Tucked discreetly away on brunswick st, sun and earth is one…read moreof the best looking organic stores I've seen. The space is light, airy and really shows off their kick ass products. This store is amply stocked with a range of fresh organic fruits and veges, herbal supplements, lovely looking makeup, skin and hair care, cleaning products, teas, meats, snacks, sauces and breads. (Phew!) They also have this fantastic back section dedicated to bulk foods. (Think LSA mix, fruits, nuts, flaxseed meal, seeds and other natural goodies.) Be sure to try out their range of made to order fresh juices as well as the yummy organic takeaway lunches (vegan and gluten free!) This is one of my favourite pit stops when out and about and well worth a visit when in New Farm.

A new year, and so begins the obligatory fresh start feeling. Siobhan, put down the salted caramel…read moreand make some better choices about your diet (salted caramel is delicious though). Sun & Earth Organics is a great place to start if you are in need of some healthy options and inspiration in your life. The store on Brunswick Street houses everything you could imagine in terms of healthy lifestyle and dietary choices. From dried fruits and fair trade coffee beans, to pour-your-own organic laundry liquid. Sun & Earth really does remind you of how many great, healthy alternatives there are. With the busy lifestyle I lead, I often get caught up eating on the run and not really making the best choices about my diet. I think I will incorporate Sun & Earth into my weekly grocery shopping routine to make the health kick habitual. Believe me, the produce in Sun & Earth is enough to make your mouth water as much as any burger shop walk-by. If you are a health nut, in need of a boost in your dietary health, or simply wanting to embrace a more organic lifestyle, then I highly recommend you pop into Sun & Earth Organics.

Now I'm not the healthiest of eaters by any means, and for me to give this place a 4 out of 5 star…read morerating is saying something. Located in the middle of Emporium, this place has been open just over a year now. The range of salads (see pictures) and the juices are outside of the norm and I love it. The Chicken Waldorf salad with activated walnuts is my all time favourite, I've had it at least 5 times everytime I am there around lunch time. It's tasty, healthy and you can order in halves... so the last time I also half'd it with the thai beef salad which was really tasty as well. Everything looks and tastes super fresh and beautiful. They have done a great job, I am yet to try the juices and Kambucha juices but i'll definetely be back.

Let's just say you find yourself needing more than a coffee on a Friday morning to get yourself…read morestarted. Let's say your body is screaming from the inside out for some greens. Sure it really wants steamed asian greens in oyster sauce and a dumpling but hey, it's 7.00am. Hold your horses. So you make a deal. You'll get the green smoothie now, packed with banana, kale, coconut water and other delicious things, and let yourself have that dumpling fest later on. And that's how you find yourself at Pineapple Express's newest outfit on James Street. What was once Press, is now part of the Pineapple's growing empire and offering similarly healthy eats to James Street regulars. The most noteable difference in their offering is that these guys sling the instagram worthy Cocowhip. Forget Acai Bowls, it's all about the 'whip now days. So whether you need a smoothie on the go, an after lunch healthy treat with cocowhip's dairy free creations or a more substantial salad bagel or wrap, Pineapple Express has you and your health covered.

I have just had a rather bland lunch from Pineapple Express and been left with an incredibly bad…read moretaste in my mouth after witnessing the employees working there publicly mock and man who submitted his resume in search of a job. There is nothing that disappoints me more than seeing acts of unkindness in a world as troubled as we are forced to experience today. I'm sorry guys but I won't be able to dine here again, I feel so disappointed by this behaviour.

Part cafe, part supermarket, all amazing. I had no idea of this vegan / vegetarian / health food…read morewonderland existed on the north side but here, on busy Wardell Street between a spray tan shop and a church exists a shop where you can find all the faux meats, gluten free, dairy free, vegan cheese, and coconut milk ice-cream you could want. Half the fun of visiting is wandering the small but well stocked aisles to look at what products are there. For example, the toothbrushes made from recycled yoghurt containers I carried home from Wholefoods in the US - stocked here. Plus, the owners have branched out into a humble but delicious cafe where you can enjoy eats like the mushroom and mango salsa burger (DELICIOUS) or a sweet treat (like chocolate ganache cheesecake - totally vegan) from the cake cabinet. The coffee, Sacred Grounds, is organic fair trade and not like any blend I've tasted. Plus for those of us that can't handle too much lactose, I'm 99% sure my flat white was made on soy or almond milk which gave it an interestingly pleasant taste and yet no after effects of too much milk.

