Question about Holland & Barrett food...

[feral]

I've noticed that you all talk about getting vegan food in Holland & Barrett and I just wanted to check that you're talking about the vitamin store http://hollandandbarrett.co.uk/ . We have them here in Northern Ireland but when I phoned today they said that their NI stores don't sell food. I just wanted to check it was the same store before I take it any further i.e. shout at them

Thanks for your time.

[RedWellies]

Yes, the very same. How strange they don't sell the food where you are.

[puffin]

Yes i agree that is strange. I spend loads on saturdays when i pop in and end up with loads of stuff i really dont need to be eating but its so hard to say no.

[feral]

Buggers! I swear you'd think we were some mountain tribe the way the mainland stores operate over here... even sainsburys don't sell stuff over here that they have in their mainland stores! Reegt think some e-mails are in order.

Thanks for answering that for me RedWellies

[Troutina]

Don't sell food?!
The ones I go in are pretty much all food!!
They do the most amazing flapjacks- sorry to make you feel jealous...

[feral]

*tries to suppress jealous rage*... Gaaaaaaaaaaaggggggghhhhhh

[tabitha]

Thats ridiculous. Weve got a fridge and freezer section and in the fridge section you can get vegan yoghurts, drinks, sos rolls and pasties and fake cheese etc.,

[feral]

*bites back of hand and sobs*

[Troutina]

If it makes you feel any better I get told stuff isn't vegan when it is!
Take it you cant order online??

[tabitha]

(think Homer Simpson) ummmmmm Sos Roll (dribble out of side of mouth).

[feral]

No Troutina, none of the mainland stores can deliver chilled/frozen food to NI because of the delivery time.

Tabitha you are a truely evil woman! *dribbles*

[tabitha]

sorry. You wuv me weally xxxx

[Troutina]

(think Homer Simpson) ummmmmm Sos Roll (dribble out of side of mouth).

you can't dribble over something savoury!
It has to be SWEET!

[tabitha]

r u sure? Homer dribbles over burgers surely.

[Troutina]

r u sure? Homer dribbles over burgers surely.

Well yes of course.
But really, it has to be a dessert!

[Jane M]

Sounds like torturing Feral is fun....

Can't get it here either Feral. Must protest!!!!!

[tabitha]

My husband looks like Homer....

[tabitha]

well at least he doesnt look like Mo.

[Jane M]

I still think it calls for a stiff drink

[feral]

Yes Jane, they are evil wenches.

[Pob]

If it makes you feel any better, Feral, none of the ones closest to me sell chilled or frozen food. I have to go out of my way to get the good stuff.

[feral]

Thanks Rob, I'm lucky that I have a couple of nearby health shops that do some selection, but seemingly not as H&B *sigh*... I have sent them an email asking if any of their NI shops sell food. I'd be willing to travel if the food was good as my mum's veggi and we could go for a wee day out.

[Troutina]

My husband looks like Homer....

You are a lucky, lucky lady.

[aubergine]

My local H&B doesn't sell food either. Instead I have to travel to either Sevenoaks who do the Sos-rolls (which are fab with some really cold Ketchup) or go to one under Charing Cross who do the full range. Their Cornish Pasty and Curry slice are wonderful.

[herbwormwood]

My local H&B doesn't sell food either.

Ours does sell food but the selection is not as good as 2 other independent health food stores in the same town, Almonds and Raisins and Out of This World. Also they used to sell shark fin. I believe they are owned now by a U.S. company, if that is of any interest. I don't like them as they used to sell shark fin products and a lot of their stuff has e-numbers in. Also they are not very good on organics.
I think the vitamins etc are the most profitable lines in health food shops so if there is not much demand in your town for health foods they will obey market forces and just sell vitamins.

[Mr Flibble]

Be warned - H&B chronically overcharge for most food. Many of the fresh products are half the price in Morrisons including organic tofu. If you buy several items you can easily spend several pounds a week more than in a supermarket.

[pookah]

Hi Flibble. It is the same store, fronted by Kim Wilde! They sell frozen/chilled and dried food.

