In 1991 Mary-Ann and Mark Shearer opened their first shop in Craighall Park, Johannesburg. It was called “Mary-Ann’s Wholefood Emporium” – It started out as a health food store supplying preservative-free dried fruit and light vegan meal and the dream was to have a place filled with ‘natural’ foods, clothing, furniture, energy-saving gadgets and a whole host of eco/natural lifestyle products.