In our latest Meet The Manager series we meet Nelleke, manager of The Source Bulk Foods on Western Road. The Source have over 450 bulk foods including organic wholefoods, cooking liquids and oils, healthy snacks and sustainable personal and household products all under one roof, with one aim: to make your zero-waste journey easier.
Hi Nelleke! First things first, when did The Source Bulk Foods Brighton store open?
The store in Brighton opened in November 2019.
Why did you want to join the team?
I joined the team in November, I have been here from the beginning when the shop was still an empty shell. The whole team helped build it up and this made it really feel like our shop.
That’s so lovely! Can you tell us a little about the range of products you stock?
We stock a huge range of organic and non-organic food; from nuts and seeds, dried fruits, household products, body care as well as lots of different treats like chocolates, crisps and even kombucha on tap.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
That moment when I can see the discovery in our customers’ eyes: they come in and are so surprised by our range and how calm and relaxing the vibe in the shop is. Conventional supermarkets can be so busy and stressful, being able to offer people an alternative is what I love the most.
What’s your day to day routine like?
I am a morning person so I open the shop up. I stay busy with serving customers which includes giving advice on cooking, providing in depth information on the range we offer, as well as having heart-to-hearts with regular customers who come and tell us about their culinary adventures. Then in the afternoon I am busy in the office with ordering and other admin including team management and local area marketing.
Sounds busy! Which items are your bestsellers?
Our peanut butter! We makeit in the store and customers can make it theirselves with our cool nut butter machine too. People also go mad for the peanut clusters; we always make sure we have a big stash. Our other bestseller are our smoked almonds- these smell so delicious that it makes them very hard to resist!
What would be your top tips for going plastic-free?
The biggest tip I would give to people personally is to try and cook from scratch. it is a healthier way of eating, I find it super-fun. it will work out cheaper too and lot of processed foods come in non-recyclable packaging.
Another tip would be to follow plastic-free and zero-waste accounts on social media for inspiration. I believe that going plastic-free is a journey where you have to unlearn habits we picked up in our lives, however, it is better for a million people to go plastic-free imperfectly then one person doing it perfect.
Is there anything exciting coming up?
We’ve recently had an exciting collaboration with Wolfox coffee and are planning other supplier days in store. Another exciting development is that we are lowering prices and running great offers on our chocolate range throughout the next few months, so there is something to find at The Source for everyone.
Before you go: when you’re not working, what do you enjoy getting up to in Brilliant Brighton?!
I am in the process of finishing a psychology and sociology degree at the University of Brighton but I also love cooking, playing tennis and I like to travel.
Thanks Nelleke! Visit Nelleke and her team at 142 Western Road, Brighton.
Website: https://thesourcebulkfoods.co.uk/
Phone: 01273 332 1777
Opening Times: Mon-Fri: 9am – 8pm, Sat: 9am -7pm, Sun: 10am-6pm
Contact the store directly as times may have changed due to Covid-19
