Standing proud on London’s Walworth Road is G Baldwin & Co – something of a historical icon. Rosie Greenaway steps through its doors to discover how past meets present at this local landmark

Established in 1844 as a herbal chemist, today’s incarnation of family-owned business G Baldwin & Co sees it operate as a herbal dispensary and modern health food store.

Steve Dagnell, CEO of Baldwin’s (as it’s affectionately known), was preceded by his grandfather (who bought the company when George Baldwin died in the early 1900s), and his father, who took over in 1950.

Walworth Road had been ‘blighted by bombs’ in WW2; when the Council decided to redevelop the area, Baldwin’s had no option but to move down the street, where an opportunity arose in 1972 to purchase the adjacent premises. Baldwin’s expanded, carving out a dedicated space for health foods, gradually growing its offer beyond Fru Grains and honey to the full wholefoods range you’ll find today.

Shelf space focuses on organic food and supplements – Viridian, Terranova and A. Vogel feature heavily. “We partner with what we consider to be high quality brands. These are people we’ve had long associations with and absolutely believe in. We don’t tend to deal with the cheaper end of supplements; I don’t think those products have value. We were with [Viridian] in the beginning. They deserve the respect they get because they’ve been at the forefront of improving the supplement industry,” says Dagnell.

Mail order is another key element at Baldwin’s, representing 65% of business. “We list about 10,000 products on our website; that’s really our USP, that we have such a comprehensive range.” Dagnell has been authorized for 28 years by the Soil Association to pack and sell organic herbs and essential oils; in fact, he’s willing to ‘go out on a limb’ and say that Baldwin’s offers the biggest retail range of herbs in Europe, alongside free online consultations with qualified medical herbalists to help customers discover the benefits of herbs.

Good staff retention means patrons have been served by familiar faces for 20 years, the 36-strong team working hard to create a welcoming environment. “The whole ethos of the business is that we’re there to help people. As a small company … customer service is key,” says Dagnell. The demands of his position now limit his customer-facing time, but he remembers fondly his time on the shop floor – customer interaction having been his most loved aspect of work life.

Stepping into Baldwin’s takes shoppers back to a time of old-fashioned apothecaries; lining the display units behind the counter are original 19th century dispensing drawers, each numbered according to the specific slot they fit into. Their inclusion is a nostalgic nod to a 180-year history which has seen Baldwin’s serve the community with honesty, integrity and quality – the three pillars of its ethos, says Dagnell, calling himself ‘just the current torchbearer’ of a legacy which would make his father and grandfather proud.

With humble staff celebrations planned for the anniversary, Dagnell says the team will continue to be at the forefront of industry developments and adapt to the changing world beyond the doors of 171-173 Walworth Road.

By Rosie Greenaway, editor