New health food shop suggests teens swap choc bars for a bit of honey
Health food operation takes over convenience shop
Tuesday, 7th June 2022 — By Lottie Norton
312 Natural is opening in the old Nisa in Highgate Road
A NEW health food outlet is opening up in a well-used convenience shop – with the new manager suggesting that teenagers might like to swap chocolate for honey for their after-school treat.
Azeb Er is opening 312 Natural in the shut-down Nisa in Highgate Road, but while he is promising healthier foods regular customers fear it will all cost more.
“I want to sell the local people better quality, natural food at an affordable price,” said Mr Er.
“I will still be working with Nisa and selling their products – and I want to assure the local residents that the shop will still be a convenience store and sell the staples and essentials found in Nisa such as newspapers, milk and fruit and vegetables”.
He added: “I still want the same customers of Nisa to shop here, I am going to make it as affordable as possible. It will not be the same prices as the organic health shop on the corner.”
Nisa was a prime spot for after school snacks. Mr Er said: “We will be offering gelato, a healthier ice cream and I hope to steer children from unhealthy snacks and towards better quality ones. Instead of a bar of chocolate, kids can buy honey.” There has been a mixture of responses to Nisa’s closure.
Azeb Er as work continues on the new shop
Bryan Cullen, who lives in York Rise, said: “I don’t see the point of another health shop when there’s already one on the corner. Will they be in indirect competition with one another?
“I used Nisa for all of my essentials during Covid, when guidelines ordered us to shop local as did the rest of the community. It had everything you needed.”
Another resident, Maureen Hurley, said: “I have no idea what it is going to be, I would prefer a local Tesco. Nisa was very useful, I can’t see many people using this new shop.”
But others were pleased to hear about the modernisation of the shop when the New Journal visited the site on Tuesday.
“I’m really excited about the new shop. The old store was outdated, this looks much more modern and clean,” said one visitor.
