Refill shop marks five years despite last year’s flooding setback

Maidenhead’s much-loved refill shop is marking five years of serving the community this month – battling on after being flushed out of its home by flooding last year.

Filling Good, based in the Nicholsons Centre, serves the community with eco-friendly refills, sustainable gifts, and zero-waste shopping.

The community-owned store is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month, having first opened its doors on November 17, 2020 as a pop-up inside the old Argos unit in the Nicholsons Centre.

Supported by a group of local volunteers, Filling Good opened in the middle of a difficult COVID year – but despite the second national lockdown, continued trading as an essential food retailer.

In March 2021, the shop moved to 22 High Street where it quickly became a hub for eco-conscious shoppers.

Everything in the shop is designed to reduce waste, from refillable cleaning products and pantry staples to locally made sustainable gifts.

To date 205,294 pieces of packaging and single use items have been saved, Filling Good says.

Filling Good also operates as a Community Benefit Society and donates ‘a large proportion’ of its profits to organisations committed to creating a sustainable world.

Since opening five years ago, £14,000 has been contributed to environmental causes, including reforestation, carbon compensation and local projects.

The shop is primarily run by volunteers, ‘whose dedication has kept it thriving through challenging times.’

That community spirit was tested in September 2024, when a flash flood caused ‘major damage’ to the High Street premises.

Despite this, Filling Good bounced back, relocating to the Eco Action Hub in the Nicholsons Centre, where it continues to welcome loyal customers and new faces.

Cath Knight, Filling Good’s marketing director, said: “It was quite devastating for a short while. It was a little ironic that a business trying to help with climate change in its own small way was directly affected by something that’s very probably related to climate change.”

The store still has a lease at its High Street location and is intending to go back. Work has been done on the repairs but the ‘ins and outs of business’ are taking a while.

“We have customers come in almost every day to ask about it but we can’t make any promises about timing,” Cath said.

Amid all the uncertainty, ‘it’s been great we’ve been able to carry on trading,’ she added.

“It hasn’t always been easy, but the support from Maidenhead residents has been incredible,” said Cath.

“Filling Good is more than a shop. It’s a community effort to do better for our planet.

“[It’s] proof that small, community-run projects can make a big difference.”

Filling Good also offers ‘a bit of hope’ in the wake of prominent store closures such as M&S, Cath added.

“I know it can feel like everything is closing down but not everything is,” she said “We’re still a good independent shop in Maidenhead.

“We’ve shown that shopping sustainably doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be local, affordable, and even fun.”

To celebrate Filling Good’s fifth anniversary, customers are invited to visit the shop in the Nicholsons Centre to discover new products.

On Saturday, November 15, all shoppers will receive 5 per cent off for any spend above £5.