Today The Clean Kilo in Digbeth, Birmingham finally opened its doors to a significant queue of eager patrons ready to explore ‘the UK’s first zero waste supermarket’. We arrived at about 12.40pm (figuring the initial rush would have dissipated) and were surprised to still see a queue out the door, but we joined it nonetheless.
An hour later, 3 people had given up and left the queue and we were nearly inside. A few people had come by trying to take advantage of the queue by handing out leaflets. Yes, you read that right – they were trying to hand out leaflets to a queue of people waiting to go into a zero waste shop. Not sure that went very well for them!
I was very happy to see the conversations happening as a result of the queue. The shop is in a prime position right on one of the main roads in Digbeth, so there were plenty of inquisitive passers by. Most seemed surprised that there was such a turn out for a zero waste shop; some stuck around and had a chat about the zero waste lifestyle, others went merrily on their way. I’m happy to report that we gave everyone food for thought and nobody seemed to react negatively to the idea.
The location has plenty of parking within easy walking distance (most car parks are £2.50 – £3.00 for all day parking) and there is a bus stop no more than 10 paces from the entrance. The lovely couple stood behind us in the queue had evidently cycled in, so that’s an option too!
On the door we were greeted by a very pleasant lady who profusely apologised for the wait and offered answers to any questions we had. This was a really nice touch and was the start of an enjoyable customer experience all round. The shop was packed dispenser-to-dispenser with patrons, clinking jars and tupperware – a lovely bustling atmosphere typical of a well-promoted opening event! Although the staff clearly under estimated the turnout I feel they managed it well in hindsight. Every business has its opening hiccups and blips and The Clean Kilo’s were quickly ironed out. By the time we were ready to pay the staff had fallen into their rhythm and the shop was a well-oiled machine.
The rustic decor complete with recycled wood and cute succulents was a big hit. The Clean Kilo has really nailed it and it fits in so well with the nature of the shop itself. Behind the payment till and the ice cream (yes, ice cream!) they have put together a vertical hydroponic system to grow their own fresh herbs. Unfortunately the plants weren’t ready for harvesting today but if nothing else they really make the rest of the decor pop. Looking forward to seeing those little plants flourish!
Several times throughout our shopping experience we heard the phrase “we need another till” floating across the room, and it couldn’t be more true. With one payment till and 2 weighing stations, unfortunately they just couldn’t handle the volume of customers trying to weigh, fill, weigh again and pay. When it became clear that the queue was not reducing, they started taking manual cash payments for those who did not need to pay by card which consisted of a member of staff writing the order on a pad of paper. Presumably these transactions were then transferred to the till at the end of the day. The weighing stations themselves seemed pretty straightforward to use and clearly going forward they will be self-service, but today the staff preferred to show customers how to use it for future. While helpful, I feel this slowed down the experience.
For those who are not familiar with the concept of filling your own containers, the idea is you weigh your container to get the ‘tare’ weight and stick the printed sticker onto your container. You then fill the container with whatever contents your heart desires from the ample selection of goods in the many dispensers and bins, scan the first bar code, weigh the container again, select the goods on the till and stick yet another printed sticker to the container. So now my small ex-salsa jar I filled with bi-carbonate of soda has 2 (not insignificant) stickers on it. The final step is to take your containers to the payment till where the second bar code is scanned in and the cost of your order totted up. I found a lot of the goods were organic which unfortunately put them just out of my budget, and I have yet to confirm if the non-organic goods are competitive when compared with supermarket prices. I am a firm believer that shopping zero waste should save you money as you only buy what you need to and less food goes to waste.
The shop stocked most things you’d expect, and some things we didn’t expect at all! For example, we were pleasantly surprised to find a juice-your-own oranges station, and even a small selection of organic produce. Most of my cupboard staples were available such as pasta, rice, cereals and flour. We did notice however a lack of certain key items such as gluten-free flour and bombay mix – my cousin was looking forward to the latter and was very disappointed that it wasn’t stocked! Every shop has to start somewhere however and I’m sure that the range will expand as they get to grips with supply and demand. There were a lot of suggestions in their feedback pot by the time we got round to adding ours. The addition of plant milks and home-baked bread was a lovely touch, although there didn’t seem to be much of it. The range of eco household cleaners and detergents seemed pretty popular along with the re-useable jars and bottles available for sale throughout the whole store. You can view their currently available product list here.
The dispensers and bins serve their purpose well, however the layout and calibration of them could perhaps have done with more thought. For example, the oils and vinegars were positioned right next to a large window in clear dispensers and I know these products are recommended to be stored in a cool, dark place to extend shelf life. Also, some dispensers would not dispense their products due to the hole being too small (penne pasta and the chocolate covered strawberries were 2 that we noticed). This was quickly rectified by the staff, but it begs the question surely these things should have been checked and confirmed before the grand opening? The dried fruit bins were also positioned at knee height so not ideal for scooping when the shop is full of other customers trying to get past you. The loose tea station was hidden away in the corner right next to what I assume was the stock room door, so this might cause problems in the future.
I was over the moon to see a free water refill station. This is a very welcome addition considering the rising number of people carrying re-useable water bottles around. Bit concerned with the “hand wash only” warning sticker though?! They don’t seem to be part of a refill scheme though so becoming part of a scheme might help with awareness.
We were disappointed to not find any naked health and beauty products – all the soaps were packaged. On the plus side they were not packaged in plastic and there was quite a wide range to choose from! Looking forward to trying some out. (Disclaimer: I have edited this and removed a section about the bamboo toothbrushes. In hindsight it was pointed out in bad taste and was a moot point.)
Overall the concept has been well thought out and with just a few tweaks it could be a very successful zero waste shop. It’s in prime position to make a massive impact on the “everything plastic” mindset of some Birmingham residents, and I really hope it does well and continues to provide zero waste alternatives to the community. Its charming and welcoming atmosphere was well worth the wait, but with the current range of goods and some organic prices I don’t think it will be worth making the 45 minute journey for me on a regular basis. It’s a vegan and non-vegan haven alike, with plenty of options for trying out new food as it’s really easy to take a small jar and buy a sample. If you bought the product in a supermarket, you might have to buy several hundred grams which is not worth it if you end up not liking it! I hope the zero waste shop explosion continues and I can’t wait to visit and review Nature’s Intention Zero Waste Shop opening in Bromsgrove in 6 weeks or so.
Thanks for reading my review of The Clean Kilo! I’d love to hear other thoughts on The Clean Kilo so please leave a comment if you’ve visited or are looking to visit soon. Have a look at the rest of the photos we took here!
Grand Eye Opening 