Eco-friendly stores are, thankfully, becoming more and more common up and down the country. From selling sustainable products to allowing customers to buy everyday items without plastic packaging, these shops allow those in their local area to live more eco-consciously.

One eco-friendly store in Lancashire has taken this to the next level by going completely vegan. TurtleBee at Huntley’s in Preston is now only selling plant-based foods and goods, after starting the transition in November 2022.

Making the switch

We sat down with business owner, Connor, to find out more about what encouraged him to make the store completely vegan-friendly. He had this to say:

“I think sustainability and veganism go hand-in-hand. You can’t truly live sustainably and still consume animal products, it just doesn’t fit into this way of living.

The store originally tackled the issue of plastic packaging but a few of the goods weren’t vegan. From chocolates to pastas, there were a number of products throughout the store that didn’t fit into a plant-based lifestyle.

After taking the store over in November last year, I set out to make vegan-friendly products more accessible for customers. Reducing plastic is still at the heart of the store’s ethos but by making everything vegan-friendly, I’m proud to say that the store is also helping people tackle another major environmental issue.”

What do customers think?

TurtleBee at Huntley’s is part of a bigger group of stores and sees hundreds of customers per week. We were interested to find out from Connor how customers reacted to the change: 

“The response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. The type of person that shops at TurtleBee is usually quite environmentally conscious anyway, so are pleased to hear that it’s gone an extra step in the right direction.

I’d say that around a quarter of our regular customers are already vegan and love to see what new products we have on offer; many of which they can’t find elsewhere. Most of the customers who aren’t vegan are eager to try the products and I like to think it’s showing them that switching to a plant-based diet isn’t difficult”.

TurtleBee at Huntley’s welcomes those local to Preston, or those just passing through, encouraging customers to bring their containers and seeing what takes their fancy.

If you want to check out other eco-friendly stores across the UK, why not learn more about Greenwich’s Art of Zero?