Published: 6/09/2023
Updated: October 2nd, 2023 at 06:42 am
For Organic September we visited Sophie at Riverside Health in the gorgeous Newcastle Emlyn. We talked about the dramatic start the business endured and learnt about the passion they have for organic and local produce.
Please tell us a little about Riverside Health:
We opened Riverside Health in September 2019 after it had been closed for nearly a year following a fire. We have a small but amazing team and we all share a passion for health, people, our environment and our planet.
What are you most proud of about your business?
We pride ourselves on our customer service, our knowledge and being a smiling face and a listening ear to all who walk through our door, whether people need to have a chat about ailments and seek advice about vitamins and supplements or if they just want to grab a (compostable) bag of spices to finish off making their chutney, and everyone in-between!
What’s your local area like and how are other independents fairing?
We’re located in the wonderful town of Newcastle Emlyn, which boasts an array of independent shops. We are incredibly lucky to be working with more than 20 local suppliers, most of whom are organic, as well as being supported by wholesalers who are ethical workers cooperatives. We love knowing that most of our supply chain is well supported and trying to make the world a better place too!
What kind of products can we buy in your shop?
We are a little Tardis, full of almost everything you can imagine: Health foods, Organic fruit and vegetables, local organic eggs, cheese, spirits and wines. Snacks, personal care, environmentally friendly cleaning products and toiletries. Wholefoods, vegan and vegetarian foods, teas, coffees and alternatives. Herbs and spices, free from products, soft drinks, kombuchas, supplements, vitamins and more!
What are the bestsellers at the moment and what’s your favourite product?
One of our best sellers has got to be the Suma Bombay mix! We pack it into plant based, home compostable bags, so zero guilt! We also stock over 100 different chocolate bars and we all have a different favourite! Currently we’re loving the Hu range, while booja booja is always a hit!
Is there anything else you’d like our audience to know about riverside?
Organic is really one of our core values, for us organic is so much more than a buzz word. How we farm and what we put into our bodies will affect so many future generations. We are proud to support local farmers and growers and all of our eggs, fruit, vegetables and local cheeses are always organic. The organic status is of real importance to us when we are looking at getting new products on the shelves too! The majority of products in our shop are organic and we love when our customers tell us they’re doing their own growing in line with organic principles too!
