place I’ve come across that does that. I can get 12kgs of pasta at a time in a paper sack!” Household cleaning products and soaps fromFill are part of the lifeblood at All is Good, says Karen. “The bottles look amazing. People want to display them. We sold so many bottles in the first week we had them in the shop – it was ridiculous.” Growth here has been exponential. Starting with a line of six products, with a plan for expansion slowly across two years, the shop was forced to increase its range and volume within just sixmonths, supported by Crowdfunding in the community, which raised £25,000, demonstrating a local appetite for what Karen and her business partner were doing. Washing liquid and handwash are staunch customer favourites. “And in terms of food, it’s always nuts and seeds. They go really well. We sell loads of them. Also, the more quirky things like refillable gin - we sell tonnes of that at Christmas.” Christmas is a prime time for Angus as well, with sales of sloe gin and bramble-infused Scotch whisky soaring. “In the spring we usually see demand for our new harvest extra virgin olive oil - there’s nothing like fresh oil, a fewweeks’ old, when it’s luminescent green. It’s a bit of heaven.” In farm shop settings, oils and vinegars are a hit, especially black garlic balsamic. “It’s fabulous. People find this incredible ingredient, and it transforms their cooking. Use it for beautiful salads, amazing roast veg, or even put it in pasta sauce – and everyone thinks you’re Jamie Oliver!” How tomake refill work Karen says buying in bulk is better – especially when it comes to household cleaning products. “One of the reasons we crowdfunded was, when we originally started, we had 20lt containers with little pumps on. It became apparent they weren’t user-friendly. We had to man them ourselves, which took people away from the till. And the more popular it got, the harder it was to manage.” All is Good invested in huge barrels of product which, while an expensive outlay, meant customers could help themselves, creating an interactive experience in store. Amanda’s biggest piece of advice is to be aware of howmuch time refill takes. “A lot of big supermarkets have tried to break into refill, and it hasn’t worked,” she says. “They don’t have the time or the amount of staff to keep on top of it, and to keep it looking fresh. That’s the biggest thing. You have to actually care about doing things this way, and not just see it as a money spinner.” Selling other products alongside refill, repeats Karen, is absolutely vital. Her refillable options account for only 25% of sales. ”You need to dangle something else. We have people coming in for coffee, or for sourdoughmade a couple of miles away. Then they end up going out with a piece of artwork or more food, or some handwash. They will stumble into the refill area and go, ‘oh wow, refillable gin’.” Keeping it local is as important to Karen as minimising waste. “We make sure everything we buy is made by local people, using local products so we are supporting growing the local economy, which is so important as well.” Space is another consideration, says Angus, as refilling can have a large space requirement, especially if you want to do it well. “A lot of retailers are the same in that they want an awful lot of stuff in their shops and will fill them to the gunnels. That can be not so conducive to a good customer experience.” Space between counters, shelving and customers needs to be carefully planned, he adds. “They hate it when they want to look at something and someone else tries to squeeze past. Stand in your shop, watch what happens around your shelving.” Perhaps you need to create more space, or move things around to accommodate refills? “Farm shops tend to have enough space,” adds Angus. “And we have been successful with them. If they are doing an expansion and decide to add a new area, they’ve approached us and said, ‘we want to do something now’. I’d say if you’re planning to expand, that’s the time to really think about refill, so you can tailor the space and create a nice enjoyable visit.” The importance of doing better Amanda is unwavering in her view of refill being one of many ways store owners and shoppers can live and operate more sustainably. “Obviously we’re in the middle of a huge climate crisis, and any small thing we can do will add up,” she says. “It’s important companies focus on beingmore plastic free and environmentally focused. I know it’s a fine line for some, but if they can do it, then they should, as this way of shopping desperately needs to be accessible for the masses.”