IE produce was ahead of its time when it opened in West Harbour, Auckland, in 1989. As a store that champions health, well-being and organic produce, it has sat on the corner of Barry’s Point Road and Anzac Street on the Northshore since 1994.
The organic ethics
IE Produce is New Zealand's first Bio-Gro Certified Organic health food store, gaining the certification in October of 2000. This means all the grocery products are produced without synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers, and there is no genetic modification or antibiotic exposure. Organic values also flow through the supply chain, in how the products are transported and handled.
“We’re serious about organics. Our store is inspected annually to ensure we are going above and beyond to protect organic integrity before the certification can be renewed,” said Joyce Lowyim, the owner, operator, boss, chief worker and shelf stacker at IE Produce.
Organic Produce is a passion for IE produce as it is healthier for humans and supports a sustainable agricultural system. It does, however, mean that customers are paying more for organics due to the strict farming and production standards that need to be met.
To ensure customers are making informed decisions about grocery products, Lowyim is continually learning and educating herself to be able to pass on information. She is a Certified Body Ecologist - trained under Donna Gates, the founder of the Body Ecology diet, which operates on seven health and healing principles that create a robust inner ecosystem. She is also a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach - trained via IIN Integrative Nutrition in New York. She can help customers nourish, heal and thrive in all aspects of their lives.
The history behind the store
Owner Joyce Lowyim grew up in a small town in Whakatane, where she and her siblings worked in the family produce store. She remembered standing on an apple box to reach the counter and serve customers. As a Chinese immigrant, her dad had strong beliefs surrounding natural healing remedies that instilled her lifelong knowledge and inspiration.
After leaving school, Lowyim jumped into working more in the family retail and wholesale business, gaining all the required truck licenses to do the long-haul produce runs between Rotorua, Hamilton, Pukekohe, Auckland and Hawkes Bay. She could be found unloading pallets with the fork hoist or negotiating bulk prices with growers at produce markets. Her first role outside the family business was at The Fruit Shed Northcote.
Her husband and business partner Phillip had an agricultural background and was a produce manager at New World Papatoetoe before moving to Vege King West Harbour. After six months, he was offered the opportunity to purchase the store, and the pair's combined knowledge bought IE Produce to life in 1989.
The second IE Produce store was opened in Takapuna in 2000 and Lowyim is incredibly proud of how the store has grown.
“Owning our own business came with much responsibility, as well as a great feeling of achievement and certain amounts of freedom. It certainly involves continual learning and teaches you a wide range of skills. The sacrifices, in the beginning, to get the business up and running are worth the joy that comes further down the road, and it's great to see the business maturing.”
A typical day
IE Produce has a valued team of 12. A combination of senior staff members who have been with the store for 20 years and university or secondary school students working part-time. The senior staff members bring knowledge and a deep understanding of the business culture, while the younger staff members all bring their own unique skill sets, injecting energy and fresh ideas into the team.
“Every day is a great day. Every day is different. Every day has its challenges.”
Before opening the store, Lowyim ensures the produce is prepared and displayed on the shelves. She checks and stacks the fruit and fresh bread, orders more chilled or frozen products and then goes over the pantry items. Online orders are fulfilled and couriered.
As the store opens, customers are welcomed inside, where they often want to chat. Lowyim is always ready to prioritise her customers, giving advice on brands and offering substitute products while being honest and tolerant.
“The people, I love the people. Our customers are awesome. I love interacting with and being around them daily. Yes, I get to sit for breaks, I get to sit and do stuff in my tiny office, but when I’m needed on the shop floor, I’m there."
Looking in
Functional Foods is the best-selling category at IE Produce - foods that provide health benefits beyond their nutritional value. There is an incredible variety at the store, including vitamins, minerals, fibres, whole foods, fruit and veggies, whole grains, beans, berries and dairy products.
The quote, “Let food by thy medicine and medicine by thy food,” from Hippocrates, is something Lowyim lives by.
While most of the IE Produce customers are local, a number of customers travel from the city or outer Auckland for specific products and Bio-Gro Certified items. There is also a high uptake of online shopping at www.ieproduce.com for customers that can’t physically visit.
Lowyim also runs Nutrition workshops and seminars for customers, with suppliers presenting educational information, giving demonstrations and supplying product tastings. They are run fortnightly or monthly on Wednesday evenings from 7-9 pm. Entry is a gold coin donation, and over the years IE produce has been able to donate $28,000 to the North Shore Hospice because of it.
“As a resident of Takapuna, IE Produce is an absolute Godsend when it comes to conscious artisan products, brands, and fresh foods. Because of its bespoke offerings, I find the store fosters a really cool and diverse community of interesting people, many of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in the aisles over the years, as well as the staff. I always recommend IE to my friends and peers, especially when they are looking for conscious alternatives that you can’t find elsewhere,” said Karn Hall, an IE Produce Customer.
