I bump into Charles my neighbour and stop for a chat about our overdue game of Scrabble. I soon notice that he’s carrying around a large empty peanut butter jar. I smile and ask why. He smiles back and tells me he’s on his way to Eat Whole Food in Hatfield Road to get a refill.

I’m curious and go along with him. He leads me down a narrow alley then turns a corner and we step into a small outlet. Patrick welcomes us. I recognise him and suddenly realize that it’s the same company that can be found on Wednesdays and Saturdays at St Albans market.

It’s a wonderland of natural products and ethical brands in minimal packaging from Faith in Nature to Ecover. Dimly lit, no retail gloss and glitz, just wholesome vegetarian super-foods stacked up high. I look up and see countless packets of beans, pulses and cereals, dried fruit and grains like polenta and rice.

Patrick makes us a cup of hibiscus tea. It tastes weird but I like it! About twenty years ago, he bought the business from Sycamore wholefoods, which started in St Albans in 1977 and won Retailer of the Year award in 2010, then rebranded to Eat Whole foods.

I get the feeling that chatting with Patrick is going to take me out of my comfort zone, and I’m right. I explain how tempting it is after a hard day at work to just rustle up a ready meal and flop onto your sofa. He smiles compassionately and gives me the bottom line: “We need to invest a little bit more time and effort into our lifestyles, that in turn will keep us healthier for longer.”

Patrick is talking about a shift in the way we do things and is not sugar coating this for me. “Our bodies thrive on nutrient rich food," he says. We’re finally realising this, and a lot of us are awakening to a healthier lifestyle.”

The penny drops for me as Patrick continues to share his wisdom. “It is a choice that you make,” he adds.

I realise that each of us needs to make a personal commitment to ourselves. Our chat has been an education and I confess I haven’t evolved beyond the desire for chocolate. He smiles. “Any small steps we make towards a healthier lifestyle are good.”

We chat about eating together as a social experience. He says: “The Italian and Icelandic diets are among the best in the world and those cultures prepare and grow foods as a community.”

I listen and am reminded of the importance of a varied diet. “Cooking from scratch is more economical, enjoying the creative process of mixing and chopping.”

I ask Patrick about his view on how we can move forward as a society. He says: “Well, Attenborough recently helped to open the population’s eyes to plastic packaging.”

I smile hopefully but am assured that we still have a long way to go.

He adds: “Just look in your fridge, so many containers are plastic, not to mention that many household products are still a cocktail of chemicals.”

“It was way back in the 1980s that our company became concerned with the amount of plastic packaging used in food retailing. So in 1990 we started using cellophane bags which are made from biodegradable wood pulp.

“We offer a zero waste refill service and a five per cent discount so customers come back to us. We need to reduce, reuse and recycle. ‘Leave no trace’ as the saying goes!”

I love listening to him and clearly see that he has a wealth of experience behind him.

I was right about being taken out of my comfort zone and as I walk home and think about where I’m going to start; maybe by sprinkling some ground flaxseed over my muesli in the morning, cutting out white bread, drinking more water or spraying Ecover onto my kitchen surfaces instead of Flash. I feel that I ought to take a leaf out of Charles’ book and do my bit to show the planet some respect.

“Leave no trace.” Patrick’s words echo in my mind.

  • Marisa Laycock moved from south west London to St Albans in 2000. She enjoys sharing her experiences of living in the city.