Like
many expats who have found a new life in Budapest, Elena Mateo came to Hungary
for love. “I did my PhD in Art History and came here for a conference in 2017,”
she explains, “and met my husband instead”.
After they got married, and while she was pregnant with their first child, the pandemic swept its way through the
country, shuttering many shops in the city. Rather than give in to dark times.
however, it gave Elena an idea: this just might be the right time to open her
own shop, long a dream of hers.
What is a drogéria?
The
approach of the shop is unique in our age, one which takes us back 100 years “to
when you would come in and know the shopkeeper, ask them to recommend
products,” says Elena, “and use an older style of products for cleaning and bathing”.
Drogérias are not pharmacies, like we might associate them in
the English-speaking world, but rather a neighbourhood shop for household
products, stocking soap, washing liquid, nappies or even a new, handmade
brush for applying shoe polish.
In Elena’s shop, the focus is also on sustainability. The shop is zero-waste, meaning the products come without any unnecessary packaging. Elena describes being inspired to make this distinction after being frustrated by the amount of plastic and packaging she was bringing into her own home. “I was so fed up looking around my bathroom thinking, how can I have all this plastic!” she exclaims.
How does a zero-waste shop work?
Customers
are encouraged to bring in their own bottles or containers and refill them with
products such as shampoo, soap or even baking soda. Once you’ve used up these
items, simply return with your bottle, and feel the relief of not having
added one more empty piece of plastic to already bursting landfills.
Don’t have
a container with you, but want to buy something in the shop? Not a problem,
they have recycled bottles and other containers available for shoppers who
might not have come prepared.
Elena stresses that she only sells products which have been made in Europe, focusing on local suppliers instead, including plenty from here in Budapest. Many products are also vegan.
What can we find here?
Besides the usual soaps, butters, detergents and deodorants, there are loads of other products waiting to enhance your home, including reusable nappies and sanitary towels, organic Italian white-wine vinegar, toothpaste powder, sea sponges, handmade wooden bowls, shaving kits and even products for pets.
Free
shipping is also available through the online shop, for orders over 15,000 forints.
Or, pop in and check it out for yourself at XI. Bartók Béla út 76.
