Greengrocer opens up in South Side

FORMER climate change consultant Sophia Harwood Murday found herself looking for a new direction at the beginning of lockdown. She has looked to the past for inspiration and opened a modern- day traditional greengrocer.

Located at 717 Pollokshaws Road in Strathbungo, Seven One Seven also offers a deli salad bar and home- made take- away foods, and receives a daily supply from a local baker. A forager also brings in seasonal finds to be snapped up by locals keen to experiment in home cooking.

Sophia said, “Like many of us I was questioning everything and looking for a change. I quickly appreciated the importance of neighbourhood and community during lockdown and realised there was nowhere local that offered basic necessities, like eggs, butter, vegetables, without having to travel further afield to a supermarket.

“A former coffee shop became available and I thought it was now or never and I really had nothing to lose. It has been terrific.

“My neighbours are my customers, and it serves a purpose which is a great feeling in the current climate.

“People are keen to shop locally and I see that as an opportunity for high streets to encourage the return of small independents like me.”

Another attraction of Seven One Seven is the speciality coffee which Sophia has sourced from a coffee cooperative in Rwanda.

Sholi Coffee enables local farmers to use their washing stations to process their cherries which contain the coffee beans, to create the coffee and improve the financial security for member farmers and the wider community.

Sophia adds: “We’ve had great interest in our coffee as, again during lockdown people have become even more interested in the provenance of food and experimental in cooking at home.

“The challenges for the food industry really are immense but people have been really supportive and taking their business to independents and I’m encouraged that will continue.”