TAKE 5 Meet the family behind Bath’s new zero-waste shop

A FAMILY AFFAIR Stamena Dimitrova, along with her daughter, Leny, sister, Hrisi and her niece, Misha has launched Refillable, a zero-waste shop on London Road

Why did you start a zerowaste shop? The idea came during the lockdown – initially I wanted to take over a little greengrocer that became available. But my daughter Leny and I have been feeling guilty for a long time about our plastic consumption – we are constantly encouraged by media and the government to reduce plastic, but accessible platforms for doing that are not that easy to find yet. The shop idea was born out of wanting to take action, be proactive and create an accessible way for consumers to reduce their plastic consumption.

Was it a complicated process? We spent many days, weeks and months strategizing, researching, planning and taking small steps forward. The amount of learning we did in this initial stage – it’s absolutely mind boggling! The more research we did, the more excited and inspired we got, because we realised there is a big ‘underground’ world of manufacturers and producers that actually can enable us all to live more sustainably. You can find everything you need in your daily life, plastic-free. Years ago, the range of items was very limited, but no more.

Why did you choose Bath to open the shop? Bath is such an eco-conscious city. People here are forwardthinking, open minded and driven to make a difference. We chose

left: Hrisi Todeva, Mihaela Todeva, Leny Dimitrova and Stamena Dimitrova are the all-woman team behind Bath’s new zero-waste shop; above: Refillable offers an easy way for shoppers to reduce their plastic usage

Bath because I love the city, the market is ready and waiting for a shop like this, and we found the perfect location. Refillable is in an iconic old grocery store with over 37 years of history. It was time to continue with the legacy but bring a new, fresh look and feel to it.

How has the shop changed? When we came to see the empty shop first, it was in a shocking state. It was dark, worn out and falling apart. Rather than repaint, we decided to check underneath the old plaster – it turned out that sections of the walls are actually made of original Bath stone. We exposed the stone and went for as natural materials as possible for the décor. The shop has an industrial look, using reclaimed wood, metal pipes, old cable reels and old pallets. It is looking beautiful now and it has such a special vibe and energy.

And the beautiful murals on the walls? We commissioned local artist Nicola Davis to create an iconic mural on one of our walls. We went with Nicola for her talent and her entrepreneurial skills. Using her work also aligns with our values – to support local and to promote young female entrepreneurs.

What would you say to a zerowaste newbie? Come and play. Literally – we joke that the shop is a play-ground for adults! Containers and jars line the walls, making the shop look so interesting and exciting. We use scoops and handles that, when pulled down, dispense beautiful, colourful food. We are here to help initially, too.

Do you think 2020 has changed people’s habits when it comes to sustainability? As a result of the lock down – I’d say the positive aspect of the lockdown – is that we slowed down a bit. We started noticing and attending to life in a different way – we became more mindful. With that mindfulness came more attention and a desire to get back to basics – performing with care tasks like food preparation, gardening and all the little daily things that we didn’t think much of before. A zero-waste shop extends this experience further. You can refill your daily essentials, you can make your own peanut butter with a push of a green button, you can have a nutrient-packed, freshly squeezed orange juice – all completely plastic-free. Refillable; 3 Cleveland Place East, London Road; tel: 01225 444477; www.refillable.shop

FOOD & DRINK

SNAPSHOTS OF BATH’S FOOD SCENE

Charlotte Archer offers bespoke catering services, cookery classes and health coaching

FOOD FOR THOUGHT CHARLOTTE ARCHER

SOPHIE BOLESWORTH ©

The private chef, health coach and educator gives the lowdown on her favourite foods.

What’s your desert island dish? Dahl. I am ever so slightly obsessed. Oh, and garlic tiger prawns.

I don’t know… maybe dahl topped with garlic tiger prawns?

What’s your best ever food memory? Growing up, my father was in the army and when we were posted out to Brunei there was this tiny – I mean tiny – takeaway called the Hole in the Wall selling freshly made local Asian food. It had the best spring rolls and Singapore noodles ever.

As an adult, that’s slightly trickier to answer. I am lucky that my friends and family are all really foodie so I have had the opportunity to taste and eat some incredible dishes and ingredients. I also judge and am a co-ordinator for The Great Taste Awards and some of the produce that is entered is really quite phenomenal. But if I had to choose one… I ate the most incredible octopus at the restaurant Palomar in London just before lockdown. Crispy and charred on the outside but tender and creamy fl esh on the inside from braising. Going back for another is going to be my ‘after Covid’ reward.

