The Richmond Standard

When Bob Gerner attended his first Organic Merchants meeting in 1970 on Mount Shasta, it led to creating the popular El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company, which he founded and has been dedicated to for more than 50 years.

“This was the start of the natural foods movement and we are still guided by the principles adopted by this organization,” said Laurie Wilt, a Kensington resident and spokesperson for the employee-owned company. “Their goal was to promote organic agriculture and to sell wholesome unrefined natural foods. The Organic Merchants defined these as foods without white flour, white sugar, hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or preservatives.”

From 1971 to 1980, Gerner changed locations and expanded offerings, including a bakery and café that had 50 unique vegetarian dishes and the first tofu burger in the U.S.

After an attempt to sell the store, Gerner and his wife Pattie regrouped and reopened the store in 1981 calling it Berkeley Natural Grocery Co., the beginning of The Natural Grocery Company at 10367 San Pablo Ave.  as it is known today, according to Wilt.

In 2002, the Natural Grocery Company became employee owned (Employee Stock Ownership Plan), and the following year the Employees of the Berkeley Store launched the Non-GMO Project with the People Want to Know Campaign, according to Wilt.

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The El Cerrito Grocery Store won the East Bay Express Reader Poll for Best Natural Food Store in 2021 and in 2022, due in part to its establishing personal relationships with vendors and farmers.

The worker-owned business doesn’t just sell food to make money. “We believe in caring for our resources and providing healthy, nutritious ingredients to our community,” Wilt said.

“I think that commitment to our ideals is what sets us apart,” she said. “It isn’t always about the bottom line. We are a community of individuals working towards the health of ourselves, our families and the population at large.”

That dedication is proven in the store’s product offerings. The store only sells organic produce. Its bulk foods department is almost all organic.

The store’s Café features Equal Exchange Organic/Fair Trade Coffee and Juice Bar that uses the same organic produce sold in its the stores, its Ice Cream Counter features Straus Ice Cream and Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Ice Cream, and its Bakery Department makes tasty organic treats, special order cakes and pastries, as well as morning baked goods like muffins, scones, cinnamon rolls and biscuits. Vegan and wheat free items are offered, although the store is not a gluten free facility, according to Wilt.

The store also has a Deli that prepares grab and go sandwiches, salads and dishes to eat in or take-out, a Wine & Beer Department focusing on natural, organic and craft beverages, and a Floral Department that was co-winner for Best Flower Shop in the 2022 El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce Best of El Cerrito competition.

Both the Berkeley and El Cerrito grocery stores are certified California Green Businesses.

“You may notice the solar panels that are on the roofs of both our San Pablo Avenue locations as well as over a portion of the parking lot,” Wilt said. “Additionally, we have an electric car charging station in our lot that provides an hour of free charging during business hours for customers.”

What customers don’t see are the beehives on the roof. The hives are maintained by Bay Area Bee Company, according to Wilt.

“When they produce enough honey, we get jars to sell in our stores that tell you it’s from our bees!” Wilt said.

Wilt also noted the store sells fresh ground-your-own peanut and almond butters. But you won’t find individual water bottles of less than one gallon, a decision the store made in 2019. The store only carries water in aluminum, paper or glass.

“We provide a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System for our customers who want to fill up their own containers and that is what we use to wash our produce,” Wilt said. “Recent audits of our composting show that we are doing a great job separating our waste and making sure it goes to the right place (compost, recycling, landfill).”

The Natural Grocery Store and Natural Grocery Preparation Food Annex open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

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