In the last 5 years The Green Edge has only got bigger & better!…read more Still loving the s@%t outta this place TBH as it's only become more awesome. A testament to the thriving vegan & vegetarian community in Brisbane The Green Edge continues to deliver the widest range of vegan friendly poducts from bakery delights to body scrub. The restaurant has also gone from stregth to strength from humble cafe beginning to now offering full dinner menus that change seasonally. If you have not made the trip to check it out - Yes, you are missing out and you should fix that. Like now.

Great eco store. Such a great concept to minimize the impact on the environment. Feel great…read moreshopping here.

Isn't it lovely to shop in stores with a conscience? Biome certainly makes it easy with its array…read moreof gorgeous gifts, cosmetics, magazines, stationery and other green fun! I've been shopping there for around a year and it never fails me if I'm looking for something a little bit special with the guarantee that it's made with the Earth in mind. From the choose-your-own-colour Keep Cups to the beautiful giftware from Paper Boat Press, this store is teaming with gorgeous gifts and home wares. Even if the receiver is not hugely "eco" it's always nice to know you have purchased something that's helping the environment. The store in the CBD is big and friendly and the staff have always been more than happy to answer any questions I have for them. I've also utilised their website many times for tips to save energy and water around the house. If you tend to get the guilts about consuming and harming the environment, then Biome can certainly help. Not only that, it's a lovely shopping experience and has a good turnover of stock so there's always something new to look at.

What a cute little cafe with a great breakfast selection! Service was fast and friendly and the…read morefood was absolutely delicious. I highly recommend the halloumi fries - so yummy.

A new shop is finally opening in the store vacated by Vespa. The new fit out is fresh and as…read morewelcoming as the staff. The cafe has opened early (ahead of the grand opening in mid Feb) with a limited menu of acai bowls, smoothies, juices, cocowhip and coffee. For a limited menu, there'a still a massive selection and I had a hard time deciding between the options. The fruit used in our order was fresh and bursting with flavour. The shaves of coconut was an unexpected twist and now a staple request for anywhere I go. The coffee was excellent, a well trained barista created a full flavoured coffee - no milky coffee here! The coffee cups also had a cute coffee pun printed on them - you'll have to go buy one to read it yourself! Turns out I met the owner when I went in and she was helpful with the menu and delivered an excellent product, reflecting the staff training being done before the opening is paying off.

Petersen's Meats looks like it's right out of a movie. I sometimes even find myself gazing through…read morethe glass at the older gentlemen as he carefully wraps up his customer's orders. You can tell by the way his hands work that he's been in this business for years. There are a couple of good butchers in New Farm, all offering great meat selections. The reason I go to Petersen's is because it makes me feel good to support that business. The shop is awfully quaint, and looks like the kind of place your grandma would have gone to get T bones for your grandpa because they were his special treat. (It's impossible not to get romantic about this store). On a busy day, I'd almost consider it fun to stand in the narrow customer area with every other man and his dog, breathing in that flesh smell, waiting patiently for someone to serve me. It's the atmosphere of this place that gets me more than specialty or novelty items they sell here (anything 'duck' is not ever a problem here). The prices are more than reasonable, and the meats are delicious. The butcher experience is a happy one here.

Petersen's is like taking a step back in time. This old-fashioned butcher makes me feel like…read morewearing a dress pinched at the waist and curlers in my hair, it has such and old world feel to it. Ah, how I wish the days of shopping for meat at an actual local butcher could be revived! And it can, if you all shop there. It's worth supporting a business like this because the produce is so fresh and extremely reasonable. The store is conveniently located on the corner James and Kent Streets in New Farm, and the prices are much better than other places in the area. Plus, the meat is fantastic! I have bought great lamb shoulders from Petersen's, as well as some of the best steaks I have had at home. So if you live in a bit of a carnivorous household then cease your trips to the supermarket giants and buy your fresh meat from a local butcher like Petersen's.