Natural Health Food Store delighted to win the overall Retail Excellence Award in the Wexford Chamber Business Awards
THE prize-winning Natural Health Food Store on North Main Street takes the idea of a family run business to new heights with four siblings involved in the venture which recently won the overall Retail Excellence Award in the Wexford Chamber Business Awards.
The well-stocked store which carries a large and continually expanding range of health food products, was also shortlisted in the national Start-up Business Awards sponsored by Bank of Ireland.
The success is a welcome and well-earned boost to a business which was started just two and a half years ago by Patrick, Linda and Christine Meehan with their sister Clair Whitty, a nutrition therapist and health writer also employed in the store.
Between them, the four Meehans have a colossal 130 years experience in retail having started out as teenagers in Colman Doyle’s shops and moving en famille to the Only Natural store which they left in December 2013 to establish their own business.
Their experience in the health food industry adds up to almost 100 years between them.
‘We all left school early and one by one we followed each other into Colman Doyle’s and Only Natural. We get on well together as a team and we each have our own role in the business,’ said Christine who shares responsibility for nutrition advice and marketing with Clair while Patrick takes charge of stock, and beauty therapist Linda looks after customer service - she is also the Kofi Anan-style peacekeeper among the four.
Chief nutrition advisor Clair runs a food intolerance clinic in the store and also writes a weekly health column in the The People newspaper.
An older Meehan brother Leo works in architecture while younger sister Trudy is a psychologist.
A suite of therapy rooms downstairs is used as a treatment space by visiting therapists and is also the venue for seminars, talks and workshops in all aspects of health.
In addition to foodstuffs, supplements and herbal medicines, the Natural Health Store stocks a wide range of ethically traded giftware.
The extra special organic ingredient that this Wexford store thrives on is the passion for helping people shared by the quartet of Meehans.
‘Yes, we are a business but we are genuinely passionate about helping people. We don’t just sell products, we give advice, guidance and information. People tell us their deepest and personal problems and we always treat them with confidentiality and respect,’ said Christine.
‘Supermarkets have become more aware of the health food trend and there will always be the competitive element. If you are buying a product, it may be the cheapest but it may not be the best product for you.’
‘When you come in here, you get a personal shopping experience, we talk you through the products.’
Find out more about what’s on offer in the Natural Health Store on www.naturalhealthstore.ie. Telephone 053 9121613.