Reaping the Dalston Harvest

Harvest E8 on Kingsland High Street. Photograph:Hackney Citizen
Tired of all the chicken shops and fast food chains on Kingsland Road? I certainly am, which is why I was excited to hear about the launch of the new organic food store Harvest E8.
But is there a market for healthy and organic food in Dalston? If the incoming masses of curious residents filling the store at the launch were anything to go by, move over Sainsbury’s, there’s a new supermarket in town.
Claiming to be East London’s largest organic and sustainable foods store, Harvest E8 sells responsibly produced foods and products.
The store has 4,000 stock items on display, most of which are organic, including wine, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, poultry and beauty products.
So what distinguishes Harvest E8 from other health food stores?
“We’re completely independent and family owned,” says Tem Mellese, the store’s project manager.
Mellese is also passionate about embracing the local community. “We wanted to open a positive business in the area and we’re inviting local producers to get involved. We really want to fill the store with homemade items,” he says.
Inside there is a Little Green Shoots Bar and Oasis Café with coffee, fresh juices and smoothies. Sitting on the wooden tables and chairs while sipping fresh orange juice comes as welcome respite from the hectic atmosphere outside.
The large store comes with an even larger basement space. There’s talk of opening spa facilities downstairs in the near future.
The store is perfect for vegan, gluten-free, lactose intolerant and special diets, but actually there’s something here for everyone who wants to eat healthily and live well.
And with a store that’s open 7 days a week and conveniently located, there’s no excuse not to!
Harvest E8
130-132 Kingsland High Street
Dalston
E8 4PH
Open daily 8am-10pm
Isn’t this just a cheap copy of The Grocery (which is further along Kingsland Road)
4,000 items? The Grocery stock WAY more. The Grocery is also independently owned and stock local products. Oh and open seven days. And they have a brill cafe and already have treatment rooms in their basement.
Pity Harvest couldn’t come up with an original idea.
It’s great to have another healthy and organic food shop in the area. I’d rather have these kinda stores pop up rather than another Tesco or Sainsbury’s.
Linda – how can a grocery store “copy” another. They’re everywhere. And organic shops like this are also everywhere. Plus The Grocery is right down the other end of Kingsland Road so they’re hardly in competition. We should be welcoming and encouraging more locally owned and run shops like this – or would you rather have another Tesco?
I wish Harvest the very best, as long as:
1) they don’t get any fancy ideas about opening up a late night bar and applying for an entertainment licence (we’ve far too many of them in the neighbourhood), and,
2) Mellese and the staff don’t clutter up the pavement outside with hazardous obstructions and,
3) they remove the A board sign from the pavement (which makes NO “positive contribution to the local community” and is illegal).
This shop is fantastic for a vegetarian such as myself who likes to shop locally. I wish them the best.
sorry but an organic shop that sells overpriced big brands is not that great after all
John, I don’t think you realise how important are A boards for businesses and glad you do everything ‘legal’
I thought Hackney citizens were slightly more forward thinking and relaxed
These kind of shops are a bless here in this community oriented area.
I wish to have more shops like this so to bring about a greater awareness that Healthy food is the answer to such a declining artificial food eater.
I wish them a flourishing and prosperous stay.
I love everything in this shop, but how can they justify being MORE expensive than Stokey’s WholeFood Market?!? Come on guys thats just greedy