Eco-store offers ‘old-fashioned’ values

A brother-sister duo have teamed up to give North Shore shoppers a taste of nostalgia.

Andrea and Robert Watt have opened The Source Bulk Food in Milford, bringing unbranded, bulk food retail to the community in an effort to revitalise oldfashioned grocery shopping.

The business stocks more than 400 products from as close to the source - get it? - as possible, and is committed to being zero-waste, vetoing the use of plastic bag in favour of recyclable paper ones.

‘‘People are wanting to make a change from using plastic bags,’’ Andrea Watt said.

‘‘They want to shop more sustainably and ethically, they want to know where their food is coming from.’’

The Source is an Australian brand, which the Watts discovered in their search for a business venture they could operate as a family.

The brand has 38 shops across Australia. The Watts’ store is New Zealand’s first.

The siblings, who both live in Takapuna, were raised in the seven-day-a-week business environment.

Their grandparents and greatgrandparents were grocers, and they grew up with a love of customer service.

Andrea Watt said the ideology of the business resonated with her and her brother immediately.

‘‘We wanted a family business, we wanted something that was simple and our background is customer service.

‘‘Along with the zero waste, no plastic bags in the store and the overall values that the business had, that’s what attracted us.’’

Organic turmeric and ginger kombucha - sourced locally - has been the most popular product on the shelf, while nut butters made on site also can’t quite keep up with demand.

Andrea Watt said what made the business special to her was the ability for customers to ‘‘experiment’’ with food.

‘‘People can come in and buy a tablespoon of turmeric for example, so therefore they are not having to throw away.

‘‘They can buy as little or as much as they want.’’

The pair are dreaming big. As the business’ New Zealand franchisors, they are looking to grow the brand, with more stores in communities throughout the country.

They are set to open a second store in Kumeu in by the end of the year, which they will also operate.

SUPPLIED Andrea and Robert Watt say the packagingfree ethos resonated with them and they opened the first of the Australian franchise, The Source Bulk Foods, in Milford on Auckland’s North Shore.