About the pantry

Our history

South Invercargill is one of the oldest residential parts of Invercargill, Southland. Over the 1990’s - 2008 the area suffered some economic, political and social setbacks. South Invercargill Urban Rejuvenation Charitable Trust, known as South Alive was established in 2012. The trust is owned and run by the community and has achieved major change in how South Invercargill looks and feels. 

In May 2017 South Alive opened the doors to The Pantry, a bulk grocery and speciality foods store with a community café that has become a bustling community hub. South Alive uses The Pantry to connect and support our local community and by shopping at The Pantry you can be part of that. Find out more about South Alive’s initiatives here.

Every Time You Shop at the pantry You Help The Community

Just by you shopping at The Pantry for all of your pantry essentials and more, we’re able to support local producers, host community workshops and be a hub for community groups like the mobility scooter club and our local knitters. A little loose change spent instore can help make big changes in our community. Every cent goes to helping The Pantry and South Alive fund community projects right here in South City.

How The Pantry is reducing our environmental footprint

The Pantry isn’t just a place for you to take action to reduce your waste, we also take continuous action to reduce our waste and environmental footprint.

Packaging

  • Customers can bring their own containers for bulk foods and liquids

  • We collect recycled containers for anyone to use

  • Volunteers have made over 3000 recycled cloth shopping bags for customers to use

  • Paper bags to fill from the bulk section

  • Sell food wraps, drawstring bags

Café

  • 50c off your hot drink when you bring your own cup

  • We have opted for sugar dispensers over single serve sugar sachets

  • Our cafe has discontinued using foil packed butter and plastic straws

Commiunity

  • Our food waste & coffee grounds are composted and used on our community garden

  • Customers are able to pick up a bag of coffee grinds to take home and use in their garden

  • Bokashi bins stocked in shop so you can begin to compost at home. Learn all you need to know about composting at one of our workshops or information sheets in store.