Member Article

The Health Box marks six months of trading

The Health Box, a healthy fast food shop in Newcastle’s Grainger Market, is celebrating a successful first six months of trading, with the popularity of its gluten-free range leading to a week-on-week rise in sales.

In recognition of this, and to introduce its products to even more people who follow gluten-free diets, The Health Box will be sampling its selection of gluten-free meals, soups, bread and cakes at the Great North Gluten Free Fair this Saturday (27th April).

Owner Emma-Claude Phillips opened The Health Box last November, following the success of her other business, The French Oven, which has been based at Grainger Market for nearly eight years.

Emma explained: “I noticed that more and more customers at The French Oven were requesting gluten-free loaves and cakes, so I knew that there was a big market for this in the city centre. I was already planning on opening a healthy food shop, so I decided to make sure that most of the food and drink on offer was completely gluten-free.”

In the last six weeks, The Health Box has seen a significant increase in customers and sales. Emma attributes this partially to the shop’s ‘Soup Challenge’, where customers commit to eating one of The Health Box’s soups for 20 days in order to lose weight, and partially to a new gluten-free e-newsletter that already has over 100 subscribers.

She said: “The fact that most of our products are gluten-free has definitely played a big part in the rise in sales we’ve experienced. I’m really pleased that so many gluten-free customers are coming to us for healthy, tasty gluten-free meals. We’re looking forward to seeing both new and familiar faces at the Gluten Free Fair this weekend.”

The Health Box has also recently joined TASTECLUB, the Club for everyone who makes, serves, sells and loves great north food and drink, which is organising the Fair.

There will be around 40 stands at the event, made up of some of the best local and national producers, shops, and restaurants that make gluten-free food and drink. It is being sponsored by Newburn Bakehouse by Warburtons, which has a dedicated gluten and wheat-free bakery in Newburn.

Jane Hogan, Chief Executive of TASTECLUB, commented: “We’re delighted that The Health Box has joined TASTECLUB and will be attending the Gluten Free Fair. It has had an impressive first six months, and it’s great to hear that its gluten-free range is making such a positive contribution to the business.

“We wanted to host the Fair to showcase some of the fantastic gluten-free food and drink we have in the great north, and to prove that gluten-free doesn’t mean taste-free. Attendees will be able to discover shops like The Health Box that are committed to providing a tasty range of products for those that follow gluten-free diets.”

Entry to The Great North Gluten Free Fair, which will run from 10am to 4pm at the CastleGate in Newcastle city centre, costs £2 for adults and is free for children. All attendees will receive a free muffin from Newburn Bakehouse by Warburtons.

Tickets can be purchased in advance from TASTECLUB’s online gift store: http://tasteclubhq.com/products/great-north-gluten-free-fair.

For all the latest updates on the event, you can also visit the dedicated Facebook page at www.facebook.com/GreatNorthGlutenFreeFair.

For more information, please contact Alex Latham on 0191 597 5470 or alex@souterpr.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Souter PR Newcastle .