Goodness Goodies

Goodness Goodies is an online shop whose aim is to provide a range of items for you, to make a small change, which will make a big difference.

Have you walked down a ‘free from’ aisle at the supermarket recently?  It’s packed with alternative products, designed to cater to people like my daughters and husband, all three of which have allergies.  But eight years ago, when I started my business, it was another story.

Thank you for coming onto this page.  I hope by sharing my story it will help you in some small way. If I can be of any help signposting anything from the range, please just ask.

I named my company Goodness Goodies because that is what I am passionate about. Providing you with goods that are delicious but make a positive impact. Now more than ever I believe that small decisions made daily are what we & the world we live in need to thrive.

How Goodness Goodies Started 

Goodness Goodies exists because of my family.  It might be the reason you are here today looking for ways to help yours eat better, or make small changes to cut down plastic in your lives.  In my case, it was my daughter, Seren’s love of sweet things and peanut allergy that got me started exploring alternatives to mainstream foods. I saw her frustration at being left out at parties when certain foods were served. She really disliked being made to feel different to her friends who could enjoy cake and chocolate or other foods containing traces of nut.  We trialled a wrist band she could act as a visible reminder of her peanut allergy, but she just didn’t like the label and to be different to her friends.  To help satisfy Seren’s sweet tooth and allergy, I started looking for lollipops that contained less sugar and for peanut free confectionery that my daughter could take to parties and enjoy.

Supermarkets

At the start of Goodness Goodies, 8 years ago, the supermarkets were a different place. The selections for people like my daughter, were slim to none.   During the same time my husband was also undergoing several tests to find out what allergies he had, doubling my reason and commitment to search for better options.  My life was ruled by labels. I can’t tell you how long I spent reading what each product contained every time I shopped.  It took away the pleasure & enjoyment of preparing food.  It then struck me that there was something I could do for my family, and for anyone else wanting more choice. I could create my own shop away from the supermarkets & their limited options.

Goodness Goodies Offer 

When I thought about what I wanted to offer, it was safety and ease.  Safety for those of us who can’t trust whatever it is they grab from the supermarket and ease in finding what you need in just a few moments. In the beginning the shop was nut, gluten, dairy, gelatine & sugar free – all of which were not readily available 8 years ago.  Since supermarkets have caught up with the free from range, I turned to think about what else I could offer my customers.   This led me to the vegan range – free from dairy evolved into vegan confectionary and to both retail and wholesale customers.

Constantly Evolving 

Just as important to me as food choices is our planet and so I have started to provide a range of plastic free, zero waste alternatives to the mainstream offer.  The range provided in the shop allows us to make a choice about what we bring into our homes for cleaning and beauty.  It’s making simple switches to everyday products that over time will make a difference to the bigger environmental picture.  Key for me when selecting products to share with you is ease in making small switches to everyday items that are also affordable.  I am not an environmental crusader but a ‘normal’ person simply trying to provide alternatives to other ‘normal’ people wanting to make a small change.

Small Change, Big Difference

Goodness Goodies strapline is ‘small change can make a big difference’.  There is no reason to buy a black bin bag that is not compostable.  There is no reason to buy a cling film that is not compostable.  We should not have to buy plastic water bottles, fill up your own.

Working Full Time and Starting a Business 

When I started Goodness Goodies, I had a full-time job. However, I was so passionate about growing the business because of the values at the heart of it, that it was a sense of relief that after around 5 years of doing both, that I decided to leave and take this business forward and grow it with the intention of helping those people out there who are like my family.

My Background

Fortunately, I had a very good idea of what self-employment would look like. My parents like many other Sikh families in the 80’s owned a shop.  They started their own businesses a few years after arriving from Kenya on recognising there would be limited opportunities for them in paid employment with their immigration status.  They worked hard to give their children opportunities and education they themselves did not have.

My USP

My USP has always been innovation and providing a retail and wholesale shop where you can buy products not readily available in the supermarket and products for your own shops not available with other wholesalers.

I was the first UK company to import Dandies vegan marshmallows from the US.  It was through importing Dandies and wholesaling to shops that the brand has grown as much as it has in the UK.

I have now evolved to supply vegan stroopwafels and hope to work with the manufacturers, Stroop Club to promote their stroopwafels throughout the UK and Europe to become a successful and established brand like Dandies is.

I hope to do the same wholesaling a range of plastic free cleaning options.

Goodness Goodies Aim

Goodness Goodies aim is to offer alternatives that are affordable to ‘normal’ families and anyone else wanting to eat and live well.  In providing the free from or vegan treats Goodness Goodies started from a place of providing choice.

In having a wholesale business, I am trying to share those products I have chosen more widely to more and more ‘normal’ people giving them the choice to make that small change.

I hope that in reading my story it gives you a clearer idea of my values and if there is anything you’d like to know about the choices you can make for you, your family or the planet, feel free to get in touch.

Please do browse the collection and let me know if there is anything else you’d like to see included in the range for retail or wholesale.