Unpackaged

As a closet evangelist of any endeavour that protects the environment, I envisaged that first visit to Unpackaged would be a heavenly glimpse into an enlightened future. Economic efficiency and environmental protection would combine gloriously to help like-​minded souls re-​stock their larders without having to burden the environment with massive amounts of plastic. Heck, they might even save a few pennies in the bargain too. The reality, of standard food/​home stuffs sold at staggeringly high prices, was a crushing disappointment.
The idea is fantastic. There IS too much packaging on food and other stuff for the home (e.g. detergent) these days. Much of it spends most of its life not shielding the product from contamination but buried in landfill (ninety percent of waste in the UK is buried in landfills). And even if you want to recycle it, it’s often not clear what can and cannot be recycled by your local authority. So how about trying to take packaging out of the equation by sourcing kitchen essentials in large quantities from producers and then selling it per kg/​litre direct to tupperware-​toting consumers? That’s what Unpackaged seeks to do and the furiousness of my applause for its stand was matched only by my desire to drop by. Finally, when visiting Hackney for other reasons, I got my chance.
It’s a pleasant place. Unpackaged mk2 has expanded to encompass a shop and a restaurant. Unsurprisingly, given the types of people who are likely to be interested in the concept, its products stress compliance with all the usual criteria sought by its clientel: organic, fairtrade, locally-​sourced where possible. So one would expect higher prices. But this high? The prices typically go far beyond any premium one might happily pay over comparable stores, the obvious one being Waitrose. Organic pasta costs twice as much at Unpackaged as it does at Waitrose, detergents often more than twice as much and muesli noticeably more too. Staggering really is the word. Bewilderment is another — how are these prices sustained? Their flour is more competitive, at pretty much bang on what Waitrose charges, but then as flour is sold in paper bags, the environmental advantage of buying Unpackaged is minimal.
But I didn’t want to review it purely on observation, so I rummaged around for the cheapest products to cobble together £5 for the minimum card spend. I got some sunflower seeds (good value at 59p per 100g), popping corn (also competitive) and strong wholemeal flour (comparable price-​wise to Waitrose flour). These however were the exceptions rather than the rule.
In all, Unpackaged was a big disappointment. Despite laudably pioneering this concept (in name at least), I don’t think Unpackaged has proved its viability beyond the market most sympathetic to its cause and thus tolerant of its imperfections (aka its high prices). I’ll be looking at other ways to reduce my environmental footprint.

Awesome little shop that stocks loads of healthy foods. I simply don’t understand why there are not more places like this. I love their milk always fresh and tasty. Instead of going to McDonald’s you can pay a visit to this shop, you won’t regret it.

I vaguely remember reading Kevin L’s review of Unpackaged back in 2011, I thought: yeah, sounds cool but as if I’m traipsing down to Angel with a load of containers to fill up on nuts and stuff. Sounds like too much effort considering I am rarely in the area.
But, East Londoners, it’s come to us! It’s now located on Richmond Road next to Lardo and new Med restaurant Fields. It’s bigger, better and has a café so stays open a bit later.
It’s pretty freaking amazing. They have so much stuff to refill containers with: nuts, oil, vinegars, lentils, flour, rice, pasta, pulses, bulgar, wine, fruit juice, vodka!, beer, cinder, prosecco, eggs, milk, yoghurt, hummus, spices, herbs, coffee, cleaning products!, loose tea, shampoo and loads more.
If you haven’t got a container, don’t worry, you can buy some here, but apart from a few paper bags, don’t expect any plastic bags to fill with flour, rice etc. It’s not that sort of place.
The café/​bar looks good, and I will be back to try it. But for now, it’s great to know that if I need a jar full of jam to go with my E5 bakehouse bread, or a refill on my bottle of wine to sit on London Fields this summer, then this place is nearby.

Why are there not more of these in London?
This beautiful boutique grocer perched inconspicuously on Amwell Road is my favourite place to go shopping. It feels like a step back in time, I was about to dig for my rationing card in my purse and then realised it was my own reusable containers I was looking for.
Bring anything along– old take-​away cartons, paper bags, glass jars… they will weigh your containers as not to charge you for the extra weight aside from the food you put inside them, and then you just fill away to your hearts content with what ever takes your fancy…
Flour, sugar, cous cous, dried fruits, nuts, rice, cereals, beans, lentils, yoghurt covered raisins… I could go on. I think you can even buy milk in reusable glass canisters. All products as you imagine, are organic and ‘ethically sourced’ (will get to the bottom of a correct definition of this one day). Best thing is if you need 5 raisins or 50 000, you serve what you need, don’t be confined to ‘set’ package sizes like the supermarkets.
BUT don’t get put off by all this do-​gooder, yummy mummy stuff, even if you’re on your way back from work or just happen to be unexpectedly be passing by, you can go in and buy whatever you need– they will GIVE you the reusable containers to fill, and you just pay the standard price for your sundry goods (bringing your own containers will get you a discount though). AND affordable on top of that, this is not gourmet, elitest priced. Truly for everyone.

