Zero-waste shop Cut the Wrap in Ulverston opens in larger premises

Bosses behind Cut the Wrap bid farewell to their Upper Brook Street site on Monday after nearly three years of business.

The popular plastic-free grocery store was set up by Cat and Paul Moffatt in July 2018 after the pair watched a Blue Planet documentary which inspired them to reduce their carbon footprint.

The store operates on a complete plastic-free basis, with customers choosing how much of a product they want to buy – and in what container.

After a difficult 2020, Mrs Moffatt said the couple is forging a ‘brighter, more positive’ future in their new base in New Market Street.

EXCITED: Owners Paul and Cat Moffatt in the new store

The new store was opened on Monday by the town mayor Sharon Webster and a crowd of socially-distanced customers eager to take a look inside.

Mrs Moffatt said: “The opening was lovely – it was obviously very different from when we opened our first shop because of Covid so we couldn’t encourage large crowds, but it was great all the same.

“We had a steady stream of customers through the day. There were a couple of people waiting outside at 10am on the dot.

“It’s just lovely to be able to see people again.

“There’s been lots of work taking place over the past few weeks so it’s great to see all the hard work has paid of.

OPENING: Cut the Wrap in its new premises, opened by the Ulverston mayor Sharon Webster and the town crier

“It’s so spacious – it’s four times the size of our last shop so we can include a lot more in terms of stock and there’s more room for customers to browse.

“It was sad to say goodbye to our little shop after three years but we were ready for a change.”

Mrs Moffatt said the expansion feels like a ‘sense of achievement’ after years of trading in the town.

She said: “The move has felt like a real sense of achievement and the opening, with the mayor and town crier here, almost brought a tear to my eye. We have such a close-knit community of traders in Ulverston – we’re all complimentary to one another rather than see each other as competition.

“This was the perfect time to open in our new premises – it feels like a fresh start and we’re really excited to see lots of customers through the doors.”