The company is coming up to its fifth year of business, and for the past four years it has been creating the crackers from home. Due to an increased demand, the business needed more storage and space. Owner Morinna Johnson said: “We were just idly looking, and we happened across this space in Bargates which was empty and has been for 11 years.
" The Bargates spot was originally a nightclub, known by many as Club Epic or the Highlander. The shop will be open around the Christmas period and then for the rest of the year it will be used for storage and a production space. The Free Range Cracker Company produces nearly 100 per cent sustainable products.
The paper and the contents used are recycled and recyclable, there’s no plastics in the crackers and the bows are reusable, being made of satin, velvet or grosgrain. With the shop to open on November 30, Morinna said: “We’re racing against the clock to get it finished." The business operates under two umbrellas: they have ready made ranges and they create made to order bespoke crackers for business.
They provide premium hotels with bespoke crackers for the festive season. Morinna said how the businesses that she makes for “really understand where we're coming from and they love the sustainable aspect”. She expresses her appreciation for the local community, stating how she uses a print service in and uses a lady who individually ties the bows on every single cracker.
One goal for the space would be to run community work.