What’s your failsafe fast food recipe? Carbonara. It’s quick to make, very few ingredients are needed and it’s pure comfort in a bowl.

What’s your dinner party staple? Lamb shawarma with fl atbreads, humous, herby pomegranate and bulger salad, a roast butternut squash and smoked aubergine salad, and a bean, hazelnut and preserved lemon salad. All can be done in advance and the meat slowly cooks so I am able to spend maximum time with my friends and guests.

What’s your guilty pleasure? Buttered toasted ciabatta with fresh anchovies, always.

What’s food do you fi nd totally gross? Tomato ketchup! I just don’t get the hype. It’s acidic, sweet and overpowers all other elements on the plate.

For more: www.charlottearcher.com

Enjoy a bun with a view

SWEET DEAL

Get your buns to Alexandra Park: the Choux Box Patisserie now has a permanent pitch. You can now get fresh choux buns, macaroons, coff ee and hot chocolate from the Choux Box van at the view point.

“Before lockdown, my business focused on providing bespoke services for weddings and big celebrations, as well as taking part in food festivals and events,” explains Orlando Partner, owner and the chef behind the buns. “Since Covid however, and it’s obvious eff ect on the hospitality industry, I redirected my skills to off ering a delivery service to the local area, which has proven to be very popular. We have now confi rmed a permanent pitch at Alexandra Park.” Orlando will be in the park Fridays 9am-12pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-2pm. For more: www.thechouxboxpatisserie.com

Orlando Partner switched to a mail-order model to get through the pandemic – it proved popular!

Vegan treats even dairy fi ends will love

Meg and Nat launched The Happy Donut during lockdown and it has thrived ever since

ALE FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Meg Smith and Nat Morris started The Happy Donut Co during lockdown. Meg was fi nishing up her degree, meanwhile Nat was furloughed and had wanted to start a business for a while, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. They could not have predicted how quickly demand for their vegan donuts would explode.

“Initially, the idea was that this would turn into a Saturday side-hustle at the market,” Meg explains. “But, with the power of social media, we had more orders than we could handle. It’s now Nat’s full-time job and my part-time job. We’ve had to buy a bigger car for all the deliveries and move to a two-bed fl at to store our stock, and have a decent size kitchen to operate from.”

Every donut is hand made by Meg and Nat and delivered by them to Bath, Bristol and the surrounding areas. “Our mission is to disrupt the ‘eww that’s vegan’ mindset. Our products are vegan, but not exclusively for vegans. There’s no ‘planty’ taste, and we’ve been told that you would never be able to tell they’re vegan – we have to agree.”

They’ve recently expanded their range with a new Brookie Pizza (cookie base, topped with double stuff ed Oreos, brownie loaded with vegan marshmallows, lotus biscuits and chocolate chunks.) and have further plans to expand. For more: www.thehappydonut.co.uk Bath Cats and Dogs Home has teamed up with local craft beer specialists Electric Bear Brewing Company to launch a new bespoke pale ale called Fur-Ever Home. A 30p donation from every can sold will go to the animal charity to help continue their vital work.

Fur-Ever Home is vegan and available individually and in cases of 12 and 24 from Electric Bear’s web shop, the Brewery Taproom at The Maltings industrial estate and their various stockists throughout the South West.

Every can sold benefi ts Bath’s animals in-need

DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY

For more: www.electricbearbrewing.com

Peter Milton can’t wait to get to know the Widcombe locals

HAVE A BUTCHER’S

Larkhall Butchers is opening a new shop on Widcombe High Street. In the former site of the Cakery Café, the shop will sell meat from local farms, including their own family farm, Ivy House Dairy. There’ll be local cheese and Marshfi eld ice cream in store too.

“We have been looking to add an additional location to our Larkhall shop for some time,” says Peter Milton, owner of Larkhall Butchers. The support that we have had from everybody during lockdown has been just incredible and the Widcombe postcodes are defi nitely some of our best customers, so it made perfect sense to choose here as our next home. We are so excited to join the other incredible shops and really get to know the locals.” For more: www.larkhallbutchers.co.uk