VeganMoFo 2019 #29: A Tale of Two Hauls

Hmmm... I was so busy on getting through the alphabet, I kind of forgot there would still be three days once I reached the end! So what to do, what to do. I figured just a few mini posts about this and that. I did a post (R for Ready Meals) about how things were becoming more available in supermarkets (and I will have an upcoming midweek munchies post after MoFo showing you exactly how much is available in Coles these days). But there is still a place for speciality vegan shops in my heart and my wallet, and there are some products that you just can't get anywhere else. So for this post, I will share with you two shopping trips I did two two vegan shops in Brisbane... Though now we only have one.

About four weeks ago, The Cruelty Free Shop closed its Brisbane store, which was sad. But I think a combination of having a pre-existing vegan shop in Brisbane, the availability of so many vegan products in regular stores, and the fact that the location was just terrible for parking (and probably had very high rents) contributed. They had a massive sale across the store, with the goal to sell off as much product as they could. I swung by on the second last day, and there was hardly anything left. But I still managed to pick up a few gems. So Delicious cashew ice cream is the best, so I was happy to snaffle a cheap pint. I also got some Dark Chocolate spread I'd been curious about, some of the very bacony vegan frozen bacon that is one of the only ready made vegan bacon slices that I like, some turmeric tea, the rendang for my mum (too spicy for me), and a tin of baked beans with vegan sausages. Oh, also some Vitamin D, because I am a pale redhead living in a place with extremely high UV and mean sun, so the next person who tells me I don't need to supplement and just need to get some sun can just keep their mouth shut! Anyway, discount vitamins are awesome, because they tend to be expensive. A sweet little final haul, with some products I may not have gotten around to trying otherwise.



The other vegan shop in Brisbane is The Green Edge, the original vegan grocery store in Brisbane. This Brisbane vegan landmark has been around for years, gone through two locations, and a few changes of ownership, but is now an awesome thriving local business. As well as a great grocery section, they also have a cafe with some delicious food (see some of the times I've eaten there, as well as some of the bake sales I've hosted there, here). They always have a great rotating selection of sale items each week, but earlier this year they had a stocktake sale. I'd had a rough day at work, and all I wanted was to go and buy some fun stuff. They didn't disappoint. A bunch of Daiya, some Fenn smoked sesame cheese, more So Delicious, some chocolate (the white Vego and chocolate honeycomb was to send to my friend Amanda, who sent me that amazing box a few posts ago, as a bonus round), some weird mushroom teas (sold in individual bags rather than having to buy the whole box, so I can see if they are gross without committing too much), and some breakfast patties. And freeze dried strawberries to make some brownies with, eventually. It was a good time!



I'm grateful that we do have such a range of options here in Brisbane. From supermarkets to health food stores to vegan stores, there is so much available! Though I am aware that I have the privilege of being able to both get to these places and afford to shop at these places, which is not the case for everyone. It is important not to lose sight of trying to make veganism affordable and accessible for everyone!

Cute Kitty Photo of the Post



Just because you are in a bed (that belongs to your sister), doesn't mean you can't keep alert and aware! Sahara keeping her eye on something while also staying comfy.