Are you the type of person that likes to tinker in the kitchen? Open up spice jars, bags of stuff, chop up some veggies, throw that bitch on the grill and see what happens?
THIS PLACE IS FOR YOU.
If you're like me and never have spices last in the kitchen for more than a couple of months, Bulk Barn is right up your alley. Spices, baking needs, obscure ingredients in that vegan cookbook you bought four years ago and never look at anymore because you can't find "smoked red dulse flakes" anywhere; this place has it all. And just when you think you searched all over, and they didn't have it; Bulk Barn also has real saffron threads at the checkout.
Three things though:
- Just because it's bulk, doesn't mean it's cheap. Vanilla pods, I found, were more expensive here than CNF. I only go here to restock hard-to-find pantry needs. If I can find it at Costco, I'll buy it there instead.
- Twice I asked if something was available, and staff told me they didn't carry it. But when I looked carefully, I found it myself. I'm sorry that getting up to help me look, or at the very least, punching in something in the computer and hitting "search" is so difficult for you, Bulk Barn staff.
- The bulk bins are hard to use. You need one hand to keep the lid open, one hand to use the trowel provided and another to hold the plastic bag (or plastic containers they have for sale). Fine if you're traveling in pairs, but it's like saying, "F U, single person. Y U shop at the Bulk Barn... ALONE?!"
STOP JUDGING ME, BULK BARN. :'( read more