Honey Bee A&C, a new health and nutrition shop, has been opened in Bishop Auckland by locals Ashley White and Caroline Walker.
While working at a health food chain in the town White and Walker – who were manager and assistant manager respectively – decided to set up on their own, and the store was officially opened in January by the Mayor of Bishop Auckland, councillor Adam Zair.
“It’s going really well,” says White. “We’ve got a really good customer base because of where we used to work – people followed us here. We can’t compete with the big chains, but what we can do is keep our prices level, so they’re not changing every week like in some stores. They are decent prices and we’re keeping them as low as we can.”
We can’t compete with the big chains, but what we can do is keep our prices level, so they’re not changing every week like in some stores. They are decent prices and we’re keeping them as low as we can.
The shop offers a range of vitamins and minerals, pet care, children’s health products and bodycare, with a focus on vegan products as according to White there is a particularly high demand in the area.
White says that the store will look into doing tastings and events, and will cater to customer needs – a chiller has already been installed due to customer demand. They can also order in specific products if requested.
The shop has been designed to have a modern feel and has a seating area so locals can come in and spend some time. “People are more than welcome just to come in, sit and chat,” says White. “We want to be part of the community.”
Having just launched on Facebook, White and Walker are now looking into setting up an e-commerce site.
