Our Story

• 2013–2015

  Where it all began

  The Grain Grocer started not as a shop, but as an idea. After working on an organic farm in Oregon, USA, founder Wade became inspired to rethink how food was sold, questioning over-packaging, consumerism, and how disconnected people had become from what they eat. That inspiration returned to the UK as a refill stall at Crystal Palace Food Market in London, selling organic grains, herbs and pantry staples with a simple message: Buy what you need. Bring your own container. Waste less. This philosophy laid the foundations for everything that followed.
• 2016–2017

  Northdown Road & the first shop

  The Grain Grocer soon found a permanent home at 95–97 Northdown Road, Cliftonville, Margate. Kathie & Charlie took over and The Grain Grocer became a familiar and welcoming neighbourhood shop. Shelves were lined with refill jars, signage was handwritten, and customers were encouraged to slow down, refill, and shop more intentionally. These years shaped the soul of The Grain Grocer: refill-led and low-waste organic and ethically sourced independent and community-focused.
• 2018–2023

  Expansion - Growing with Cliftonville

  Kathie and Charlie moved to 216 Northdown Road and continued their vision. Later, in 2022, Luke & Katie, took the baton, redesigning the Grain Grocer logo. The Grain Grocer expanded into a wholefood shop and vegan café, offering fresh food, drinks and produce alongside its refill offering. It became a place to sit, meet and talk. The atmosphere stayed relaxed and human: jars stacked high, produce crates on the floor, mismatched furniture, art on the walls. The shop grew organically, alongside the street and the people who supported it.
• November 2023

  The Grain Grocer entered a new chapter

  Stephanie and Tim took over the business. Both advocates of healthy, ethical food (Steph is vegetarian), they stepped into the shop knowing it wasn’t the easy option, but believing deeply in what The Grain Grocer stood for. Their focus became about protecting the heart of the shop, while carefully strengthening it: refining the refill and pantry offer, developing in-house products, keeping real food accessible without compromising values and staying rooted in the local community.
• December 2025

  We are on the News!

  In 2025, Northdown Road was named one of the “Coolest Streets in the World” and featured by the BBC as part of Cliftonville’s wider regeneration. The Grain Grocer was proud to be part of that story. A long-standing independent business that had been quietly doing things differently long before it became fashionable.