Mum's 'zero-waste' food shop inspired by TV documentary in the running for two awards

Keli King’s The Little Green Pantry on Crown Street, Telford, offers ‘zero-waste’ and environmentally friendly shopping.

It was recently shortlisted by the Federation of Small Businesses for the ‘start-up business of the year’ and ‘sustainability’ awards in the West Midlands.

The shop prides itself in offering environmentally friendly alternatives of what people would regularly buy from supermarkets.

Split into different sections, the shop has large dispensaries full of dried foods – like nuts, fruit, rice, pasta, and lentils – and others containing sustainable cleaning products, everything from shampoo and conditioner to floor cleaner, with a pump attached. Customers bring their own container, get it weighed, fill it up, and get it weighed again, so as to only be charged for its contents.

This type of shopping, Keli says, helps prevent any unnecessary packaging and plastic waste from going to landfill.

The 38-year-old mother-of-two said: “It feels amazing to have been nominated. The shop is a part of my life, and I don’t always stop and think about it. But it is so good to be recognised for the positive impact that it’s making, and that the customers are making too. It has given us credibility and motivation.”

Whilst looking after her six-month old baby, Keli began her business in 2019 as a pop-up shop, setting up at markets, local events and festivals to get her name out and “introduce people” to a new way of shopping.

She said the idea came to her after watching the BBC’s War on Plastic and realising that recycling alone is “not doing enough” for the environment, in that a huge amount of recycled plastic still gets taken to landfill.

“It really opened my eyes,” Keli said. “I thought about what else I could do. I wanted to shop more sustainably, so started doing my shopping at a refill shop in Shrewsbury called Green Options. I realised I wanted to do the same but closer to home, as there was no other shop like it. It would also help reduce car emissions too, as people wouldn’t have to travel so far.”

Keli’s business became well known in the community until the pandemic struck and put a stop to markets and events. The quick-thinking businesswoman decided to go mobile, and instead drive to her customers with the supplies in her car boot, and refill their containers on their doorstep. Alternatively, she would pre-weigh ingredients to order and drop deliver them to her customers.

“It was hard work,” she said. “I had the children in the car with me, but they quite enjoyed it. There wasn’t much else to do during lockdown, so they were quite happy coming along with me.”

With the help of Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in our High Street Grant, Keli set up shop in July 2021.

“Moving into the shop has exceeded my expectations on so many levels,” she said. “The customers keep me going. It really motivates me and gives me so much hope that we can make a positive change.”

Speaking of the up-sides – and the challenges – of running her business, Keli said she’s “always finding out about new technologies” to make plastic-free alternatives, but admits there is more hesitancy in customers to spend money amid the cost of living crisis, which “is a worry” for small businesses like hers.

But having been shortlisted for two prestigious awards, Keli feels “overwhelmed with support” and excited about the future. “I hope we can expand into a bigger shop and offer more products and interactive services for the customers, like machines for them to make their own nut butter and plant milk.

“It’s just surreal. Even if we don’t win, I feel like a winner.”