HISBE
STANDS FOR
HOW IT SHOULD BE.
WE’RE TURNING
GROCERY SHOPPING
INTO A MARCH
TOWARDS CHANGE.
A place where values matter and
every purchase makes a difference.
LET’S
IGNITE A
REVOLUTION
Buck convention, break the mould, reinvent, challenge, transform, make good FOOD normal, affordable, accessible, source LOCAL, SEASONAL, ETHICAL, sustainable, don’t WASTE it, eat it, support independents, real producers, pay fairly, price fairly, be transparent, less hype, more truth, value our PEOPLE and respect customers, farmers, suppliers, ANIMALS and the PLANET, champion quality, health, provenance and service, create a real food community and put happiness before profits. Together we will transform the food industry. So eat your greens, smile at strangers and know this to be true: being a fully conscious shopper will make you popular, desirable and very attractive.
How it should be
Written at our kitchen table next to the soap box.
Food : Good
Everything in our stores is inspired by the notion of how things should be. Food ought to be simple. No industrial farming, no over-processing, no misleading labels hiding toxic nasties, just good, honest food. Our vision is to make real food an everyday normal thing because well-made food should be accessible and affordable. Not a lot to ask.
buck fake food
Local : Yes
We prioritise the best, local Sussex produce. It’s fresher, hasn’t had to travel far, and keeps your money in the local economy. Besides, we like to get mud on our boots and work directly with independent suppliers we trust – dedicated producers who truly care about what you eat. That way, we can be sure of quality and provenance. It makes a nice day out too.
buck food miles
Seasonal : Naturally
You know, Mother Nature had this all sorted long before we came along. Food is naturally more nutritious and healthy when grown in season. It’s cost-effective, uses less energy and, you tell us, tastes better. So we champion seasonal, farm-fresh produce. It’s better for you, good for our planet, and doesn’t freak out the wildlife.
buck artificial growing
Animals : Healthy
Intensive factory farming is a shameful embarrassment. It may produce cheap meat and dairy products – but look at the costs to animals and the environment and our health. Scary nonsense. We prefer to source from local farms committed to traditional farming practices where high-welfare animals are treated with care and respect. Cows are put out to pasture, sheep and chickens roam free, and pigs play in mud – exactly where they want to be.
buck animal cruelty
Planet : Happy
We support traditional farming practices that work with nature, not against it. Sustainable food production has integrity. It values the land and encourages biodiversity. We know the enemies and weed them out: harmful agrochemicals; GMOs; soil-eroding, water-depleting farming methods; big brands that spend more on packaging than the product itself. There. We’ve said it.
buck engineered food
Waste : No
It‘s no secret that big supermarkets waste thousands of tons of food and packaging every day. What a load of rubbish! So, wherever possible, we avoid packaged foods. Instead, we enable customers to buy the quantities they want by using their own containers or our lovely compostable alternatives. It’s good housekeeping. Oh, and we never throw away food that can be eaten.
buck that
People : Valued
We’re building a good food community where our relationships with customers, suppliers and staff are based on trust, honesty and respect. That means paying and charging what’s fair for quality produce and service. We love what we do because we are more than a store. We’re a kind of good food dating agency for customers and producers to find each other, and our store team is the matchmaking glue.
buck exploitation
BUSINESS:ETHICAL
It goes without saying that we source products with strong ethical credentials. But it doesn’t stop there. We run a thoughtful, transparent business that directly benefits the local community and environment. We call it business beyond profits. They call it Social Enterprise. It’s proper purposeful stuff that makes us walk the talk (and the dog), and keeps our house in good order.
buck bad business
About
Us
HISBE stands for How It Should Be. We’re not a health food shop. We’re not an exclusively vegan or vegetarian food shop. We’re a regular supermarket – operating how it should be. And we want to transform the food industry by challenging the way big supermarkets do business.
Next time you go shopping, demand more change.
– Dame Anita Roddick
get in touch
Got an awesome product we should know about? Email us at newsupplier@hisbe.co.uk to tell us about your product, and how it’s a great fit for HISBE.
Interested in working for HISBE? Please send your CV and an introduction to recruitment@hisbe.co.uk.
Are you a customer wanting to get in touch? Ask us anything at hello@hisbe.co.uk.