Brussel welcomes sustainable food stores

Several initiatives in Brussels, like the La Vivrière – PoiDs Gourmant and The Barn, are focused on making sure the distance between manufacturers and consumers is as short as possible, a new way of shopping.

PoiDs Gourmand Forest

PoiDs Gourmand aims to wriggle free from department stores’ commercial product range and a return to sustainable, healthy food from some thirty smaller, local growers should help it thrive.

Everything is sold online and orders are home-delivered for free once you reach certain thresholds: 75 euro in Belgium and 125 euro in France.

In October 2016, the founders decided to add a physical store in Forest, which will finally open its doors on 11 March 2017. To strengthen the ties with the consumers even more, its suppliers will occasionally be present in the store itself.

The Barn Etterbeek

About two months later, on 5 May, a 400 sqm bio supermarket will open in Etterbeek and similar to PoiDs Gourmant, “The Barn” will focus on local produce.

Barn is an acronym which stands for Bio, Accessible, Respectful and New. The direct link to the producers gives The Barn an opportunity to charge the consumer lower prices, the founders say.

Items are placed on display unpackaged “because the best quality needs to be shown, not packaged”. The Barn has a second location, right next to the shop, which will be used for cooking work shops, but which will eventually be transformed into a restaurant with garden.