Admittedly it’s not every day that people get excited about their weekly shop. But hear me out.
On a quest for healthy food after the excesses of Christmas I found myself in on the South Side of Glasgow in Giffnock. At the end of what feels like the longest road is bright lights shining big, bold and welcoming. Simply put, this is not just M&S – because it’s not M&S. It’s Wholefoods.
I’m greeted by pyramids and pyramids of the shiniest looking fruit, everything from apples to exotic figs.
I am Alice in healthy Wonderland where samples of food with Eat me and Drink me entice me to try wonderful things like blood orange juice and butterscotch chocolate. And here bigger is better – in the distance I see colossal balls of cheeses and huge perfectly formed meringues. Heavenly!
No ordinary peanut butter
Even better are the clever gadgets to make buying your food that much more interesting. Wee porcelain scoops for the spices actually work out much cheaper than the supermarket, 69p/100gms chilli powder.
My personal favourite gizmo is the churning machine that allows me to magically turn (churn) peanuts into peanut butter – and for the more discerning taste there’s cashew butter!
The helpful man working behind the fish and meat counter – who rushes to my rescue when I’m in danger of walking away without pricing up my spices and peanut butter – is reflective of the friendly accommodating staff at Wholefoods.
Satisfy your soul and your sweet tooth
And if after roaming around the wares your appetite is awakened, appease your hunger at the far side of the shop boasting a comfy café and a selection of stalls, a delicatessen and you can even create fresh sandwiches or build tortillas. And don’t forget to satisfy your sweet tooth at the decadent cake counter – rocky road and bumpy brownies galore.
I leave Wholefoods feeling remarkably ‘whole’ with my bag full of carefully selected goodies, but £20 poorer – admittedly the jury is still out on whether I’d shopped wisely. Among my finds I seem to have acquired two random coconuts obviously bought in the height of excitement.
– B
About a City 