A SUSTAINING BUSINESS

Jim Harbridge, owner of Herbies, talks about looking after customers and the planet

“It’s vital that just because a product is sustainable and is good for the environment, it should also be of the utmost quality’ said Jim Harbridge, who took over The Southsea Health food store in 2019, before rebranding the shop, - Herbies. ‘The shop began as a market store in the 1970’s selling herbs and spices run by Tony who became known as Herbie. When Tony opened the shop that’s what is was called - Herbies, I just thought it was only right to reinstate the name, said Jim.

“Organic and sustainable produce is no longer a niche side-line and I have been pleasantly surprised at the range of products I’ve been able to increasingly stock. My other concern has been plastic packaging but again, suppliers are starting to use more compostable packets and containers, to the point that I’m going to stop selling certain brands that continue to use plastic. The other area that we’ve been able to expand, is the re-fill offering, so that customers can either bring in their own container or we can supply them. So far, we have re-fill laundry liquid, washingup liquid, surface cleaner and personal care products, but we are expanding the range all the time, its cheaper for the customer and better for the environment of course.

“We are also watching our product travel miles. There’s actually lots of items that can be sourced locally, for example our beautiful hand soaps are made just round the corner in Francis Avenue, I don’t think you could get much closer than that,’ laughed Jim.

So why can’t supermarkets do the same? “In many ways the supermarkets are looking towards the independent shops for ideas and trends and then it’s just a matter of them seeing if they can scale everything up. I’m happy for supermarkets to copy us if it means we move to a more sustainable way of producing food and household products. Any plans for the future? Although it seems a long way off, we are already planning for Christmas and I’m sourcing sustainable gifts and hampers. Plus, it’ll be good to expand our deliveries, or our click & collect service. In short providing the best service we can for our customers and the planet.

Jim Harbridge in Herbies

Herbies Health Store 241 Albert Road, Southsea PO4 0JR

Herbies Health Store provides wholefoods, vitamins, supplements and plant-based alternatives to the Southsea community and beyond. We stock a wide variety of products with an emphasis on healthy living, including an extensive organic & gluten free selection. We source locally where we can, with an environmental and sustainable ethos in mind. Customers are welcome to refill their domestic cleaning and personal care products. Jim and the team are on hand for any queries you may have and work hard to ensure specific items are ordered for customers. They can also deliver to the Portsmouth area and are open six days a week, including until late on a Thursday. Herbies Health Store 241 Albert Road, Southsea PO4 0JR tel: 02392 753458 email: jim@herbieshealthstore.co.uk herbieshealthstore @herbieshealth

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COME TO DESIGN HOUSE FOR ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS GOODIES

55-57 Marmion Road Southsea PO5 2AT Tel/Fax 02392 838038 www.designhousesouthsea.co.uk

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SARAH MOORE DANCE

Five years ago, Sarah Moore started specialising in day-time dance classes for adults. In February she will celebrate 4 years of wonderful dancing in Southsea.

Classes are for adults of all ages and abilities but particularly suit the ‘active retired.’ There is an online program of 10 classes per week available on zoom with a range of talented teachers. Physical classes will soon be moving to CourtX (Canoe Lake Pavilion) and the Havelock Centre (Fawcett Road PO4 0LQ) so it is a great time to join. There are classes in Musical Theatre, Ballet, Tap and more! The Mellow Moves class is really accessible for all; a great starting point if you are a beginner or would like to take things more gently. Sprightly Steps is a livelier class full of fun and energy. There are three levels of tap, two levels of ballet and a vibrant musical theatre dance class – so there really is something for everyone.

There are so many benefits to dancing: it improves balance, co-ordination, fitness and flexibility. It challenges the mind and the memory, creates social opportunities, provides a creative outlet and increases well-being as it brings joy! This is supported by a great ethos at Sarah Moore Dance, where they truly believe, dancing should be for everyone. The teachers are knowledgeable, experienced and love what they do. On offer now there are free trials at all classes so this is a chance for you to try it out and experience dancing for pure joy in Southsea.

Sarah Moore

Further details are on the website sarahmooredance.co.uk or you can contact Sarah on 07708792928 or email at admin@sarahmooredance.co.uk

Karen is an experienced ISTD dance teacher