Goddam! This is gram.
No insta flim flam, just a proper refill program. Fill by the milligram, fill by the kilogram. In a bucket, in a can.
Run by Laura — refiller, curator, and champion of small, independent makers. Inside you’ll find local craft, conscious goods, and a whole lot of community spirit.
Between the olde doorjambs in Godalming, gram is shaking up the system, closing the loop on the flow diagram and making refilling feel good again.
We caught up with Laura to talk refills, local creatives, and what it means to build something beautiful — one fill at a time.
Who are you?
Laura, a godalming local girl through and through. A creative free spirit with a love for beautiful things and the environment. Owner of gram (Godalming refills and makers).
What is gram?
Gram is a space marrying sustainability and creativity. We focus on zero waste products and local small independent makers.
How did you wind up doing what you do?
I had wonderful memories as a child, of my mum and her friend running a small “antiques” shop called emelina’s attic, upcycling unwanted tatty furniture into desirable gems. A few years ago a friend and i opened a market style space for local artists and makers, allowing them to rent a modest space within an old warehouse. Six months into the venture we started selling refills and zero waste products to serve the gap in the local market.
Why is gram a cool place to be?
I am so fortunate to work in a tiny 550 year old shop in church street, godalming, the pituresque little road famed for its starring role in the holiday. Gram is a family affair with my mum annie and son fred helping serve our customers like an old apothecary; taking orders over glass counters, measuring out hand made lotions and potions, while zero waste and hand made products sit on display on beautiful waney edge tables my husband and i made.
If you weren’t running gram what would you be doing?
I studied jewellery design and it is something i would love to have turned into a career. Now that i have created my own shop to sell my designs, perhaps i can have the best of both worlds!
What’s on the horizon?
I would like to continue growing the business and increase awareness in the community through marketing and continuing to offer our customers the best service possible. We will be launching a new website in the new year and i am hoping to expand my local businesses refill service, which will tie in well with the release of the fill pro range.
What made you choose to reuse?
I had only just started reusing and refilling when i was encouraged by another refill shop owner from Farnham to start selling refills in my shop. We started out with our little earth conscious corner and it grew quickly. Godalming and the surrounding area is full of wonderful environmentally conscious people, who have been staunch supporters over the years. My goal is to make everyone aware that there is an alternative to the plastic reliant existence that dominates via modern mass marketing.
What do you refill?
We refill hair, body and beauty products along with household cleaning and laundry products. I would love to do food too, but with such a tiny shop it is just not possible. The shop also carries a wide range of vegan, cruelty free, environmentally friendly products along with as many zero waste, plastic free items as we can cram in. Upstairs we have a wide range of hand made local/independent makers wares, from hand printed cards, beautiful ceramic mugs and vases, to hand dipped soya candles and stunning jewellery.
Why fill refill?
We have stocked fill since my early days as a refill seller, the branding is so on point and looks great in the shop. They are one of the few companies i have encountered that really embodies the zero waste, reuse and refill ethos. I have always recommended the products to my customers, especially those with sensitive skin or allergies and have never had anyone come back with a complaint, in fact most of them come back for more refills! The no nonsense products are great value, work, smell good and are provided in bulk containers that i know are taken back and reused again and again.
Coolest other refillable?
Upcircle and pure mess skincare are great, along with fill rose water and micellar water they provide a complete refillable skin care regime, that is not only great for my skin, but also minimises my impact on the environment.
Hardest thing to find without packaging?
If you really try nearly everything is available without packaging, however the current financial climate is placing independent businesses under pressure and many have been forced to close. Unfortunately for many people this leaves supermarkets as their only option where plastic is still pedalled as the preferred packaging option on most products.
How do you escape?
I love going for long walks with my dog and my family. Every now and again i like to get away from it all and love wild rugged landscapes like north wales or scotland. I never say no to a bit of luxury like a hot tub and a glass of red wine when i get back from enjoying the outdoors!
Best moment
Getting the keys to my own shop and opening the doors to customers.
A valuable lesson
Make sure you have a good work life balance if possible and employ a good accountant!
Recommend something
Fill rosewater wakes me up every morning and wipes away all your worries!
One place we should go see
Glen dye in the cairngorms. We went for a friend’s birthday and had a great time. The wild swimming was an amazing experience.
Who is your inspiration?
I am inspired by the customers and people i meet every day. So many people come into the shop with interesting lives and stories to tell, i am always amazed by their achievements and experiences.
Things you couldn’t live without
My family.
Last song you chose to listen to
