Refill Shopping at Just Footprints - Chester

Today I finally managed to make it to my first refill shop.  It is 35 miles away from where I live but I tied it in with a journey in the same direction.  This is partly why it has taken me so long to get there.  The shop is called Just Footprints, it is in Chester City Centre in the Forum shopping centre which also happens to be right next to the market hall which has three butchers, fruit and veg stall, cheese and so much more.  Knowing all this I tied it in with the weekly shop.  

We are making a lot of flap jacks at the moment mainly for school snacks and lunch boxes.  As such we go through kilos of raisins but really struggle to find these plastic free (impossible not from a refill shop).  The dried apricots and, bananas chips are also great for easy snacks in small snack pots.  Of course we are always in need of coffee.  We also bought some unscheduled treats while we were there; crystallised ginger, and yogurt covered raisins and dried bananas.  

Here's how it works (we came well prepared with jars and Tupperware to fill):

1. You take your container to the scales, 
2. press 'tare' (to get the scales to zero) and place your container on the scales 
3. write the weight of your container on your container with one of the pens provided.
4. then go and fill up your container with the food you want

After you have done this with all your items you take them to the till and the staff reweigh each of your containers, deducting the weigh you have written on the jar.  Very simple and lots of fun. 

If you don't have your own containers (or you run out) then there are paper bags provided which you just fill up and take to the counter. 

There was so much there, not just foods but types of coffee, spices and herbs...   

... and shampoo and conditioner bars, soaps, and tooth brushes.

The staff were all lovely.  So helpful. Every thing you need to make your plastic free journey effortless.  Knowing it is there is great as I will be sure to pop in when we are in the area.  Just a shame they are not closer.  

I manged to get a good selection of fruit and veg from the market while I was there too.  It was not perfect plastic free, but then not many fruit and veg stalls are.  There was surprisingly plenty of choice and paper bags instead of plastic if you don't have your product bags with you.  Oh and if you park in the Forum shopping centre car park you can go to the market hall and get your ticket scanned to get £1 off your parking (next to the barber in the middle of the market hall).  A very pleasant shopping destination.