Bought through: Living Social
Organic seems to be the holy grail of the whole foods movement and while I understand the argument for it, many dietitians and nutritionists have been quick to emphasise that Australia overall has some of the best produce in the world. You can be assured of a very good diet without paying a premium price for the "organic" label.
Still, I was curious as to the difference often touted by gurus on the taste and much mentioned superior quality, so I snapped up this voucher for Joe's Organic Market located not too far from me.
A close drive to Northcote's main shopping drag, Joe's is a delicatessen style store which offers loose dry produce, alternative health foods and a reasonable selection of organic fruit and vegetables.
My voucher was limited to the latter, which was a little disappointing as there were tempting teas displayed, but well within the vendor's proviso. As for the produce on offer... well, let's just say I stuck mainly to the vegetables and various fresh herbs - the fruit looked rather bruised and the bananas especially, quite mottled, with noticeable fruit flies hovering. I know this is probably an indication of their "unspoiled and untreated" ripeness, but it did make me hesitate and decide against them.
From a taste perspective, there was no epiphany on the superiority of organic versus conventional from this sample.
I was a little impressed that I could eyeball a decent range of items to within my $40 budget, but to be honest, I don't think I'll be returning to this store anytime soon.
Pros: Alternative foods and organic options close to the railway end of Northcote; easy parking
Cons: Overripe fruits, store overall a bit tired looking
