In the Summer of 2026, This is Haslemere met Joe Jackson of Apothecary 27 on Wey Hill. As soon as we walked through the door, we were hit by the amazing aroma of all the teas he stocks. We met at the till of his beautiful shop and had a conversation punctuated by customers dropping in asking for his advice. Joe knew them all by name and we very quickly got the sense that here is a man who truly loves what he does.

Joe was born and raised in Haslemere. When he was 15, he worked as a Saturday Boy in this same location at what was then called Haslemere Health Foods. Joe shared, “It was at this young age that I got into wellness. At university, I studied Nutritional Therapy and it shaped everything that came after.” After university, Joe came back to Haslemere to be a nutritional therapist and worked in the shop.

In March 2017, Joe bought the health food shop at the age of 27. He told us, “27 is my lucky number, it was my age when I bought the business and it is the Haslemere postcode - GU27.”  He changed the name to Apothecary 27 and modernised the premises whilst building on the traditional base of the previous owner. He explained laughing, “I enjoy merchandising, to the dismay of my staff who come in and see it’s all changed again.”

At the heart of Apothecary 27 is a personal service providing health and wellness solutions to the community. Joe knows his customers well and they trust him with their personal information. He was keen to emphasise that he is not in the business of selling something for the sake of it. He listens to his customers’ needs and will never chase a quick sale. This is a business with a loyal customer base, not with high footfall but, his customers come back time after time. He sees his shop as a health and wellness hub in the heart of the community.

Joe said that he loves working in retail but it is increasingly more difficult to compete with online and big supermarkets. He feels his strengths are his personal service and customer care. That is exactly what his customers tell him. He knows that money is being squeezed for everyone right now but he will not deviate from selling good quality products. Joe summed it up, “My customers trust that we have sold them good quality products and know that they can be educated about what they are buying.”

You’ll see in the picture accompanying this feature the range of Montezuma’s chocolate in front of Joe by the till. Joe rarely goes a shift without selling a bar of Montezuma’s. He says it sells really well in spite of the fact it’s a health food shop. Customer Martin is a regular and had popped by to collect an order of 100% cocoa Montezuma’s. He said, “I love the 100% cocoa chocolate that Joe sells. It takes a couple of weeks to get used to it but it’s great. It’s guilt-free chocolate!”

As well as his local loyal customers, Joe uses social media to have an online presence. He has built his own supplement range and social media helps him reach customers beyond Haslemere. He makes his own range of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements. He felt he could make vitamins better and/or stronger. His own-brand magnesium is now a top-selling product in his store. The creation side is all Joe and he works with a manufacturer for lab testing and formulation. Joe said, “I love getting feedback for a product we have made ourselves. What is put down with pen and paper comes to life as a product and there is nothing better than hearing how customers love it. ” Apothecary 27’s own brands are available exclusively in-store and online. Joe is keen to reach an audience beyond his loyal Haslemere customer base and (at the time of writing) he has an impressive 4,000 plus follower count on Instagram.

Joe finished up by telling us that his dream was always to have his own shop. He said it felt scary at the age of 27. He did not have a lot behind him at that age and he received conflicting advice. He has created a beautiful shopping experience with unique products and good old-fashioned high-quality customer service. Fronting Joe’s store he has professional display boards flanked with gorgeous healthy planters with heady rosemary, lavender, scented geraniums and a beautiful backdrop of a stunning window display. You feel that he works incredibly hard running every aspect of his business. It’s a real jewel in Wey Hill.

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Website https://www.apothecary27.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/apothecary27

Apothecary 27

71-73 Wey Hill

Haslemere

GU27 1HN