AN exciting new shop opened in Stokesley last weekend, called The Only Weigh Out, in the premises of the former HSBC bank.

The large space is now home to organic and non-organic foods, such as dried fruits and pulses, flours, cereals, herbs, spices, oils, honeys and syrups, with tea from Cumbria, coffee which was roasted in Malton, vinegars, Agave syrup, eco-friendly toiletries and cleaning products, with the Bank's old safe storing wines and spirits.

The walls of this vast space are covered in gravity dispensers with scoop bins, shelves of exotic and locally-sourced products, with gluten-free options and chalk boards for suggestions from customers.

Partners Adam Carroll and Mary Elizabeth Webb met in a castle in Galloway and Dumfries two years ago at a New Year's Eve gathering for people who like adventurous outdoor sports. Adam was a mountain guide from Wigan, who worked all over the world, including Alaska and Patagonia, skiing, and climbing in his spare time. He had opened a scaffolding company , then started doing exterior cleaning on high buildings.

He said: "I had an epiphany moment while blowing leaves around a garden thinking that the jobs I was doing were not helping the world, and that was what I wanted to do." He decided he needed a shop to launch his business environmental ideas and put them in the public eye.

Mary, who is originally from Nunthorpe, was an English teacher at Eskdale school in Whitby, and wanted to follow her love of writing. She is working on two books at the moment, one an environmental thriller and the other is a book about life. She is also a singer-songwriter who plays the piano and guitar and sings in a band called User Dreams who play in the Middlesbrough area. She was inspired to do something to help the environment by the quote from the explorer, Robert Swan; the first person to walk between the two poles, who said:"The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it".

"He inspired me, and last year when Adam and I were in the Lakes, we became aware of the IPCC report which revealed the possible effects of climate change, and the importance of public engagement in helping to limit global warming to 1.5 degress C. We were also aware of the work of Greta Thunberg, and all these factors inspired us to open this shop."

They believe that people can feel overwhelmed by the problem of plastic so they want to make their shop accessible and not daunting, with prices to suit all.

"Everyone should have the opportunity to make a positive difference to the world," said Mary. "It can sometimes be difficult to re-define your normality, but we believe millions of people can make small changes which is so much better than a few."