En fait c'est simple: more than a grocery shop, an invitation to a sustainable lifestyle

Step through the doors of En fait c'est simple and embark on a journey where flavours mingle with encounters. It's much more than just a grocery shop, it's a place for sharing and values, where every product tells a story and every purchase is a conscious act. At the heart of this experience is a profound ecological vision that gave birth to this project, driven by a burning desire to contribute to a better future.

Based on the Place du Général Leman in Liège, Sarah Delbrassine runs the grocery shop, which she opened on 1 April 2021. Accompanied by an employee and supported by several students and flexijobers who are present on a daily basis, she ensures that her establishment is run as efficiently as possible and that customers receive a warm welcome. A flexijober is someone who holds a part-time job, adapted to meet the company's occasional needs, enabling them to hold down another job on the side.

You'll find a careful selection of products, from foodstuffs to cosmetics and household items, all carefully chosen for their reduced ecological footprint and transparent traceability. At Granaline, transparency and traceability of our products are fundamental values. We firmly believe in the importance of eating well today for healthy ageing tomorrow, which is why we offer a range of functional and organic products, made in Belgium. As well as our pure organic pomegranate juice, you'll find our sparkling drinks, made from PDO and PGI Sicilian citrus fruits, guaranteeing total and transparent traceability. 

But beyond its shelves full of treasures, En fait c'est simple embodies a state of mind, a call to action for a more sustainable world. En fait c'est simple is an exploration of the paths to healthier living and more conscious consumption that may seem daunting to those unfamiliar with these ideas. The aim is to make these alternatives accessible by sharing positive actions and stories. The aim is to encourage everyone to reflect on their own values, to refocus on what really matters, while respecting the environment and the challenges that go with it.

Join us in this interview where Sarah explains how every gesture counts and how each experience is an invitation to rethink the way we consume for the sake of the planet and future generations.

Sarah with Granaline drinks

Granaline products

Interview with the manager of the En fait c'est simple grocery shop, Sarah Delbrassine:

Hi Sarah, can you tell us about the history of your business as well as what motivated you to get into your line of work?

In 2019, I took part in several climate marches in Belgium and Canada. I wanted to have an answer the day the children asked me what I had done to help create a better future for them: the En Fait C'est Simple project was born. First I launched a collaborative blog: En Fait C'est Simple - Le Blog, asking friends to share their experiences of change, then I launched my sustainable grocery shop in Liège and more precisely in Fragnée: En Fait C'est Simple - L'Épicerie in 2021 and finally, I launched a support programme in February 2024 to motivate people to embark on a positive impact project while keeping their salaried jobs on the side, for maximum financial and mental gain: En Fait C'est Simple - L'Impact Boost.

Can you tell us what products are available in your shop?

We have a very wide range of products, including food products, cosmetics, household products, etc. Our mission is to make people's lives easier by offering them products that have a low impact on the climate, with the best possible traceability and transparency, so that they can help combat global warming without worrying or feeling guilty.

Can you tell us what makes your shop special? Why do customers like coming here?

We didn't just want to offer a bulk shop, we wanted to think differently, and for us, the final waste product is only part of the problem. We were more interested in thinking about the overall impact, in really favouring bulk for what is used frequently or for what comes from further afield.

For the rest, we use local producers, but we don't necessarily favour bulk. Not only because we don't have the storage space, but also because they don't always have this offer.

We're really going to try to make people's lives easier, to offer them the best possible traceability and transparency by going to see the produce ourselves. For example, for our fruit and vegetables from Sicily, I went there last summer to meet the producers and see how they work.

Are there any specific values or aspects of our company with which you particularly identify?

We have a product selection charter that enables us to ensure that the majority of the products we offer have a low climate impact. We contact producers to understand where the components of their products come from... 94% of the products sold, including their components, come from Europe. 66% of these are Belgian, and 66% of these come specifically from the province of Liège.

How did you discover Granaline and our founder Fouzia Oukacha?

That's a good question. I feel that Granaline and Fouzia have been an integral part of l'Épicerie since the very beginning. To motivate people to take care of the environment, it has to have a more direct impact on them. Granaline makes this possible thanks to the many benefits of pomegranates.

 

Can you tell us what BIO Granaline products you sell in your shop and what do you like about our products?

Pure ORGANIC pomegranate juice, ORGANIC sparkling drinks, ORGANIC teas ,ORGANIC pomegranate vinegar and ORGANIC pomegranate concentrate. What I like is the fact that they are Made in Belgium and more specifically in Liège, but also the excellent traceability of the ingredients, which means we can offer a quality product with a low impact on the climate.

Sarah with Granaline pure pomegranate juice

Why did you choose to offer our products in your store?

I chose Granaline products for their nutritional qualities, for the project behind them, for the way they have been designed and for the values they promote.

What do you have to say to those who are afraid of embarking on a project like yours?

I launched this project as an act of good citizenship to help combat global warming. If you've got ideas of your own, but you're afraid of taking the plunge, particularly because of the financial and life-changing impact it could have, don't hesitate to contact me and take a look at https://enfaitcestsimple.podia.com . We need your ideas to reinvent a more sustainable world. Launching a positive-impact project will change your life and the lives of others! All you have to do is take the first step!

Can you tell us about your project En Fait C'est Simple - L'Impact Boost?

I decided 5 years ago to give more meaning and colour back to my life by embarking on sustainable entrepreneurship. I wanted to use my energy, the skills I'd acquired in big business and my ideas to help make the world a better place for my two children. However, I was afraid that this would have a negative impact on my family, particularly financially. So I decided to keep my job as a lawyer (4/5ths of the time) and launch my sustainable grocery shop in parallel, which is open 5 days a week. After hearing people ask me how I managed it all and realising that there was a flagrant lack of help and advice for people in a similar situation to me, I thought I'd share my experience to speed up change for others, avoiding the mistakes of beginners. A lot of people are looking for meaning in their work. But they're afraid of giving it up, losing the comfort that goes with it and, above all, starting from scratch.

My coaching aims to show that there's no need to choose, no need to turn your whole life upside down to make a positive impact through entrepreneurship. I'm currently offering an online course and coaching in small groups and in 4 modules so that people can launch their business with a solid foundation, without wavering at the first gust of wind, by focusing on 4 themes:

• Getting to know yourself

• Choosing the right project and the reason why they want to change their life

• Boosting their energy and time management

• Testing their idea via a successful crowdfunding campaign so they don't have to dip into their savings.

Because the positive impact of each individual is precious, because the ideas are there and are just waiting to see the light of day and, above all, because the steps are simple to get there and reinvent your life and your impact.

You can find out more about this project on the instagram account @enfaitcestsimple and on the website https://enfaitcestsimple.podia.com .

Any final comments to end this interview?

We're delighted to be working with our producers, we've taken the time to talk to them about their projects and we want our customers to get to know them. That's really one of the aims of the shop, and we hope to be able to welcome Granaline soon so that customers can talk to you as much as we've been able to do on our side.

En Fait C'est Simple is not just a grocery shop, but a symbol of change and commitment to a more sustainable future. Driven by the ecological vision and determination of Sarah Delbrassine, this business embodies the spirit of the transition towards more conscious, environmentally-friendly consumption. Through a meticulous selection of products and personalised support, En Fait C'est Simple offers much more than a simple shopping experience: it inspires, educates and motivates everyone to do their bit to shape a better world.

Today, she's sharing her experience to inspire others to make an impact, offering practical support to bring their projects to life while keeping their jobs on the side.

When customers walk through the doors of this grocery shop, they're not just doing their shopping, they're taking part in a real revolution in lifestyles.