Scotland’s Largest Organic Food Retailer
Edinburgh’s first natural food shop
Natural products Supermarket in Scotland's capital city
Visit Real Foods and enjoy our ever expanding product range of 10,000 natural, organic, health and wholefood lines
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Real Foods is leading the way in the retailing of natural, organic and vegetarian food and when you visit, you are visiting the largest Scottish retailer of Organic, Fair trade, Vegetarian and Special Diet foods.
Ask any of our team if you cannot find what you are looking for and they will help you find or order whatever you need. Real Foods has the ability to source and supply any product within the natural foods and alternative therapies market. Whether you are shopping in one of our two establisher Edinburgh stores or whether you are shopping in our thriving web shop, the Real Food team is on hand to help and to advise.
Real Foods Team
With an international reputation as the longest established successful organic food trading company in Britain we are proud to introduce you to some of the important people who have helped to contribute to that sucess:
Meet one of our managers, Ben Meet one of our loyal customers, Irene
Meet one of our local suppliers, Garvald Bakery Meet our buyer, Jenny
Learn more about our staff, customers, suppliers and our local area by reading our Community pages
Experts in the Business of Selling Natural Products
Real Foods started trading in 1963 selling organic vegetable on a market stall in the south of England. At about the same time they started to sell macrobiotic foods imported from Belgium and Japan as macrobiotics could not be sourced in the UK. It was then a small step to start buying commodities from a London merchant to feed the 'Aldermaston Ban the Bonb' marchers who would assemble at an Elizabethan mansion in the Chilterns prior to marching.
Opened in Edinburgh in 1975, Real Foods was the capital's first natural food shop. Starting a revolution in food retailing and eating patterns, it introduced the concept of selling natural foods loose and in bulk to the public. The aim was to provide healthy alternatives to processed foods at prices the public could afford. The philosophy has always been that 'the more you buy, the less it will cost per lb or nowadays, per gm'.
Our Broughton Street store was originally opened as a warehouse to store imported goods and also to serve as a mail order warehouse for the dispatch of international orders. Shelving, still in the store today, was installed made from recycled, second-hand ex-local government oak desks. Once shelved the next obvious step was to invite the buying public in.
Our Tollcross store opened it's doors in 1981 to give customers on the other side of the city an opportunity to shop for healthy food locally.
Both Real Foods shops are intimate and friendly with a passionate, knowledgeable team who are always willing to offer advice on a diverse range of unique and difficult to find products. If you would like to know more about special diets, lactose intolerance or simply how to live a greener life they are happy to help.
Free health advice is available in store from our interactive, touch screen kiosks or use the system free of charge via the health and nutrition button on this website
With over 30 years trading in Edinburgh, the shops have become an integral part of the local community. Real Foods believes in providing the best customer service and it is a fact that many of our customers have built up long-term friendships with our workers.
Today Real Foods' mail order business is again flourishing through the website. Orders are dispatched daily to customers who want vegetarian, vegan, organic, Fairtrade, free-from and healthy foods delivered to their door.
Ethical and Environmentally Friendly Shopping
Wanting to Save the Planet for Future Generations
Real Foods are committed ethical outlets stocking fair-trade and environmentally friendly products. Always conscious of our impact on the environment, we strive to recycle and conserve energy in as many ways as possible.
To reduce our carbon footprint, we offer a range of locally sourced products including honey, real ales, wines and a fresh selection of organic fruit, vegetables and salads.
Learn more about Real Foods by looking at out Community pages