Chances are… if you hate rainbows, freedom, and the like… you’re also going to hate on Unpackaged and everything this shop stands for.
Mere blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Chapel Market, Unpackaged offers an alternative to your organic nuts, flours, oils, vinegars, and various sundry other kitchen and home goods purchasing needs. As its appellation suggests, you’ll want to bring your own containers and bags, as most products here come… you guessed it… unpackaged. There are a few cork-​able glass bottles for liquids and plastic bags for your use here, but the idea is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
In addition to snacks and meal ingredients, Unpackaged offers a seemingly random smattering of other edibles worth taking a nosey at — mouthwatering Scotch eggs, Pieminister pies, and home-​made/​locally sourced baked goods. If you’re a fan of not-​so-​sweet nibbles, check out the muesli cake by Sasha. Yum.
While I wish they were open on Sunday, so I could take advantage of the farmers market at Chapel Market and hit up Unpackaged in one go, this is certainly a shop worth popping into any other day of the week. If only they had a location slightly closer to my flat, I’d be in here all the time!

I love this shop! Its really handy as it is just around the corner from me. They stock yummy treats and cupboard staples. Their fresh milk in glass bottles is almost like having it delivered to your door. I love their organic breads, cheeses from neal’s yard, freshly baked organic brownies, fresh spices & also enjoy the convenience of getting household products like washing up liquid & bicarb soda without any extra packaging. It’s rumoured the shop will be relocating, which I am extremely bummed about!

I had a chance to try their lovely popcorn at the Qype summer party and loved it as much as I love their environmentally friendly concept. I spent a long time living in a country that has a much higher level of environmental awareness than the UK and it is really nice to see shops opening in London that are environmentally friendly, encourage the use of reusable packaging, and support fair trade, social enterprises and small local producers.
What is there to not love about that?

I got to meet the lovely folk from Unpackaged at the Qype Summer Party and sampled (quite a few of!) their popcorn cones. I loved the fact that the popcorn came with yummy seeds and the magazine cones were so charming! Their stall was so popular that they ran out of magazine cones so they ended up serving their tasty popcorn in napkins — very handmade, very cute! I’m so glad that their shop is at my end of town — I’ll be popping in to sample their deli food as soon as possible.

What a great idea! Specifically, offering quality local, organic and environmentally friendly products that you can buy as little or as much of as you want — as opposed to the place my mum used to take her Tupperware to fill up with disgusting, knock-​off Coco Pops.
At the Qype Summer party I tried their healthy popcon with soy sauce roasted seeds, whcih was very tasty.
I’ve not been in to the shop yet, but it’s very local to me, so I’ll definitely be checking it out, kilner jars in hand.

I had some popcorn from Unpackaged at the Qype summer party. I really enjoyed it and like the concept of reducing waste. The popcorn was delicious and I’ll definietly be checking out their store!

I tried their seed and popcorn cone at the Qype Summer Party, and it was indeed delicious. Even more so when you realise how ethical their approach to business is, both in considering their carbon footprint and promoting organic and Eco-​friendly produce. I’ll definitely check out their shop next time I’m in the area.

Fantactic alternative to traditional pop-​corn. I like them more for being eco-​friendly and using magazines as packaging. But their philosophy reaches our further. They really try be conscious about their footprint and their sources (the company received the Observer Ethical Ward in 2008). Before going to the party I didn’t know them. I’m happy I do now:)

I was so sick of buying nuts in those little tiny bags from Sainsbury’s. Who eats that few nuts? If I’m going to make some delicious sweet treats, I need lots of nuts! Boy, was I excited to find out about this little gem where you can really stock up your pantry without all that fussy packaging. Plus — most everything in the store is organic!
Now, I’m kinda serious about shopping and my food, so if anyone else out there is, here’s the skinny after my first visit:
What they HAVE: standard dry goods (flours, beans, pasta, grains, peas), nuts, loose leaf teas, loads of dried fruits, bread, small selection of fruit and veg (I’m sure they source locally so don’t expect much out of season), eggs, bottled milk (!!!), cheeses, ready-​made pies and things, fresh salads, lots of spices, extensive selection of bulk cleaning products (most from ecover), toiletry items (they carry natracare and Tom’s of Maine)
I’m sure I missed some things, but that’s the basic run-​down.
I walked away with most things on my list (didn’t have slivered almonds for baking), and I was much happier without all the waste. I didn’t find it any cheaper than your standard grocery store, because I think what you save from buying bulk and without packaging is made up for by the expense of organic. The shop is quite small, and I can’t imagine more than five people shopping comfortably in it. The service, though very friendly and helpful, was slow. I didn’t mind though, it’s not like your typical supermarket that you just want to leave. I was happy to peruse the stock while I was waiting.
In summary, I will probably visit once every three weeks or so to restock the pantry. If you live very close – by and are a home cook, it could totally become your only grocery store.
I hear they are moving, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it’s not too far!

Awesome little shop that stocks loads of organic whole food ingredients loose, just waiting for you to come and scoop up exactly how much you need.
I just don’t understand why there are not more places like this. Bring your own container (or use a paper bag from the shop), scoop up how much you need, weigh it and pay for it. No «um, I’m sorry but that only comes in 2 litres» when you need 100 mls, and no having to buy 3 packets of something when you need exactly 2 ½.
All organic, all natural, all completely wonderful real food ingredients. You know, barley, lentils, and chocolate covered raisins…

I love this place because it feels so nice to be in there. I need to buy this stuff anyway, I HATE all the waste that goes along with groceries usually, and it’s a really beautiful friendly little store.
(mini tirade: why, when you’re in a normal organic fancy shop, is everything in tiny little amounts in big packages? Like, two lemons wrapped up in three layers of film? Makes no sense!)