Excited customers welcomed to Havant’s new zero waste store Eco Freaks Emporium as it opens its doors for the first time

CUSTOMERS queued to get into a new eco business in Havant as it opened its doors for the first time.
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Eco Freaks Emporium welcomed members of the public into its brand new store in West Street on Saturday.

The shop offers sustainable, organic products in its store downstairs, and will soon have a Trash Cafe tea room on the upper floor.

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Owner Chloe Cobb said: ‘The opening was really good, really positive, lots of customers - and lots of fudge sold!

Chloe Cobb (32) founder of the newly opened Eco Freaks Emporium in West Street, Havant. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)Chloe Cobb (32) founder of the newly opened Eco Freaks Emporium in West Street, Havant. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)
Chloe Cobb (32) founder of the newly opened Eco Freaks Emporium in West Street, Havant. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)

‘We had a queue from the get go, people couldn’t wait to come in and check us out.

‘Some of them knew us from the Gosport store.’

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Eco Freaks Emporium sells organic food that cuts out single use packaging, meaning that customers can choose to make sustainable purchases.

Part of the range of package-free organic treats stocked by Eco Freaks Emporium. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)Part of the range of package-free organic treats stocked by Eco Freaks Emporium. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)
Part of the range of package-free organic treats stocked by Eco Freaks Emporium. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)

Chloe said that the store will be facilitating a local interest in eco living.

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She said: ‘People seem to be excited about us coming to Havant

‘I think it’s what people have wanted.’

Chloe also runs an Eco Freaks Emporium in Gosport, as well as The Trash Cafe Network, which tackles food waste by collecting and processing food wastage to feed around 4,000 people a week in Gosport, Portsmouth, Fareham, Havant and Southampton.

A customer browsing the range of ecological products stocked by Eco Freaks Emporium. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)A customer browsing the range of ecological products stocked by Eco Freaks Emporium. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)
A customer browsing the range of ecological products stocked by Eco Freaks Emporium. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)

The new Havant store will have Trash Cafe pop-up shopping on certain days, and a training kitchen to help more people cook food and reduce food waste.

Chloe said: ‘Our goal here is to introduce the Trash Cafe, introduce more zero waste shopping, and a healthier approach as well as the training kitchen so we can offer skills, employment, and teaching people to cook.’

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The store also aims to create ‘greener’ jobs for the area, and now has a six-strong team manning the shop.

Chloe Cobb (32) outside of the newly opened Eco Freaks Emporium in West Street, Havant. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)Chloe Cobb (32) outside of the newly opened Eco Freaks Emporium in West Street, Havant. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)
Chloe Cobb (32) outside of the newly opened Eco Freaks Emporium in West Street, Havant. Picture: Mike Cooter (030721)

Chloe said: ‘We’ve filled five positions so far but that will increase as the tea rooms open.

‘We’ve got other things that we’re planning for later on in the year.’

When open, the training kitchen will be offering classes in a range of skills such as cake decorating and food hygiene.

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Chloe added: ‘I just wanted to say thank you to the people that did come down, and we look forward to meeting more of them and joining them on their journey to zero waste.’

Visit ecofreaksuk.com for more information.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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