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Organic products have been growing in popularity in recent years, and one entrepreneur hopes to cash in on demand with the opening of the first store to stock only organic products.

‘‘We effectively bring the farmers’ markets indoors,” said Darren Grant, managing director of The Organic Supermarket, located on the main street in Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Certified by the Organic Trust, the shop’s range includes fruit and vegetables, meats, breads, dairy products, speciality cheeses, teas, coffees, wine and chocolate. Grant said that the firm sold healthy seasonal foods and supported Irish producers and suppliers.

‘‘The opening of our store is a clear reflection of the changing consumer attitudes. People no longer want chemically-enhanced foods, and are returning to more traditional, nutritious, seasonal food,” said Grant.

He said that the market for organic products was worth €66 million a year in Ireland, representing a growth rate of about 75 per cent in the past three years. Grant grew up in Rathfarnham in south Dublin and attended Stratford College in Rathgar.

After secondary school he attended DIT on Aungier Street for four years, gaining a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Trinity College Dublin. He also holds a post-graduate qualification in business.

‘‘I left college in 1999 and started work with Dell as a technical support agent. I progressed very quickly through the company, rising to senior management level responsible for the EMEA [Europe Middle East and Africa] project management office,” he said.

Grant worked on large cost-saving projects for the multinational firm before making a major change in direction in his career.

‘‘I took the hard decision to leave a well-paid, secure job and gamble it al l on my dream,” he said.

The concept for The Organic Supermarket was developed over the course of a year, and Grant did extensive research on the market for organic products.

‘‘I really felt that food had become homogenised,” he said. ‘‘The same product was in every convenience store and we had become a nation of breakfast roll eaters. Farmers’ markets had sprung up all over the place, yet there was nowhere to replenish your supply mid-week.”

His future plans include expanding to three more stores in the next five years.

‘‘I am hoping the next store will be in Dublin city centre, but I am also looking to the north side of the city,” Grant said. ‘‘Even in this economic downturn, organic demand is growing rapidly.”

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