Our values remain the same from the very first Grape Tree to our latest crop of stores

In the 10 years since Midland’s entrepreneur Nick Shutts opened his first Grape Tree store, the feel good food health chain has opened a new store on average every two weeks.

The popularity of the brand and its reputation for quality health foods has supported the growth of what has become the fastest growing chain of health food shops in the country.

With more than 140 stores nationwide, Grape Tree teams are now serving customers in most corners of the country as well as processing and delivering thousands of online orders.

And with a new Midlands warehouse coming onstream soon there’s no chance of slowing down just yet.

Grape Tree was born after Nick’s previous health store brand, Julian Graves, closed its doors for the last time in 2012 after it was sold to the parent company behind Holland & Barrett.

After the last Julian Graves shop disappeared in Britain, Nick decided to work again with the team who created his original 350-strong store network.

But this time they created Grape Tree – the chain we now see in prime locations in towns and cities all over Britain.

Nick said: “It has been an enormous source of pride to see Grape Tree grow over the past 10 years. From our first store in Chester to our first overseas opening on the Isle of Man recently, our teams have worked tirelessly to make us one of the fastest growing health food chains across the British Isles.

“Our behind-the-scenes teams have sourced the very best in products, while our marketing experts have made sure that everyone knows exactly what we do.

“But there are also all our warehouse support staff and, of course, online, packaging, accounting, and the store teams our customers praise so highly.

“My thanks go to each and every one for such dedication.”

Nick explained how opening new stores at a rate of one every two weeks has been hard work but stressed that it had been extremely rewarding to reach so many people with foods that can have such positive effects on health and to be supplying those foods at affordable prices.

“Plus we have had the satisfaction of helping to bring life back to some of our long suffering high streets and town centres,” he added.

The dedication of the teams up and down the country was evident as Covid-19 changed daily lives all across the globe and Grape Tree in-store teams found themselves playing an unexpected but crucial role for many during the pandemic.

As a food retailer, the Grape Tree network of stores was able remain open to offer a moment of normality for customers plunged into uncertain and worrying times.

Nick explained: “The warmth and humanity that our teams showed to every single person who walked across our thresholds during the pandemic helped so many people.

“It is that warmth that lies at the heart of our customer service and it’s what we strive for in each and every one of our new stores too. Just because we are getting bigger after 10 years does not mean that our values have changed.

“We are the same family firm who believe in treating our customers as we would wish to be treated. “And after a decade we still love what we do every single day.”