Honey & Bamboo Ewell urges people to rethink weekly shop

Honey & Bamboo, based in High Street, began in 2019 as a small online store selling herbs and spices in biodegradable packaging.

What started on eBay with just a few products quickly grew into a wider selection, fuelled by owner Tanya Abeyrante's passion for sustainability and a vision to reduce plastic waste.

Honey & Bamboo provides locally sourced and organic herbs and spices. (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

Tanya said: “When you go to the supermarket, you’re buying all of that plastic and then immediately throwing it away.

“You’re actually paying for that packaging, and then it just goes to landfill.

“Nobody cleans it up and it’s terrible for the environment.

“This way you’re doing your part.”

Honey and Bamboo’s motto is to “reduce, reuse, refill, repeat”, and Tanya explained the name Honey and Bamboo reflects the shop’s eco-friendly approach, combining natural products with sustainable practices.

Customers bring their own containers and refill them with a range of eco-friendly goods, from herbs and spices to cleaning supplies and personal care products.

People can bring their empty containers and refill them with chemical-free fluids, based on weight. (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

Products at Honey and Bamboo are sold by weight and are free from sulphates, parabens and other harsh chemicals.

Tanya said that many of the shop’s herbs and spices are sourced from Sri Lanka, where she is originally from, while nuts and dried fruits are imported from a range of countries to meet growing demand.

Honey & Bamboo provides locally sourced and organic herbs and spices. (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

She added: “There’s a big demand for nuts now.

“We get them from different countries, depending on supply.

“Honey, we always get locally.

“Honey should be local.”

Alongside food items, the shop stocks refillable toiletries and household products, including items from eco-conscious brands such as Miniml.

Tanya said: “Lots of people don’t realise the things they’re allergic to or what’s affecting their skin.

“These products are sulphate-free and paraben-free, so you don’t have the nasty stuff that could harm you.

“When it goes down into the water system and eventually into the oceans, it’s safe for the animals and the environment there.”

Customers can refill bottles, jars and containers on-site, helping to reduce both household waste and environmental pollution.

Honey and Bamboo is open Tuesday to Saturday and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Honey & Bamboo provides organic dried fruit and is one of the few places in Ewell to offer such things. (Image: Ezekiel Bertrand)

Tanya hopes the shop will encourage more people to make small and practical changes in their everyday routines.

She added: “It’s about giving people the option to do something different.”