ECO-FRIENDLY firm Refill Hub is giving Twyford a green boost, after recently launching fortnightly visits to the village.
The plastic-free grocery service on wheels, founded by Natasha Squire in October last year, wants to bring sustainable products to residents who may not be able to travel elsewhere.
From pasta and grains to nuts and cereals, as well as eco-friendly toiletries, Refill Hub offers a range of palm oil-free, sustainable, and ethically-sourced products — as long as residents bring their own packaging.
“The hub is a bit of a Tardis,” Ms Squire said. “Our products don’t have any ‘nasties’ in and we have everything from coffee to almond flour to sustainable ketchup, that is made from tomatoes and pears that would otherwise be thrown away.
“We also try to buy from as many local suppliers as possible.”
And it’s not only the products that are environmentally friendly — the shop itself is too.
“The van is kitted out with a host of recycled materials including delivery crates, an old wooden door, and a salad bowl which has been repurposed as a kitchen sink.
Refill Hub launched last year in a bid to tackle single-use plastic and its impact on the environment.
Now, Ms Squire is busy making a whole host of trips around Berkshire and Buckinghamshire in the mobile van, and made her first appearance in Twyford last month.
She said she chose the village to ‘fill a space’ in the local market.
“Twyford doesn’t have a local refill shop, apart from a delivery service, and reducing plastic production is at the forefront of the village ethos,” she explained
“Because a lot of people want to physically go to a shop and choose the products themselves,
I thought there was a lovely gap to provide that personal service.”
She said the hub has been well received so far, and was glad to see her idea come to life after 10 years in the making.
“I first had the idea for Refill Hub about a decade ago when I used a similar refill service living overseas in Australia,” she explained.
“I thought it was a wonderful way to shop.”
After spending most of her career in food development, Ms Squire left her job in 2019 to turn the hub into a reality.
“Over the last few years, I became ever more jaded about the amount of packaging and food waste in my career path, from testing and wasting new foods to throwing away packaging,” she said.
“So, in 2019, I really seriously thought about embarking on this business idea for a mobile refill shop, to take eco-friendly products out to customers.”
Now, she hopes she can encourage other people to start thinking about their plastic habits and consider making a change.
“All you need is a container from around the house to get started, such as tupperware containers, jam jars or even paper bags,” Ms Squire said.
“People can also turn up and buy a container from me, but I try to encourage people to bring their own packaging.
“We’re not going to solve global problems and environmental issues with this business, but everybody doing their bit really helps and I can make a change.
“You don’t need one person doing it perfectly, but you need billions of people doing it partially.”
Refill Hub made its first appearance in Twyford on Thursday, May 20 and will be visiting once a fortnight on Thursdays between 9am and noon.
Its next visit is scheduled for Thursday, June 17.
n For more information on Refill Hub, visit: www.refill-hub.co.uk
