Meet Lentils and Lather: the local, sustainable superstore
Based in Withington, South Manchester, owners Carl and Paulina have dedicated their time to creating a shopping experience centred around all things sustainability, from refillable containers to locally sourced food. We caught up with Carl and Paulina to chat about why they wanted to set up shop, and their plans for the future…
Could you explain what Lentils and Lather is in one or two brief sentences?
We think our strapline easily describes what we aim to achieve with Lentils and Lather: Sustainable shopping, less plastic, better world! Firstly, we aim to provide sustainable alternatives to mainstream supermarkets, such as organic, vegan and locally sourced food items or bathroom and kitchen products made from natural materials. We also aim to help people to reduce the amount of plastic waste that they produce by offering a wide range of items that are sold from bulk dispensers, such as food, cleaning and shower refills. Finally, we want to utilise our business to do good things, such as supporting food banks and planting trees.
What drove you to set up Lentils and Lather?
We've always tried to manage our impact on the planet at home, either buying in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging that we produce or selecting renewable energy, however, over the past few years the need to do more has become so important. We noticed the "zero waste" movement spreading around the country from progressive areas such as Bristol and quickly realised that there was a gap in the market, as there were no opportunities in the area that we live. This all coincided with us looking for a change in direction and we just took it from there!
From your perspective, what are some of the benefits of local and seasonal food produce?
Consuming local and seasonal food can have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of our dinner plates. Opting for locally grown food rather than something that was produced on the other side of the planet means there are far fewer air miles involved in moving the food from farm to table, which is something we all need to be mindful of. The same goes with seasonality; relying on natural sunlight and warmth to grow food is far more sustainable than something that requires lots of supplementary energy. In the near future, we think there will be lots of technological advances that will help us to mitigate these types of issues, but for now, being conscious about where our food comes from is of utmost importance.
What are some of your plans for the future of Lentils and Lather?
Ultimately, we'd love to have a few shops scattered around Greater Manchester, or even further afield. By doing this we'll be able to have a bigger impact on the concerns that we're framing our business around and enable many more people who think like us to be able to reduce their impact on the environment too!
If you had one tip for someone looking to get involved in climate action, what might that be?
Simple: do your bit! It's such a big topic with an ever-growing amount of information so it can often feel daunting, but it's important to stay positive and realise that anxious feelings about the future are a sign that you want to be a part of the solution. Taking action in the home is something we can all achieve; where does your food come from, what do you eat, who supplies your energy, where do you invest your money are all questions that we can easily change the answer to so that we're ensuring we're putting the planet first.
What’s currently your favourite seasonal food dish?
Probably our favourite seasonal food from the past couple of years, although not currently in season, is wild garlic. We often go foraging for it in spring and love to make a pesto with it that we can then fold into a bowl of mezze rigatoni from Pastificio Carleshi that we sell in the shop. The pasta is made here in the UK using British grains and sent to us in paper sacks, so we get big flavours despite the small footprints!
Want to learn more about Lentils and Lather? Head to their website by clicking here.
