By no means is it a large shop, just two rooms for customers to browse. However, the range of products are vast, it's stocked with pantry essentials, toiletries, fruits and veg, baked goods (whilst you’re there you may see a fresh batch of bread being made); it’d be hard not to find something you’re after. Though once you’re in the store, you see the main selling point; a focus on sustainability, that has been all too forgotten by main brand shops. Within the store, they sell spices by weight, refillable shampoo/soap, and a milk dispensary, also offering vegan alternatives. These are all an encouragement to bring your own containers and reduce waste. They even sell sustainable, reduced packaging toilet-paper; whilst I won’t go into details on this, I can promise good quality!
They even sell sustainable, reduced packaging toilet-paper; whilst I won’t go into details on this, I can promise good quality!
You’ll notice the store has a homely feeling, encapsulated by the fact that it is ultimately a small, family run business, loved deeply by its local community. It works closely with other businesses, such as neighbouring sister store: ‘The Heaton Perk’. Despite questions around environmental impact and conscious living being large problems to face head on, this intimate business looks at its own direction. And it acts as reminder to us all that even the biggest issues can be approached first at a smaller scale, such as looking at how one lives within their local community.
The 109 General Store can be found in Heaton, and has a pages on Facebook/Instagram, which are more than worth checking out.