Pawel Ferguson is the co-founder and co-proprietor of Beautiful Planet Store located just off Bonnington Road, near Leith.
The shop sells package free foods at low prices and their mission is to make a ‘less-waste’ way of life accessible to as many people as possible. Read on to discover more about Beautiful Planet Store and eco-friendly living. And be sure to pay the store a visit – they’re a friendly team with great produce.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself, life before The Beautiful Planet Store and your role now.
Most of my life I have been working in the retail/hospitality sector. Growing up in a busy summer coastal town in Poland gave me my first steps in to business but also some humbleness, creativity and hardworking ethics. Continuing my job in different positions for big retail players in Poland like Tesco or Schwarzkopf showed me the real face of capitalism and I wasn’t happy with that. After moving to Edinburgh, I pushed myself into working in hospitality- now I’m grateful for every opportunity I had and my very last job sowed the seed of the idea of being my own boss. Here we are 😉
Where did the idea for The Beautiful Planet Store come from?
The very first thought in my mind for a long time was building a vegan community coffee shop. I love the whole idea of bringing people together and the level of creativity and vibe you can see in pubs or coffee places in Berlin or my hometown Gdańsk. I’m a fully dedicated vegan and activism is close to my heart too. You don’t have to be a massively brainy person to see what is going on around us. Climate change is a fact we can’t deny. We’ve got plenty of brilliant options and opportunities in Edinburgh to offer more sustainable and less waste shopping these days. Some people aren’t able to do this because they’re not sure if they can afford it. This was one of the main goals we tried to achieve.
And how did you make this dream a reality?
Thinking about the shop was quite intense. I had to turn the thoughts into reality somehow. One day my partner randomly said, ‘We’re going to open this store. Start preparations tomorrow.’ I thought it was a crazy idea. We were in the second lockdown and any normal person would not launch a new business at this time. We’re totally different personalities but now I see that he’s the best support I could ever imagine.
You have a huge range of produce on offer – how do you select the suppliers you work with?
Pretty much all products we use or test ourselves. For some of the produce we changed suppliers two or three times until we found satisfactory and good quality options. Being open to the suggestions and needs of our customers is really important too, we’ve evolved so much since we first opened in March. Gradually we’ve added a more diverse range of products with as much as possible sourced from local businesses.
We love all your top tips for adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle – they are simple and super friendly. It can be quite daunting for those who are just starting out, any additional advice on how to adapt?
Love the term ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘less waste’. For me personally, there’s some honesty in these words. To be zero waste people need time and money. In this world we live in, this is almost impossible – that’s why is great to take small steps and start with little swaps and then go further. My partner and I don’t profess to be perfect – we create some waste too, everyone does, but 1,000 people making small changes is better than one person being fully zero waste.
MasterChef judge, Steven Wallis, came along to your store to cook up a zero-waste storm. How did this collaboration arise and what was the experience and final dish like?
Steven (Wallis) is a wonderful friend and great professional. Lots of people demonise word ‘vegan’ and don’t take less waste seriously. We were keen to do our tiny bit to change it. Our idea of cooking inside the store was very challenging and I was impressed by the way he settled and cooked some very easy and Masterchef level dishes – a very refreshing and gentle risotto or aromatic and poignant curry.
Please share your top tips for a first-time visitor to Edinburgh.
Speak to the locals! I think we’re all kind and very accommodating, we all know some hidden gems which visitors might not find in the standard tourist guide.
Where is your own Hidden Edinburgh and why?
If I will tell you, it won’t be hidden anymore 😉
I love Dean Gardens. The feeling of calmness and closeness to the nature while being exactly in the middle of Edinburgh is just incredible. This is one of the best things in this city. We take it for granted and thankfully no one’s planning to turn our parks into concrete jungle. We should all embrace green spaces and parks a little more.
Life motto (if you have one).
Open up. Open up to changes. Open up to the challenges your life brings. Open up to other people. Scotland and Edinburgh and its people were so good to me over the years and changed my life completely. It is such an honour to call Edinburgh my home.
Address: 4-6 Anderson Pl, Edinburgh EH6 5NP
Website: beautifulplanet.store
