The Thousands

If you imagined your dream pantry – big enough to walk into, with uniform packaging, handwritten labels, neat stacking, glass jars, brown paper, blackboard paint and raw wood, you’d be imagining Queen Street Grocer. The floorboards are rough.  A simple cluster of hanging lightbulbs is the most extravagant piece of decoration. Little recipes sheets are clipped to certain products. If you went in often enough, owner Liz would probably know you and your entire life story by your third visit. It’s just that kind of place.

Queen Street Grocer is the perfect balance between the bright lights and strategic product placement of supermarkets, and the confusing snobbery of run-of-the-mill gourmet stores (dah-ling). If it is stored in the pantry, it’s here: nuts, legumes, spices, muesli, teas, coffee, honey, oils and more. Everything is delicious and healthy, with a focus on natural and organic – although one exception is the incredibly alluring jar of mixed lollies. The Grocer stocks plenty of uncommon products – ajwain seeds, anyone? – and in many cases, items are actually cheaper than at big-name supermarkets. It’s a cosy and reassuring return to ‘corner store’ thinking and aesthetics, with an incredibly satisfying result.