Our Story

Filling Good was founded in 2019 by Nelly Semaille, previously a Finance Manager who moved to Maidenhead that year with her family.

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Filling Good started out as a pop-up store in Craft Coop in the Nicholson Centre.  Opening just two days a week with a limited range of products, it proved to be a great way of meeting hundreds of local people.  Nelly connected with several customers who were very keen in taking a more active role as the shop grew.

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Market research in Maidenhead and other local towns, combined with customer feedback, showed that there was a market for a zero waste shop.  It was clear that more and more customers wanted to switch products on their shopping lists to local, eco-friendly, and ethical items. The zero waste movement was taking off nationally, and Filling Good arrived in Maidenhead at just the right moment to help people reduce their waste and buy ethically.

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The interest and enthusiasm shown by customers and another community shop in Reading, The True Food Coop, triggered the idea of opening a not-for-profit co-operative in Maidenhead.  A group of local people came together with a common goal: to launch a zero waste shop, to make it easy for people to live an eco-friendlier life, and to bring the community together.

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Their shared vision is to offer carefully curated products that are as eco-friendly, local, affordable, and healthy as possible.
 

The shop is owned and run by the community for the community as a not-for-profit working with cooperative principles.  We follow the NCBA CLUSA's seven cooperative principles to ensure our business flourishes and operates successfully whilst encouraging all members to participate equally:

1) Voluntary and Open Membership

2) Democratic Member Control
3) Members' Economic Participation
4) Autonomy and Independence
5) Education, Training, & Information
6) Cooperation Among Cooperatives
7) Concern for Community
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Our members, volunteers, and customers are all passionate about creating a wonderful, welcoming space that does so much more than could be expected from a ‘simple shop.’