Beren is the new owner of Unwrapped & Refill, a zero waste shop in Ipswich with an impressive 600 products! Here, the first-time shop owner explains all
Who are you and what do you do?
So I’m Beren, I started working at the shop one day a week for the previous owner from February 2024 and decided to buy the business when it was put up for sale in January 2025. This was because I saw how important the shop was to the community, and frankly I wanted to keep shopping there as well! I took over from 1st April and have taken on two members of staff – Megan, who works three days per week and was looking for a more meaningful role after a few years of working for big retailers, and Holly, who previously ran her own business but wanted something more lowkey. Both were customers at the shop before, too.
What has led you to becoming the new face of Unwrapped & Refill – and what were you doing before?
I was made redundant in February 2025 and had been a customer at Unwrapped & Refill almost since it opened in summer 2021. I wanted to work in the shop as I loved the community vibe with the other customers and the ethos, and the previous owner wanted a day off! Our three-person team gets on well and have been essential in helping me keep the shop going.
How are you adjusting to being a shop owner?
The first few weeks were daunting because there’s so much admin involved, but I’m starting to get to the fun bit where I can look into exciting new products, make time for social media posts, while still popping up at the shop one day a week to interact with customers and get feedback. I’m balancing it with working four days a week elsewhere, so it has been a delicate balancing out but one that has paid off (phew!).
How would you describe Lucy’s legacy?
Lucy did something brave in opening Ipswich’s first refill shop and she built up a loyal customer base.
Are you Suffolk born and raised? What do you love about living in the county?
No, I’m originally from Harrow in (That There) Northwest London, and moved to Ipswich (after a few years in South Norfolk) in February 2021. I love living in Ipswich because there’s lots to do, plenty of history, great parks, and it’s well-connected to most of Suffolk and beyond.
How would you describe the store? And how many products do you offer?
Bountiful. For such a small space (think the downstairs of a Victorian two up, two down terraced house) we cram in a lot of products, and the range is expanding. I think there’s more than 600 products on offer, from pasta and pulses to frozen foods, beauty products, and everything in between! Our customers are so supportive of us and each other – often offering to help each other refill or stopping to chat with the team and one another. It really is a lovely place to work – and more crucial that it’s helping reduce waste.
Where can people find you?
We’re at 715 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich IP4 2RP. We’re open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 12.30pm, 1pm to 5pm.
And how can people find out more about what you do, generally?
Pop in and have a chat with us! And follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates. We also have a website but that’s currently under maintenance – watch this space!
What are your new hopes and dreams for Unwrapped & Refill?
I want to find more ways to make the products we sell even more sustainable, from swapping to products that use even less packaging to sourcing as much as I can from as close to as I can. I want to go beyond reducing packaging and look to support more Suffolk businesses (I have already switched most of our cleaning products range to Choose2Eco who are based in Stowmarket), in turn East Anglian businesses, in turn UK businesses. I also aim to source as many products made in the UK as possible, and avoid imports wherever I can to reduce food miles etc. And, ultimately, I want to encourage more people to switch even a handful of items in their shopping basket to Unwrapped & Refill, as for every £1 spent in a local business, approximately 63p goes back into the local economy. We’re comparable in price to Sainsbury’s, and we are oftentimes cheaper!
Unwrapped & Refill, 715 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich IP4 2RP. Follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Featured image of Megan (left) and Beren (right) – supplied
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