In February 2014, in an old garage at crystal palace famers market, the seeds of The Grain Grocer were sewn. From humble beginnings it has blossomed into a positive part of the South East London foodie community and is now growing into a natural food store and whole food cafe. It all began while Wade Taylor was working on a farm in Oregon, learning and fostering an appreciation for growing foods n
aturally and a healthy lifestyle. On his return to London, having been inspired by this positive food movement he started the Grain Grocer at Crystal Palace Food Market, a market that shares a focus on local, organic and biodynamic food. It was at this market that Wade met Katherine Hannah while she was selling organic herbs and tea. They are kindred whole food souls and when they both decamped the big smoke for the Kent coast they decided to join health food forces and infuse this corner store with some love and vitality. Healthy eating has been a life long love of Katherine’s and while working in an independent health food shop, she decided to turn her curiosity into a career and is now studying at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach. Their long term goal has been to open a cafe to share healthy home-cooked food with the world, to create a high spirited space that is welcoming for all to come and share their knowledge, to be inspired and gain ever more ideas for nourishing their bodies and lives. At the heart of The Grain Grocer is the promotion of health and vitality, engagement with the community, a focus on the care of our environment and the notion of reusing to reduce our footprint. Most of our store products are refillable and available by the weight, so you can buy as little or as much as you need and we encourage our customers to bring their own containers. All our products and produce are thoughtfully sourced. Our aim is to make healthy organic food available and accessible for all, whilst providing information about different ways to use and cook with it too. To create our wholesome freshly made cafe creations we use all our store ingredients, as well as local organic fruit and vegetables, which are combined to create nourishing bowls of goodness. Our sweet treats are made with healthy twists for invigorating indulgence. We want to cook dishes in which the beautiful whole foods can shine! Our coffees are crafted with love, and the teas blended with calmness and clarity. Our smoothies and juices are an enlivening combination of fruits, vegetables and simple super foods that will cleanse as well as energise the body and mind. The Grain Grocer is a family adventure with its roots in Crystal Palace. It is a hub for the ‘Health Food Revolution’. As The Grain Grocer sprouts from stall to store, bringing vitality vibes to Cliftonville, we hope you will come and see us for a re-fill of the good life!
