What on Earth? is The Hopsack
In 1979, during a wave of interest in Macrobiotics, social worker Erica Murray and auctioneer Jimmy Murray sank their life savings into opening up a fruit & veg store called “What on Earth?” A few years later, it was renamed “The Hopsack”. Then in 1984, they moved the store to the multicultural hub of Rathmines.
Over the decades, the store evolved as people became more aware of allergies, supplements and herbs. Now they want to focus even more on their original interest in food as medicine. Their recent expansion has allowed for more quality foods to be made available. It also allowed for the addition of a café which caters to the sense of community that is a high priority for the family.
In 2005, a serendipitous dinner led Jimmy and Erica’s son Finn (then an Industrial Designer) to agree to take over the business from his parents. Then in 2008, just before Jimmy passed on, their daughter Kate took a career break from the civil service and joined the family in running the store. Erica, who’s now a Master Medical Herbalist, works in the shop 1 day a week, while Finn divides his work between the store and the family’s farm.
Already famous for their freshly milled peanut butter, the Murray’s next investment is a polytunnel so that they can also provide fresh vegetables for the store. Erica and Finn have also recently taken up beekeeping, so it hopefully won’t be too long before Hopsack Honey hits the shelves.
