City Buzz: Celebrate independent Sheffield business

Zeds is a wholefoods grocer in the heart of Nether Edge. It sells organic and non-organic fruit and veg, vegetarian and vegan foods and local produce.

Nicola Louise Newman took over the business, on Nether Edge Road, in October 2015.

She said:“I have a five- to 10-year plan for what I want to do here. This shop has been open for over 30 years and has a very loyal customer base so I want to be sensitive to that.

“I want to make the changes slowly, but I also want to see it used to its full potential.”

The changes have started small, with Nicola reorganising the shop and hiring more staff, but one of the biggest changes is coming in the next few weeks.

“We’ll be renaming the business officially as Zeds Wholefoods. The lady who used to run it called it Zed in the Edge, but everyone who comes in here knows it as Zeds so that’s what it’s going to be called.

“The front of the shop is going to be totally redone in the next couple of months. We’ll be getting a new logo and freshening it all up. The community have been very supportive.”

Nicola, who has lived in Nether Edge for 15 years, is a vegetarian and was a regular customer at Zeds before she became its proud owner.

“This shop has always been my kind of shop. It suits me and my lifestyle so I was eager to take it over.”

Where possible, Nicola stocks local produce – from Just Preserves jams and chutneys which are made just minutes away on Chippinghouse Road to rapeseed oil made on a Doncaster farm.

“I like to support local, if I can get something from Sheffield I will. If I can’t get it from Sheffield I’ll get it from elsewhere in the UK, and only go outside of the UK if I have to.

“I also stock ethically-sourced and organic produce where I can. However, we are not just a specialist shop – yes we do have vegetarian and gluten-free products, but we also have essentials that everyone needs like bread, milk and eggs. We are not just a greengrocer, people could do their whole shop here if they wanted to.”

A browse round the cosy shop reveals shelves of varying products – from tea, rice, tinned food, pasta and sauces to raw chocolate and tumeric roots, but also soaps, washing powders and candles.

Nicola said: “If people haven’t been in before I would urge them to come in and see for themselves all the things we have. I like to think we have something for everyone.”

More information

The shop, on 3 Nether Edge Road, is open Monday to Saturday from 9am untll 7pm, Sunday 10.30am until 5pm and also on Bank Holidays from 10.30am until 5pm.

To find out more information, search ‘Zeds Wholefoods’ on Facebook. Also visit www.zedswholefoods.co.uk or call the store on 0114 2552153.