We already know that the city of Porto takes history and customs very seriously, and bulk stores are no exception. So grab your cloth bag and glass jars and come fill your pantry at these stores that reclaim an old tradition and help you live a life with less plastic.
The fine grocery store O Pretinho do Japão has been synonymous with traditional commerce for 75 years. Known for its cod, wines, and preserves, this store also presents us with jams, dried and dehydrated fruits, traditional cookies, legumes, and more than 50 varieties of bulk tea.
Besides the regional and national sweets, the coffee is also protagonist: you can buy it in beans, capsules, freshly ground, or savor it in the esplanade hidden in the back of the grocery store.
Address: Rua do Bonjardim, 496A, 4000-118 Porto
Casa Chinesa – Mota & Silva Lda
In this traditional grocery store (and one of the oldest in Porto), there is no lack of macrobiotic food products.
Pulses, teas, nuts, seeds, honey, codfish, cheese, candied ginger, chocolates, and other organic groceries are some of the items on offer.
Address: Rua Sá da Bandeira, 343, 4000-435 Porto
Organic, seasonal, and local are some qualities that describe more than 600 items from Maçaroca.
The list of bulk products, available on the lower floor of the store, includes various types of rice, seaweed, dried fruits, grains, spices, homemade granola, flours, oats, detergents, coffee (roasted on site and ground by customers), laundry and cleaning detergents, and vegetables and fruits from domestic producers.
But what makes this space unique is its machine for making dried fruit butter on the spot – it can be peanut, almond and hazelnut butter with or without chocolate and mix with cashews – and a laboratory where all kinds of fermented products are made, namely kombucha, kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles and vinegar.
The lab also produces vegetarian and sometimes vegan breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The menu is not fixed and varies from week to week or according to the products that arrive at the store.
Address:R. São João Bosco 244, 4100-247 Porto
Although the Mercearia do Bolhão specializes in typical Portuguese products, such as codfish, sausages, regional bread, cheeses, and Port wine, you can also buy products in bulk at this 100-year-old store.
Here you can find olive oil, honey, candied fruit, and dried fruits, including chickpeas, beans, pine nuts, almonds, apricots, and broad beans.
Address: Rua Formosa, 305 4000-252 Porto
Newer than the stores above, but with no less offer, Grocery 100 Saco was born during the pandemic with a mission to appeal to conscious consumption and no waste. The products are mostly Portuguese, seasonal, and sustainable, from production to the table.
The fruit and vegetables are from local producers and, whenever possible, organic, but there are also flours, starches, cocoa, nutritional yeast, seaweed, granola, cereals, seeds, pasta, dried fruit, dried fruit, and various types of soy, lentils, beans, rice, and spices/spices.
In the packaged goods section, there are also chocolates, gummies, cookies, vegetable drinks, jams, olive oils, spreads, salty snacks, and hygiene products. The offer also extends to vegan “cheeses” and “alheiras”, tofu, seitan, beer, kombucha, beer, and ready meals (also vegan).
Address: Av. do Dr. Antunes Guimarães 85, 4100-072 Porto
Restaurants, bulk stores, baskets and second-hand clothes stores. There’s a bit of everything in Caldas da Rainha, an example when it comes to sustainable projects.
The manifesto calls for bulk sales in stores of more than 1,000 m2 and for this method to be extended to more products by 2025.
Taking advantage of the inspiration brought by the month of bulk, we made you a list of 5 bulk stores you can visit in the
This article promotes an action that encourages the reduction of waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
➡️ To discover more businesses that are aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 12 “Sustainable Production and Consumption” click here.
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➡️ Want to know more about the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals? Click here
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