NEW JOB = NEW AREA TO EXPLORE!
I'm sure you've all been wondering how my plastic-free life is going! Well I'm not going to lie, it's been difficult. But also very rewarding and exciting, as I've been very busy sussing out new spots to do my shopping.
Two weeks ago I started a new job near Newington Green. It's been so nice to have a walk around in my lunch breaks to explore the neighbourhood. I'm delighted to say I've found a few things that I've really struggled with lately.
First up:
COCOA POWDER!!!!
Well actually it's cacao powder, the difference being that it's raw (cocoa is roasted at high temperatures, killing the healthy enzymes). So even better!
I found it loose in MOTHER EARTH, an organic whole foods shop right near Newington Green. It's brilliant. Not only does it have my coveted cacao but also a huge range of other loose grains, seeds and goodies (including chocolate buttons for days when I'm feeling zero waste). They also sell my favourite deodorant from Organic Essence (even slightly cheaper than at Planet Organic) and a range of sanitary items from Natracare. Oh and a giant container of olive oil refills AND refillable Himalayan rock salt! AND a variety of Ecover cleaning product refills and Faith shampoos as well as loose soaps and green clay powder for making face masks - still yet to try this.
Full list of refills available at the end of this post, for any die-hard plastic-free Londoners out there.
Right next door to Mother Earth is a fantastic fruit and veg shop, simply called NEWINGTON GREEN FRUIT AND VEGETABLES. This Aladdin's cave is full of goodies I haven't been able to find, including cherries, grapes, lettuce, cucumber, celery and even loose sun-dried tomatoes. They do have a great selection of bag-free herbs and leafy greens but they are held together with elastic bands so not entirely plastic-free.
Another super nice place I discovered the other day is De Beauvoir's FIELD TO FORK. It's about as close as you can get to a 'farm shop', selling just about every type of apple juice imaginable and best of all - BLACKBERRIES!
Yay for Newington Green!
Loose foods at Mother Earth:
Herbs and spices:
Basil leaf
Black peppercorns
Camomile
Cinnamon sticks
Dandelion
Ground cumin
Lavender
Medium curry powder
Mixed herbs
Mixed peppercorn
Mixed spice
Nettle
Oregano
Peppermint
Raspberry leaf
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
Turmeric
Nuts, seeds and dried fruit:
Almonds, raw
Apricot kernels
Cashew nuts
Chia seeds
Coconut chips
Cranberries
Dried apricots
Dried figs
Dried mango
Goji berries
Hazelnuts
Linseed gold
Macadamia nuts
Omega 4 seed mix
Pecan pieces
Pine kernels
Pistachio kernels
Prunes
Pumpkin seeds
Raisins
Shelled hemp seeds
Sultanas
Sundried mulberries
Sunflower seeds
Walnut halves
White chia
Whole dried chillies
White chia
Grains and pulses:
Aduki beans
Arborio rice
Basmati rice (brown and white)
Black turtle beans
British yellow split peas
Brown lentils
Brown rice
Buckwheat groats
Bulgur wheat
Camargue red rice
Cannelini beans
Chickpeas
Green lentils
Maftoul couscous
Millet
Muesli
Pearl barley
Popping corn
Puy lentils
Red lentils
"Soup mix"
Wild rice mix
White quinoa
Wholemeal couscous
Other:
Acai berry powder
Alfalfa powder
Arrowroot
Baobab powder
Bee pollen
Brewers yeast
Cacao beans
Cacao nibs
Carob
Chlorella powder
Coconut palm sugar
Hemp protein powder
Liquorice roots
Lucuma powder
Psyllium husks
Raw Peruvian cacao powder
Senna pod
Shelled hemp seeds
Siberian ginseng
Slippery elm
Spirulina powder
Vanilla pods
Wheatgrass powder
White chia
White, milk and dark chocolate buttons
Whole nutmeg
I guess the hunt for pasta continues...
