Store location: East Midlands
Enquiry: Herbal teas
The first round of our 2025 Secret Shopper Awards throws up a charming and popular independent store in the East Midlands that has a charming ability to provide the right information without being over-complicated...
First impressions
My first impression of this shop’s website is of a muted colour scheme and some attractive images in a responsive design which works smoothly for me.
A couple of pop-ups are a little bit distracting, but once I’ve dealt with those I easily find plenty of useful info about both the online store and physical shop.
Some of the featured products on the home page are shown as being out of stock, but a link to the main online shop takes me to a wider range which I can order from.
Verdict 7/10
Website layout
This website offers lots of ways to browse for products, including categories organised by product type, brand or health condition. It’s maybe a bit too much choice for me but I find the herbal teas category quite easily.
The search box is easily accessed and returns results quickly, however it often shows me lots of out-of-stock products which can be frustrating.
Product pages include detailed information, including whether products are suitable for different dietary requirements, which I find very helpful.
Verdict 8/10
Personal attention
This shop has positive online reviews – many mentioning the personalised advice which had been offered in store.
Their blog posts and social media accounts look to be regularly updated – both clearly tying in with the products they sell.
I easily find the option to sign up for their email marketing without it feeling too pushy.
Verdict 9/10
Check out
This shop offers a few options for checkout – either remaining on their website thoughout or via a couple of popular payment providers.
I use the website’s own checkout and find it pretty intuitive to use, although it could perhaps be simplified slightly to make it quicker to complete.
I’m offered the choice between home delivery and in-store collection for my order once I’ve entered my address, with the cost of delivery clearly shown. A link to their terms and conditions is also clearly shown during checkout, which I always find useful.
I place my order without any problem and it’s delivered to me in good time.
Verdict 8/10
Overall impression
I was quite happy with this online ordering experience. My main quibble was with the webshop’s search feature, but it didn’t prevent me from ordering as they offer lots of other ways to find products. It sounds like they have some interesting events going on in store so I may well pay them a visit if I’m in the area.
Verdict 8/10
Total marks 40/50
Read more articles from our latest issue...
The Secret Shopper Award for excellence in online shopping by an independent health store will be announced in our Spring 2026 issue.