The other side

As brands around Cornwall do their best to return to ‘business as usual’, we catch up with Helen Swift, owner of Archie Browns in Penzance and Truro.

In such uncertain and, indeed, unprecedented times, the fact that Archie Browns has continued to receive support from the local community is testament to the standard of its offering. It also speaks to the importance of shopping local, and it’s fair to say that without the support of local customers, independent stores like Archie Browns simply would not have been able to keep going. For that, Helen tells us, and for all the hard work of her team, she is enormously grateful.

So, what can you expect to find currently on offer at Archie Browns? If you’re out and about making the most of the newly open high street in Penzance, Archie Browns is the perfect place to grab a takeaway lunch or smoothie. Regular readers of Cornwall Living will also know that the two stores are both hubs of health – championing sustainable lifestyle options since 1991, with an ever-growing offering of wares from the finest local growers and producers. Speaking with Helen over the phone, we learn how they currently receive veg from a local producer, locally sourced honey, and even locally baked flapjacks!

If you’re looking to restock your cupboards, Archie Browns’ popular refill section has a vast selection of organic grains, nuts, seeds and similar, that the team has refined in order to minimise the footprint of your food. You can also refill your toiletries, laundry and household products, taking your pick from a range that’s kind to both body and conscience. This means that if you’re hoping to emerge the other side of lockdown as the champion of a more sustainable lifestyle – one that supports independent Cornish brands, growers and producers – Archie Browns has you covered.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, Helen and the team continue to adapt and evolve around the current circumstances (having already implemented a delivery service especially for the lockdown) and even now, they’re working on ways to make ordering simpler for staff and customers alike, including a trial of online ordering systems. Archie Browns Penzance is offering a click and collection service for takeaway, while the Truro store is trialling an online ordering system for the shop.

While the current pandemic does of course spell uncertainty, and while it has, by no stretch of the imagination, been easy for any of Cornwall’s independent brands, it’s great to see a business like Archie Browns continuing to deliver the ultimate Cornish lifestyle to their local, loyal customers.

Archie Browns

Penzance: 01736 362828

Truro: 01872 278622

www.archiebrownscornwall.co.uk