Neeli Malik
IMG_2978.jpg

100 Days of Groceries - Original 2020 Photoblog

100 Days of Groceries is a photography project, exploring the aesthetics of buying groceries, documenting mostly independently owned stores in which people can buy food; greengrocers, corner shops, newsagents, markets, butchers, bakeries, fishmongers, etc. Each post will document a different establishment. Some of the photographs are taken in passing, but some of them I visited specifically. Some documentations will be accompanied by text, either conversational interviews with the workers in the shops, or simply my own observations of the shop at the time. Read more about the project here.

Kensal's Green Grocery, Organic & Mediterranean Food Store (Photos & interview taken November 2019)

Mohamad has owned Kensal’s Green Grocery since October 2009. He is originally from Lebanon but is now a British citizen. He also owns the Dry Cleaner’s next door.

His wife, Fatima, is a civil engineer, but when she has off-time she lends a hand running the store. Together they have three children [ages at time of interview]; a son aged five and a half, a daughter aged four, and their
youngest daughter, aged 9 months, can sometimes be seen sitting on Mohamad’s lap as he runs the store.

 I asked him if he’d ever want them to continue running the family business. He replied that he’d love them to consider it as a healthy option, but his main priority is making sure they succeed in their education.

Over the years, the biggest changes in store was transitioning from only selling around five or six organic items, to having the shop’s stock being comprised of around 70% organic items. Mohamad says he would have never had the chance to make this major change if it wasn’t for the support from the local community. He says that everyone knows that Kensal Green is a very good community, especially after everyone rallied together to save the Kensal Green library, which is right across the road from Mohamad’s store. He hopes that the community continues to support his corner shop.









Neeli MalikComment