It didn't take much for Jagjit Singh to convince his brother to go into business with him.
He approached Sukhwinder with the idea to open a health food store. The pair are heavily health-focused, with Singh being inspired by his brother to take care of his body.
“I told him, ‘Let's do something that will benefit people that are plant-based and vegan and they don't have a lot of options,’" said Singh, recalling that it only took about an hour to get Sukhwinder on board with the concept.
With that, Georgetown's Naturally Fresh was born.
Tucked away in the cozy plaza of King’s Cove Place across the street from Christ the King Secondary School, the juice, smoothie and health product shop is a hidden gem in Georgetown. It joins the ranks of a small but mighty crowd of plant-based businesses that include Grassroots Grocer in the downtown.
“We believe our body is not meant to enjoy all animal products…. And it puts so much pressure on the liver and kidneys. They're working overtime to digest that food,” said Singh, whose personal diet is almost all vegan, with the exception of the occasional egg white dish if he's in a hurry.
"The proteins that are actually good for a lot of people are plant-based and vegan.”
The small and intimate shop contains a wide variety of products that were selected with guidance from a local nutritionist. The chalkboard menu lists smoothies, wraps, breakfast foods, protein powders and bars, and cold-pressed juices - their signature offering.
A cold-pressed juice is exactly what it sounds like - a juice that is squeezed using a press instead of a centrifugal system that is common in a lot of homes.
Customers can eat at the store, but Singh noted that space is limited at the moment. Plans are in the works to move to a larger space and create a cafe with more seating for about 50 to 60 people.
