Reporter Darcie Rawlings visited Green Keepers in Consett, County Durham to see what she could buy for £10 from the eco home store. Here's how she got on.

Sceptical of the price of items in eco stores, I wanted to see how much I could buy from an environmentally friendly shop, to see if swapping out some household purchases for an eco-wholesale alternative would prove to be cost-effective.

The Northern Echo: While the store was small the displays were filled with an array of wholesale food items, their

All the wholesale items at Green Keepers were beautifully contained in jars at the store and the products are weighed by the shop assistant, which is helpful for anyone following a recipe.

As well as food the store sold cosmetics items, however, these products tended to be handmade by local businesses, so they were the most expensive items in the shop. 

The Northern Echo: The cosmetics stand at Green Keepers displayed some local handmade products

For home cooks the dried herbs and spices are a real gold mine. If you make sure to bring some small containers you could grab some amazing bargains in this section.

I picked up 60g of onion and garlic powder which came to 70p altogether and is cheaper than Tesco at around £1 for 45g.  

Likewise, products such as lentils, rice and couscous could be bought in bulk for prices were far less expensive than a supermarket.

My favourite product was the coffee beans, which could be ground to order by the store assistant, who was a fantastic help in finding the best bargains.

This is everything I bought

The Northern Echo: Considering the price increases at major supermarkets, I was able to snatch up some great bargains

It is far better to bring your spare containers to a shop like Green Keepers. 

I didn’t bring any empty containers, but I think I could’ve certainly gotten more for my money purchasing the liquid items like soap, laundry liquid and shampoo if I had brought some spare bottles or Tupperware along.

The Northern Echo: Green Keepers is a great option for those aiming to be more environmentally friendly

The store is small and won’t have everything you need for a weekly shop, but overall I think eco-shopping is far less expensive than I first expected. Especially compared to the higher prices we are seeing in major supermarkets. 

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Some organic items are more expensive at the eco shop compared to if you were to purchase from a supermarket and it may not be the best option for bigger families. 

However, I think Green Keepers in Consett is a great option for those wanting to cut costs on some of their household items such as herbs, spices and legumes for those aiming to be a little more environmentally friendly.