The first thing I noticed was the little tin with coins for people to pop in the parking meters outside this smart building promising organic food and goods. How thoughtful! A large basket filled with different sized jars was at the door presumbly for one to fill. I like their appprach to re-using and recycling! See http://www.tastenature.co.nz/pages/1-13/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle for more.
Then hanging on a coat stand and around it were lovely cane baskets and woven bags for people to use instead of plastic containers to pop their grocieres in to. Yes there were trolleys for those doing a BIG shop!
Taste Nature is Dunedin’s largest organic shop. Reading on the website it sounds like it has a somewhat challenging life. It began in 1992 when a chap known as the Dirt Doctor began selling produce from his garage, then an old church. In 1995 it became a consumer co-operative and Taste Nature formed. It had steady growth until 2003. I gather the plan was to create an unencumbered, viable enterprise, that could be sold. This happened in 2003 when Mark Dickson who was a small scale grower in Waitati and Assistant Manager with his wife bought the business and formed Taste Nature 2003 Ltd.
Today a cafe and shop on High Street in the city centre houses Taste Nature. It had a wonderful feel, great displays, shelves brimming with gorgeous looking natural foods and products and lots of notes, explansations and helpful advice. I watched one woman filling a container with oil and it made me wonder where was the nearest place in Auckland where I could do this?
Readers do share!