Core Green

Core Green is a small, values-led business in Santa Venera that supplies organic and fairtrade food and ethical household products across Malta. It started in 2011 and describes itself as a conscious green micro-business, which means you are dealing with a small team rather than a supermarket chain. For a UK visitor or resident, it is a useful place to find things that can be hard to track down in ordinary shops: fairtrade chocolate, whole and ground spices, gluten-free breads and wraps, and plant-based cleaning products.

You can browse similar specialists in our directory of organic food in Malta. Santa Venera lies between Valletta and the island's centre, so the warehouse shop is a short drive from most of the main towns, and it is easy to combine with a day in the capital using our Valletta guide.

How Core Green began

The business was founded in May 2011 by Natalie Debono, who had spent more than twenty years active in organisations that promote environmental causes, social justice and youth policy, and who comes from a farming family. The idea took shape on a trip to the Netherlands for a tango festival, where she and Aldo walked into a shop called The Green Shop and bought a packet of organic fairtrade sun-dried bananas. The flavour was so striking that she wrote to the producer when she got home.

With no previous business experience, she placed a first order from a UK wholefoods supplier, paid for with money from an eco event she had organised, and launched at Earth Garden, a well-known Maltese music festival, in June 2011. Natalie also founded the Green Drinks Malta platform, is a founding member of the Clean Food Movement and sits on the board of Friends of the Earth Malta.

What you can buy

The ecoFOOD side of the business covers wholesale and retail sales of organic and fairtrade products. The online shop is arranged by category: non-alcoholic drinks, wines, spirits and beer, bulk and catering, breakfast, chocolate, coffee, tea and hot chocolate, foods, gifts and hampers, gluten-free, herbs and spices, personal care, publications and cleaning.

Spices are a particular strength. Prices shown online include ROS psyllium husk at €6.99, bulgur at €3.95, gluten-free multigrain wraps at €5.75 and gluten-free multi-seed bread at €4.95. Organic Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract costs €19.99, and the Spice It Up gift hamper is €39.95. Fairtrade chocolates, such as hazelnut cremini, nocciolatini and torroncini, appear ahead of Christmas, together with panettone and seasonal hampers. Stock and prices change, so confirm before you travel.

The ecoCLEAN range offers plant-based household and body care products free from toxins, including the organic and fairtrade Dr Bronner's brand. If you are buying a present, a hamper from Core Green pairs naturally with flowers from Alistair Floral Design, and readers looking for books can browse Agenda Bookshop.

Green events

Core Green also organises ecoEvents to raise awareness of organic and fairtrade issues. Past events have included open days at the warehouse, a Thanksgiving supper, a Holi celebration dinner on Gozo, a foraging and lunch experience, vegan and vegetarian buffet lunches, yoga and soundbath evenings, and a Christmas fair. The business also offers to plan sustainable, organic, local and ethical events for companies and organisations that want to green their own gatherings.

If you are visiting, our things to do in Malta guide and Gozo guide show how a food-focused stop fits into a wider trip. Anyone settling on the island can start with our Malta relocation guide, and our Mdina guide is useful for a day out in the old capital.

Visiting and getting in touch

The warehouse shop is open for visits and pick-up by appointment only, so arrange a time first. The business trades as Natalie Debono under the name Core Green and is VAT registered. Use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, tell us what you are looking for, and we will pass your message to Core Green, who will reply to you directly.