Chantal Shop turns 40

Chantal Shop owners Tim Stevens and Tess Alexander-Ward.

Chantal Shop’s shelves are groaning with goodies, stocked to the hilt with everything from jars of organic sauerkraut and bottles of pomegranate molasses to locally grown organic produce and its own brand of tomato sauce.

They’ve even moved into underwear. But it wasn’t always this way.

Chantals, as it’s known colloquially, began life just along the road from its current Hastings St site, and is celebrating 40 years in business this year. Peter Alexander and wife Maureen Ward were part of a co-op which started in the ‘70s, developing that with Carol and Alan Burke into the Chantal store in 1983, which was set up in the building next door to the old Phoenix nightclub.

Peter and Maureen bought out their partners a couple of years later and ran the business until 2016. In that time, they had expanded what began as primarily wholesale dry goods into a large production warehouse employing 50 people, a food production centre releasing more than 1000 products under the Chantal Organics brand and started several thriving organic gardens. The organic movement had taken off.

Chantals has undergone many changes in its four decades, including expanding into the building before moving along the road to its present site, albeit half the size, in 1995.

“They busted through into the second half of the premises three or four years later,” says present co-owner Tim Stevens.

Chantal Shop is now twice the size it used to be.

With partner Tess Alexander-Ward, the couple took over the business from Tess’ parents in 2016. There are now 20 members of staff in the shop, including front-of-house workers, those on bulk bins, two fulltime naturopaths and a herbalist working from the herbal dispensary, plus a produce manager and buyer.

When Peter and Maureen retired in 2016, Tess and Tim initially went into partnership with the Chantal wholesale arm of the business, before the two became separate entities.

“We talked about taking over from Mum and Dad as a plan when the time came. We probably would have done it earlier but decided to jump in when the time was right.”

Tess says food trends have changed over the years.

“In the early days, the biggest seller was oat bran. Now it’s sold in little packets and not even from the bulk bins. We now have more ‘super foods’. People have access to more information, so we try to respond to what people are asking for.”

While Chantal Shop has always stocked a few magazines, Tim says they try to keep the customers’ interest up “so we’re not just a supermarket”.

“People can always come in and find something new and of interest. The last few years have definitely kept us on our toes. We’ve had to adapt on the go.”

A display board set up in Chantal Shop celebrates past and present employees.

The couple says they were open as much as possible during lockdowns and “walked a fine line”. They have customers who still come in from when the original shop was open.

“That is a testament. I like that people recognise each other and talk. People come in when they’re back in the Bay and say they remember coming in here when they were younger.”

Bay View-based organic garden Petit Jardin, run by the couple’s brother-in-law, supplies most of the greens sold in the shop. Tim says they really try to focus on local and organic products.

“That’s also our point of difference when looking at a new product. A high percentage of our stock is organic. If organic is unaffordable, we still try to provide the best alternative.”

Tess believes in the importance of local stores relying on local people to support them.

“It was really noticeable during Covid and with the floods. We couldn’t let anyone know we were open, but we had the foot traffic.”

The official 40th birthday celebrations were about to be announced when the cyclone struck, but Tess and Tim decided to hold off.

“We didn’t have power but were in here working. It was worth celebrating, so we’ve saved it.”

A 40th anniversary T-shirt is for sale at Chantal Shop.

Tim and Tess worked with local artists and produced some merchandise to recognise the occasion, with in-store promotions and giveaways held throughout this month.