"Go Green" is a slogan that is becoming more frequent in our everyday life. And that's not only meant for pollution whatsoever, but also for our diet choices. Quintal Bioshop is one of Porto's spots where that catchphrase has a bigger emphasis.

Established in Rosário Street 11 and a half years ago, Quintal Bioshop is a store and cafe that promotes a more green and healthy lifestyle. Their products, either on store shelves or on the table, are 100% biological, sold in a cozy and friendly environment, with some furry friends around.

At the store, you can find fresh vegetables and fruit, besides other food products, cosmetic and skin products, for example. Just a bit farther to the right, the cafe has all of the snacks, sandwiches and salads any vegetarian could ever wish for.

But well, who's better than us sharing every story detail of this bio shop and cafe? The owner herself, of course. Mónica Mata, the responsible for the store section, says this new trend was hard to set itself 11 and a half years ago. "When we opened, there weren't many [biological] options and it was a brand new world", she says. Portuguese people weren't really familiarized with biological products and there weren't many tourists and foreigners in Porto, "who represent a significant part of our clients", Mónica admits.

However, nowadays, the store has a positive perspective. People are becoming more aware of this new lifestyle, and "bio shops are more popular" than when they opened. In that way, Mónica says there was a "big evolution" and expects the shop to "carry on growing". "There's a lot of vegetarians now and people like to try new things", the responsible says. 

When it comes to their products, Mónica higlights their "quality criteria". But there's more than selling biological food. "We also have workshops, like nutrition or vegetarian food ones", she says. At the moment, they are also trying to focus on their online expansion, with a virtual store.

While eating a snack, sitted by the garden, you may also expect a cat visit. "Cats started coming here, so we try to mantain the community by sterilizing them and keeping them healthy", Mónica says. The responsible also affirmed, with a couple of laughs, that the cats are not a "client bait": "they are a part of Quintal for years".

Schedule: Monday to Friday, from 10.30 am to 8 pm (closed on Sundays)

Adress: Rosário Street, 177 Porto

Telephone: (+351) 222 010 008

Email: mail@quintalbioshop.com
Website: http://blogdoquintal.blogspot.pt/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Quintal-Bioshop-178770513269/

Article written in partnership with Quintal Bioshop.

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Author: Pedro Valente Lima