From humble beginnings with original founders Marco and Rob selling produce and bulk wholefood staples out of the back of a ute in Upper Main Arm from 1978, Santos Organics has been supplying healthy and organic vegetarian food to the Byron Shire community for over 45 years.
Santos Organics was created from the original vision of ‘the good life’… good vibes and good food; even its name was inspired by the Sanskrit word ‘santosha’ meaning contentment. In true spirit, Santos Organics makes the good stuff simple; offering wholesome, healthy food with heart, available so you can live the good life by dropping into one of their three locations in the Byron Shire or from anywhere in Australia via their online store.
With a fresh and vibrant health food store and wholesome cafe in three locations – Byron town, Byron Arts and Industrial Estate, central Mullumbimby and online, Santos Organics sources the best organic food, natural lifestyle, and eco-friendly products, with every single item going through the ‘Santos Organics Care-Check’, so customers can rest assured that they’re not only shopping consciously and ethically but also treading a little more softly on our planet.
The ‘Santos Organics Care-Check’ is unique to Santos Organics, grounded in the roots of the founders, originating with the ‘Ethics Manifesto’ and cultivated over the years by their passionate team. Whenever a new product is presented to Santos Organics, their ethics and research team thoroughly evaluates the ingredients of a product, the source of those ingredients, any relevant farming practices, the distance that product has travelled, its packaging and the presence of any genetically modified ingredients, toxic chemicals, and palm oil or palm derived ingredients, while prioritising Australian certified organic or biodynamic products at all times.
Sourcing ‘local first’ organic produce and artisan products and supporting their local community of growers, suppliers, businesses, and customers alike, are the cornerstones of Santos Organics. The launch of the ‘Grow the Growers’ project earlier this year, supporting farmers to convert their farms to certified organic, signified their deep commitment to strengthening the local economy and ensuring food security for the Byron community in years to come.
Registering as an environmental not-for-profit social enterprise in December 2016 also formalised Santos Organics’ longstanding focus on community and environmental projects through its donations totalling over $337,000 and involvement in many valuable community and environmental initiatives.
With in-house naturopaths and dispensaries offering 15-minute complimentary consults, fresh food grown and prepared daily for our cafes by local organic suppliers, and a vast array of organic wholefoods and fresh produce, Santos Organics has your health and wellness needs covered!
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