Community
100%
commited to zero waste
Every month TN Card founder Jess Gibson shines a spotlight on one of our local independent retailers who are members of her shopping loyalty reward scheme. This month Jess talks to Charlotte Bowyer and Holly Watson, co-founders of the Zero Waste store on The Pantiles… How did the two of you meet and what was your inspiration for opening the store? Holly: We met nearly three years ago. At the time we were both freelancers struggling to balance childcare and work. Charlotte did a social media post on a mums group asking if any other local mums wanted to join forces to split childcare and help each other work – and the rest is history!
Jess Gibson Founder of TN Card
Charlotte: We quickly got to know each other and realised how similar our ethos on sustainability was and how our skillsets in business complemented each other perfectly. At the time it was hard to shop sustainably in one place so we wanted to create a onestop shop for all things plasticfree. Fast forward a few months and the business plan for Zero Waste was written and we were hunting down properties! The store and café have evolved significantly since you first opened, what have been the
16 | September 2021 | SO Magazine
biggest changes and what prompted them? Charlotte: The café has been the biggest change. Originally it was only put in to fill an empty space at the back of the shop but it quickly became very popular. So we decided to flip the café and the shop over. We managed to fit all the lines we had in the shop in the smaller space and expand the café. It was a winwin for us. How did the pandemic affect you as a store? Holly: We launched the delivery service for Zero Waste during the first lockdown. When supermarkets just couldn’t cope and people isolating were in desperate need we just stepped up. Being a community-minded business it was the right thing to do. We kept the shop open and battled to get deliveries from suppliers. We had the added challenge of only using people who adhered to our ethos of being plastic-free and sustainable which obviously did make things harder.
ABOUT THE ZERO WASTE CO: LOCATION: 13 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells OPENING HOURS: Mon- Sat 9am - 5pm Sunday 10am- 4pm TN CARD MEMBER REWARD: 10% off in the shop (excluding fresh produce) 15%off in the cafe.
Holly: What isn’t there to find at Charlotte: Remaining open the Zero Waste company?! We though raised awareness of the have so many incredible local, shop’s existence within the independent, artisan suppliers community. We gained some who all champion sustainability. incredible customers throughout They include Naked & Ready, the pandemic but its impact Sussex Kitchen and Taywells ice financially has been hard. We cream. Our talented in-house didn’t receive any rent breaks and chef Jen makes everything vegan still had all our start-up costs to friendly. As well as cakes and cover. We also invested a lot into tarts there are salads and quiches keeping the doors open and too! Jen also uses food that’s no launching a delivery service longer sellable in the shop so which sadly didn’t retain combats any food waste too! numbers. When everything returned to You partnered normal people with the TN card slowly went back from the to their usual beginning - why routine, footfall “The TN card is was it important dropped off and all about to you both to be deliveries slowly part of the ground to a halt. supporting local and that’s so in line scheme? As we return to with our ethos we Holly: The TN some kind of card is all about normal do you couldn’t refuse to supporting local think the way be a part of it” and that’s so in we’re shopping line with our now has changed ethos we couldn’t since Covid? refuse! Holly: The loyal Charlotte: Anything that rewards customers we gained during loyal customers and supports lockdown have been amazing and we actively see them looking local businesses will always be a winner with us. to make change in their shopping behaviours. It’s What does the future hold for the awesome and we are so proud to Zero Waste Company? support them on their Zero Waste journey. Charlotte: We have big plans up our sleeves and all will be Charlotte: There was an revealed soon. In the meantime, explosion of people wanting to we will continue to focus of support local coming out of keeping the doors open, filling lockdown but it just hasn’t the shop with local products, maintained the momentum. I helping the community with their think people are keen to change plastic-free journey, serving great habits, shop sustainability, shop coffee and incredible vegan cakes! local, reduce their carbon footprint and shop for good but Holly: We have lots of life gets in the way. People have less time now they’ve returned to forthcoming events so keep an eye on our social media pages work and supermarkets offer for more information but to convenience shopping name a few we have: The something which we haven’t Sustainability Festival, a Women mastered yet! in Business night, a Cocktail Making session, an Afternoon What can we expect to find at Tea event, our Christmas ‘Big The Zero Waste Company when Reveal,’ and many more! we visit this summer?