You may have seen recent posts from Clear To Sea on St John’s Street in Bury St Edmunds, sharing the difficult news that, without more customers through the door, the shop may not be able to stay open. Fortunately, the community has responded well enough that the shop remains open…for now, at least.
If we want independent shops like this to remain part of Bury St Edmunds, they need support before they need saving.
One thing I’ve realised from speaking to people is that lots of locals like the idea of Clear To Sea, but haven’t actually been in because they’re not completely sure what’s inside – or, for that matter, how it works.
So if you’ve walked past on St John’s Street and wondered what exactly goes on in there, read on…
How does Clear To Sea work?
At its heart, Clear To Sea is a refill shop. That means instead of buying fixed quantities of prepackaged products, you buy exactly the amount you need.
You can bring your own containers from home – jars, tubs, bottles etc. – or use one of the spare containers available in the shop. The team weigh your empty container first, so when you fill it up, you only pay for the weight of the products inside.
It sounds unfamiliar if you’ve never done it before, but once you’ve tried it, it’s incredibly straightforward, and it’s satisfying to leave with exactly the amount you need and no excess packaging!
There’s far more food than people realise
From outside, you probably wouldn’t guess just how much is packed into this relatively small space. There are shelves and dispensers full of everyday cupboard staples – including grains, pulses, rice, pasta, flour and sugar – making it easy to top up as and when you need to.
You’ll also find loads of nuts, seeds and dried fruits.
Then there’s one of my favourite sections: the herbs and spices. I think many of us are guilty of buying an entire jar of something for one recipe, only to leave the rest untouched in the cupboard for months (years?) afterwards. At Clear To Sea, you can buy the amount you need, as and when you need it.
There are treats too…
As well as your day-to-day staples, there are plenty of things you may well end up buying as a treat. There are sweet treats like fudge and chocolate peanut clusters, as well as loose leaf teas from Tealicious and coffee from Alema, who are also Bury St Edmunds based. The coffee actually works out slightly cheaper than buying from Alema themselves too, as you’re not paying for the packaging! There really is a surprising amount of choice considering the size of Clear To Sea’s premises.
And it’s not just food
One of the biggest misconceptions seems to be that Clear To Sea only sells dry goods. In fact, they have an impressive refill offering for household and personal care products too.
You can refill your cleaning products, including laundry detergent, washing up liquid, floor cleaner, toilet cleaner and more, helping to cut down on single-use plastic bottles.
There are toiletries too, including shampoos, soaps, sunscreen and face creams, among others.
If refill isn’t what you’re after, you’ll also find plenty of prepackaged items from ethical brands: things like tinned tomatoes and pulses alongside other pantry staples. On my last visit, I added a jar of coconut oil to my shopping, which I paired with other purchases from the shop to make a homemade granola…
Why shops like this matter
Independent businesses are an important part of any community – and Clear To Sea fits perfectly within the beautiful indie area that is St John’s Street.
It’s more than just an independent business, though – it’s a business that aims to change the way that people shop, giving the options of shopping more intentionally, and with less packaging waste.
These options, though, only exist if people use them. So, if you’ve never visited Clear To Sea before, this is your sign to pop in and see what it’s all about.
If it’s been a while since your last visit, maybe make a point of heading over and picking up a few bits.
Because, although Clear To Sea is safe for now, the “for now” part is important.
Follow Clear To Sea on Instagram