[Mr Flibble]

Correct, and Gillian *shudder* Mckeith

[aubergine]

That's awful. We have several 'chain' healt stores in town and they sell loads of rubbish.

The one I like is stocked by 'the health store' and sells loads of Vegan & Organic produce.

[Pob]

My Holland and Barrett (Canterbury) has loads of food. Really nice stuff. And you can't have any ... ha ha ha

I keep meaning to check that one out - and get some stuff from the Whole Foods place. Just gotta get up earlier so I can get parked there.

[Bunny]

It is 8.25am and I am leaving for Canterbury now to get parked! It is so ridiculous.... at least I'll be eating yummy food for lunch

[cedarblue]

they do have some really good deals in there sometimes.

[tabitha]

Our Holland and Barrett are lovely they will order you in stuff and put it aside in the freezer. They are also good at general advice about vits etc., and seem quite knowledgeable about veganism. I would quite like to work there actually.

[aubergine]

I keep meaning to check that one out - and get some stuff from the Whole Foods place. Just gotta get up earlier so I can get parked there.

Whole Foods Place? Where?

Amazingly I never have a problem parking in Canterbury.

[Bunny]

The whole foods place is at the back of the County Hotel. It is actually better than Holland and Barrett for a lot of things. I like it anyway! It is slightly more expensive for some of the things that you can get at a supermarket, but that's probably because it doesn't have the same buying power. Nice though

[lozza]

that is absolutely shit that they dont sell food in your h+b, feral and if they dont deliver, i suggest you move as soon as you can :P lol..

yeah h+b is soo expensive. i try to get tofu, milk, yoghurts and stuff like that from supermarkets cos its well cheaper. but things i cannot buy in supermarkets, like soycream, or the yummy flapjacks, i go to h+b for. i could so easily spend too much money in there. i love their ice cream and ice cream lollies etc. mmm

[cedarblue]

but things i cannot buy in supermarkets, like soycream,

lozza, im positive that a supermarket will sell soy cream or soya dream i think its called. i've bought it from asda and sainsburys and sure i've seen it in tesco and waitrose too.

[lozza]

hmm..i've seen it in SOME supermarkets, but the ones that are near me, dont sell it

[feral]

i suggest you move as soon as you can :P lol..

lol believe me I would if I could, preferably somewhere warm enough to sit out in my garden all year round

I haven't received a reply to my email, but I may have sent it to the wrong addy. I think I'll phone them durning the week and ask if any of their stores in NI do have food and if they say no I'll write them a letter.

[the_marmite_kid]

holland and barrett arnt very consistent with thier stores. some have great fridge sections crammed with all sorts of goodies and others (my local) the fridge looks as though its been looted with just a single sOYa drink looking lonely on its own minus its straw, but has a great freezer section with lots of nice ice creams albeit expensive nice ice creams but you have to treat yourself every now and then.
i got bought some chilli rice sticks the other day, ive not been able to find them in the h & B's ive been in, they are like the chilli rice cakes only not as overpowering. how hard can it be to stock the same products in all of thier stores?

[VeganJohn]

I know what yo mean about H and B. My local one is terrible, I can never get Nutritional yeast flakes and the fridge is often broken! When it is in use they are usually out of sausage rolls and just have loads of veggie stuff that has eggs in :<

[cedarblue]

i know what you mean veganjohn. my local h&b gets its delivery on a tuesday lunchtime and on thursday you are lucky to find any pasties/sos rolls/porkless pies etc left!

still, mine did specially order for me a nacho cheezly for next week and ive noticed they've started doing a meatless 'pepperoni'.

funny, now i assume everything in there is vegan - of course it isnt - i have to force myself to check new stuff still.

[dharma]

I only go to H&B to get a small number of things that local independent wholefood shops don't stock. I prefer to go to a independent wholefood shops whenever possible as I like to support small businesses. I have noticed that in my local H&B they are cutting down on food and increasing suppliments. Don't know if that's a countrywide trend or just the one near me. I haven't been in there for a while, do they still sell shark cartilage suppliments? I did tell staff once of my dismay at them selling it and I got the standard answer of it's a bi-product blah blah blah.