Known as The Old Potting Shed, the rustic store is located between the charity’s greenhouse and training cafe and features overhead barrel lighting, reclaimed floorboards, and counters crafted from pallet wood.
Building on its predecessor store, The Crafty Frog, it offers an expanded selection of handmade and home-grown goods, including bird boxes, bug hotels, eggs from Grow’s 25 hens, chilled fresh produce, and a range of other seasonal items just in time for Christmas.
Refurbished garden tools will also be available for purchase, and the team of volunteers running the shop is encouraging anyone with tools they no longer use to donate them for restoration in the workshop and resale in the shop.
Its opening hours are between 10.30am and 2.30pm Tuesday to Friday.
Grow workshop lead Tom Rowe, who acted as project manager, said the idea for the shop was first spoken about in the summer.
‘Even as late as October it was still just a shell of what it is now,’ he said.
‘It’s made from about 75% recycled materials, so much of it is reclaimed, like the floor pallets, carpet and the products themselves.’
It had been a busy few weeks bringing the shop to life, but Mr Rowe said that members of the Grow crew had enjoyed contributing to the project.
One such member was Lee Roussel, who worked on some of the bird boxes and bug hotels on sale, as well as the construction of sections of the building.
‘I like to get my hands dirty, anything I could do to help I was happy to,’ he said.
Shop volunteer Phil Gallienne, who began helping out at Grow at the start of the year, praised the shop as a ‘superb new venture’.
‘Since starting here I’ve been willing to turn my hand to anything, to pass on my life experience and help the crew members with anything they need,’ he said.
‘The shop is just another example of the brilliant offering by staff to the crew and I can’t wait to get involved with it.
'I’d recommend to others to do the same.’
Creasey’s chairman Peter Creasey, who was asked to formally open the shop along with his brother Tony, predicted that the crew and volunteers would thrive in the new environment.
‘For maximum impact, the atmosphere of a retail space is crucial in defining both its character and the products on offer,’ he said.
‘The rustic theme suits Grow perfectly’.
Anyone interested in volunteering with Grow should email georgia@grow.gg, mandy@grow.gg or call 711600 for more information.
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