24/01/2024
**Warning - long read!**
Since we took over the business at very short notice just before Christmas we've spoken to so many customers, suppliers and manufacturers who recognise Jeremy from many years ago. So we thought it was important to share a little of the history of the business and why he felt it was so important to save it from closure.
Here's the story in Jeremy's own words:
I was 7 years old back in 1973 when my parents, William (known as Bill) and Beryl Heath took the massive step to buy Greens Health Store. Their interest in natural health was triggered by a search for answers to some underlying health concerns that my mum had, for which conventional medicine had no solution.
The business had been founded back in 1910, by Mrs Nora Green, an early pioneer in the Food Reformist Movement, and one of very few women who ran a business back then. By the 1970's the shop was being run by two elderly sisters, Miss Graves and Miss Graves, who being long past retirement age were finding it a struggle. When VAT was introduced that same year, it added an additional accounting and administrative burden and that was the final straw.
So with some financial help from my grandparents, Greens Health Store became our family business, with an economy in deep recession, high inflation, massive interest rates, petrol shortages and rolling power cuts only adding to the challenge of making it a success. My dad had been brought up in his parents bakery business in Alford, so he knew much of what was required to make a small business thrive. My mum, not so much. She found it a struggle to commit to the long hours and hard work required, one factor that led to them separating and an eventual divorce.
Meanwhile I was "helping out" in the shop like any 7 year old would, with an attention span of around 20 seconds on a good day. But by 9 years old I was set to work on Saturdays packing and labelling the various wholefoods and stocking shelves and earning 50p per day (yes per day!). This was immediately spent in Ashley's toy shop on Airfix modelling kits and Action Man accessories. I don't recall paying tax or national insurance from my wage packet, maybe a call to HMRC to check I don't owe anything would be in order.
Popular items in the shop back then included wholemeal flour, cider vinegar, kelp powder, brewer's yeast tablets and wheatgerm - the superfoods of the 1970's!
By 18, and no longer wanting school or college to interfere with my education (I dabbled with academia but it didn't want to dabble with me) I joined the business under the YTS (Youth Training Scheme), a government backed programme to help school levers into employment. The wage was £30 per week, a 10 fold increase on my earnings a decade earlier!
I remember it was an honour to meet some of the pioneers behind many of the brands which began in the health food trade and grew to become household names. For example Craig Sams, the founder of Whole Earth (who still make peanut butter) and later Green & Black's chocolate. Also Bill Jordan who'd taken over the running of his parents watermill in Bigglewade and was producing organic flour, rolled oats and granola which became Jordans Orginal Crunch and also the popular cereal bars.
It was now 1984 and the business was at a crossroads. The lease was expiring on the rented premises at 4 Exchange Arcade and a move to a freehold shop at 175 High Street beckoned. Retail experts advised maintaining a presence in the Cornhill area as the main shop moved to the High Street so we had a small stall in the indoor market. The first day's turnover was £8.62! This quickly became a larger market stall and then a shop, at 5 Corn Exchange Buildings.
A chance meeting with an Amercan water filter manufacturer at a trade show in Brighton took the business in a new direction, with the introduction of plumbed-in water filters and later on, water softeners. By 1994 that had become a seperate business running from an industrial unit in North Hykeham, installing and servicing systems in homes across Lincolnshire and beyond just as it does today. It was with a heavy heart that I took the decision to focus on the water business, leaving dad to run the shops through a period of consolidation until his eventual retirement in 2008.
The new owners soon found a wonderful manager for the store, a certain Karen Boulton, who after a few years became the 5th owner, bringing a wealth of nutritional knowledge and the quality of service that the shop had long been known for. Together with her daughter Kirsty, they were the go-to people, especially for pure, ethical supplements, natural remedies, skincare products and great advice.
After a move to 5 St Mary's Street and years of dedication, not just to the shop, but to it's loyal customer base, Karen has taken a well earned break to pursue a new adventure. So hearing of the imminent closure of the shop, and with a strong motivation to prevent the demise of the 114 year old business, I stepped in at the very last minute.
Returning to the health trade after over 25 years, especially at such short notice has been not without it's challenges, pivoting the business model to operate without the shop is an ongoing challenge. But reconnecting with so many customers, with messages of support and the goodwill that exists is amazing.
Many people have asked after Bill - I'm pleased to say he's still around, well into his later years, rather frail but very pleased to hear the business he dedicated over 30 years to, will continue into the future.
I'm so grateful to everyone who's helping us ensure the business thrives for the next 114 years, and we appreciate every single order. By coincidence, the day after we took over we made just one single sale - for around £8.60. Things do indeed go full circle.
