Last week I was walking around in my new area of Sydney and stumbled upon Thomas Dux grocer, a boutique-style supermarket. I decided then and there that I would stop by on the weekend before doing my normal grocery shop at Woolworths and, boy, was I glad I did!
Organic fruit and veg, local produce, boutique brands, drool-worthy baked goods, a deli counter to die for, and environmentally friendly options filled the store. The fluorescent lighting, lino floors, and stucco walls usually associated with grocery shopping was, pleasantly, absent. As were plastic shopping bags, screaming children, and boxes and trolleys cramping the aisles. It was such a refreshing change from the usual shopping experience!
Yes, the prices are higher than you would expect to pay in Woolies or Coles but the quality and variety of what was on offer at Thomas Dux is almost more important than the extra dollars you pay for local products, organic food, and specialty products that you would never normally find in a supermarket.
I have to say, in a world where we have been conditioned to always want more of everything, and take the mass produced, cheaper alternative, I like the idea of consuming less but better quality products. I would rather pay a little extra for the extra effort that has gone into what I'm eating. I would rather know that I am supporting a small, local business and moving away from mass produced, synthetic, pre-packaged food and judging by how many people were shopping alongside me today, I am not the only person who feels this way.
I mentioned a while ago about my love of markets in Sydney. Going back to the idea of buying local over imported is so much more appealing to me.
I took a few sneaky photos while I was in the store, just so you could see what I'm talking about:
