TAYLOR — When Hayley Blundell and her husband moved to Taylor from England during the pandemic, they left behind easy access to plastic-free, sustainable and organic products that were part of their lifestyle.
So in 2021, Blundell tried to replicate some of her eco-friendly commitment by selling bulk organic grains at the local farmers market.
“I never thought I would own a business, so I decided to just see how it goes. If it works, I have a business, and if it doesn’t, I have grain to eat for three years, and that’s OK,” Blundell said.
The business took off, and she discovered there was a market for her hard-to-find grains such as amaranth and pearl barley. She soon opened a storefront on Talbot Street, and then moved to a larger space on the corner of Second and Main streets.
The new location opened in August. Blundell’s commitment to sustainable foods doesn’t end at grains. Customers visit for fresh local produce, microgreens, specialty meats, pantry products and home goods.
“I call it an ethical corner store. It’s a place you can come in and grab something nice for the house, something nice for dinner,” Blundell said. “But everything in here has been curated by me specifically because it’s either plastic-free or it’s local or it uses real ingredients.”
She added, “I’m trying to take the guesswork out of going to the grocery store and trying to figure out which item is most healthy for you.”
Many customers are pleased to find a seafood section. Blundell, whose father is a seafood chef, chafed at the lack of variety available locally.
“I’m a massive stickler for knowing where my seafood is coming from and how fresh it is,” she said. The store carries sashimi-grade salmon and tuna, calamari, steamer clams, scarlet snapper, Icelandic cod and “really beautiful wild sea scallops.”
Blundell picks up the seafood and her meat products weekly. She hand-selects the fresh items she wants to carry, and freezes them at the store to preserve quality. She can also fill special orders for customers who want a special cut of meat or a type of seafood.
“If they want some really nice meat for a special event like holiday dinner, customers should let me know two weeks beforehand so I can make sure it will be available,” she said.
Another special feature of Hayley’s Grains is its full-service herbal apothecary.
Terre Noire Apothecary is owned and operated by Laurène Elliott-Deyris. The licensed herbalist offers bulk medicinal herbs for teas, culinary-grade bath salts, high-quality supplements, herbal products for body and facial care, essential oils and other herbal solutions, all of which are organically grown.
Many come from local farms. “I wanted to bring a wellness space to Taylor, with everything centered around wellness and creating rituals in our lives,” Elliott-Deyris said. “Everything is sourced with intention. I want to make sure it has quality and purpose, and then people don’t have to go to Austin to find these products.”
Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Food-assistance cards are accepted.
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