Whole Foods Market, Piccadilly

Seeing as I had some spare time on my hands today, I made a point of checking out 'Whole Foods' which I had only heard about fairly recently (I'm always a little slow on the uptake). I didn't even realise how close the store was to other places I normally visit in the area (why hadn't I noticed this before?).

I was surprised at how big the store actually was and I'm not even sure that this is their biggest. 'Whole Foods' sell a wide range of organic products. You name it, they've got it. What you have to remember is that these stores are not entirely vegetarian or vegan and do sell meat and items that contain animal by-products. Fellow blogger Amber, over at 'Amber's Beauty Talk' kindly educated me on the fact that not all cosmetics certified organic are cruelty-free. So just be aware of this when purchasing.

There are many recognisable cruelty-free brands in the beauty section such as 'Pai,' 'Jason,' 'Pacifica,' 'Faith in Nature' and 'Butter London.' Other items include grains and cereals, Vegan sweets and chocolate, top quality organic fruit and vegetables, milk alternatives, vegan deserts, teas and ethical candles.

I spent so long checking out all the products I started to think that I would have to take up residency in the store. I also started to become conscious of the fact that I had been upstairs three times (yes there is an upstairs) and the people at the counter probably thought I was crazy. The staff I came across were notably helpful and friendly, giving an excellent service.

Upstairs you can find an extended beauty range with make-up, hair care, skin care and oral hygiene products. You can also find a variety of supplements and vitamins.

The bakery looked great but I decided to stay well away as I have been eating far too many cakes and sweet things lately. I was also very temped to try some of their hot food (it certainly looked appetising) but I had already planned to eat elsewhere (that's one excuse for a return visit right there).

Cold food and salads also available.

The best time to visit Whole Foods is just after pay-day because you'll end up spending a fortune (only kidding). I noticed lots of offers on so you may well be able to save some money in the process. I came home with a fantastic little selection of products. My best buy must have been my Jason shampoo and conditioner, two for £8.

Planet Organic, Torrington place

'Planet Organic' is a London based chain of stores that sell organically sourced products. Yesterday I visited the Torrington Place store which is meant to be the largest of the 'Planet Organic' stores. This is not a purely Vegan or Vegetarian company and do sell meat and other animal by-products but a large majority of items sold are Vegan and Vegetarian. I had heard about this company a while ago but on reading through the list of stores on 'Vegan London' I decided to arrange a visit.

The nearest tube station is Goodge Street but because of engineering works I had to go to Warren Street and walk down. This didn't take too long though. On entering the store I noticed a seating area to my right where people were able to stay and eat. I had already read that they sold a variety of hot and cold food to eat in or take away which is what I had planned to do after I looked around the store. To my left there was a refrigerated area with a selection of salads, sandwiches, drinks and other snacks. I moved in further and passed a cake stand with pastries, muffins and tarts, of which there was only a couple of Vegan options.

To the right of the cakes was a food counter where they sold the hot and cold food, hot drinks, speciality juices and smoothies. Just further on from that was another refrigerated section containing the meat products which I just completely avoided and on the other side a range of fresh fruits and vegetables were displayed. Once you get past that the store spans out a little more with shelves stocked full of food items such as seeds, nuts, pasta's canned food, biscuits (all the usual), cake baking products and ethical house hold cleaning items. There was also a large range of baby and toddler food and body care products which is handy for all the ethical mums out there.

To the back of the store you can find cruelty-free Cosmetics and make-up (which was incredibly expensive), Shampoo's, deodorants, Vegan perfumes, wax free scented candles, dental care items, hand soup, vitamins and books. I spent ages looking closely at all the different products they had to offer. There was a reasonable selection of Vegan chocolate which took me a while to decide which brand to try. They also sold Vegan Ice cream which I intend to try next time. I managed to pick up a few things which I will feature in other posts to come.

When I was all shopped out I stopped for a spot of dinner at the food counter where a nice friendly girl served me. Firstly you choose the size of your box... small, medium or large then choose your food on a mix and match basis. I chose a medium box at £5.50 with three different dishes, one being a tofu stir-fry (I can't remember what the other two where but they contained chick peas and sweet potato) and they certainly give you your money's worth. I paid at the till and sat down in the seated area provided. There is additional seating further along the store and outside which would be great on a nice warm sunny day. The food was tasty and I would definitely try it again when I return for a second visit.

Before I left, I ordered a Vanilla Chai tea from the 'Pukka' range. I was immediately impressed as this is my favourite range of tea although I hadn't tried this flavour before. It was £1.95 for a regular cup but unfortunately I wasn't so keen on it. The flavour wasn't very strong but this may have been due to my fault as I probably didn't leave it to infuse for long enough. I think a tea like that is best made and consumed in the comfort of your own home where you can relax. If you live in or around London or even if you are travelling from further away drop by 'Planet Organic' and have a look around. You are bound to find something that takes your fancy.