Wilsons Organics

Currently housed in a temporary shop out the back of Earth’s Kitchen, Wilson’s Organics has not lost its smell of hessian sacks, slightly overly ripe fruit and wooden crates. But it has adopted a more organised and structured market layout now which makes it a lot easier to navigate.
Fruit, veg and produce still remain quite expensive for their organic label but I’m a sucker for that stuff.
This is the perfect place to drop in for a green Shrek smoothie or protein ball, vegan chocolate brownie or spinach pastie when you’re trying to be healthy after attending a pilates class down the road. Just don’t be in a rush as they do run on peace and love time here.
Staff are incredibly friendly and laid back. Variety of food is great for the size of the shop and I kind of hope they stay here over their Gouger St premises!
One hot tip: Check out their Facebook page for secret specials every week. ie. «quote Shakespeare to us and get 20% off all fruit and veg products in store» or «wear green in store and get a free aura reading.*»
*I wish

When I visited here yesterday there were some major renovations happening … I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product.
I visit Wilson’s Organics for little bits and pieces — mainly skincare products, as their range is excellent. They stock Dr Bronners, which is strangely cheaper than the health food shop nearby. Everything else is pretty pricey.
Even though I’ve given Wilson’s 4 stars, I really wanted to give them 3 ½, mainly because their fruit & veg is expensive without necessarily being the freshest around this area, and (apart from Dr Bronners) everything is quite expensive. But the staff are friendly, and they do have a very wide range of products from food and skincare, right through to ‘green’ cleaning products.

I dig Wilson’s Organics for several reasons. First, they try to do things organically and that’s awesome.
Second, they have a colour-​coding system to tell customers what is certified organic, what is conventional, and what is organic but isn’t certified.
Third, the food is great. It’s a little expensive but I think the price is fairly reasonable considering it is mostly organic and vegan. There are gluten free options as well and a range of healthy (and not as healthy but healthier than what you might find elsewhere) smoothies.
Fourth, it’s a trendy little spot with friendly staff.
The things I don’t dig so much: the grocery area is generally more expensive than some other stores with similar products, and the tables need a good wipe down a bit more than they are wiped down.
Overall, I like the place and like to hang out there even if all I’m after is coconut water.

Wilson’s Organics is a great little spot. My wife and I wander around in their store often, but rarely buy anything. It could be because they are slightly more expensive than some of the other organic spots just across the way at the central markets. It could also be because they have lots of interesting random items like bee pollen, but not necessarily things that I actually need at an affordable price.
We shared a wrap here on our last visit and that was pretty damn tasty. I think we ended up sharing the wrap because they were expensive though… haha.
They have recently been taken over by Earth Communities (The group that runs Earth’s Kitchen) so we’ll be checking back soon to see if there are any major changes.
Summary: Hip lil place, slightly expensive, random items, check back for changes.
P. S. I love the artwork on the walls. I want one!

I thought I’d drop by here for lunch one afternoon. I had about $ 10-​$ 15 in my pocket and wanted to try something a bit different. You would think that’s enough money right? I mean… I hardly ever pay more than $ 10 for lunch.
I guess you can see where this is going. Like any organics place it’s expensive here! I suggest keeping clear if you’re on a budget. When you’re paying $ 7 for what is essentially a packet of chips I have to question the people running the show. These items all have use by dates, don’t they tend to have a lot of stock expire?
I came back when I was doing the shopping and had a longer shop around. While the prices still seemed a bit steep I had a bit more appreciation for what they were selling. Also, if like me you like to cook with coconut oil then you have a lot of variety. I have a martial arts instructor who preaches the benefits of coconut oil.
If I can suggest anything it would be not to take this place at face value. Yes the prices are steep, but spend a little time in store and you might just be surprised.

If you want to get the most out of shopping here, talk to the staff. They are what makes this business really excellent. Unless you have a good knowledge of local suppliers, seasonal eating and food sovereignty, trying to eat ethically and affordably can be baffling. I’m no expert — which explains why I was buying zuchinnis at seven dollars a kilo instead of waiting a month for them to go down to three dollars a kilo. Most of the veges here are sourced directly from local suppliers and everything is labelled with information about where it comes from, whether it is organic, sprayed with any chemicals, all that stuff.
If you ask, you can find out what has just come in, what is in season and really cheap, all that kind of stuff — the staff play a big role in the running of the business so they know all this firsthand. They are very, very friendly and passionate about eating good food. The big focus here is fresh fruit and vege, but they also stock meats, pasta, vegetarian products, canned goods, bread, cereal and even some body products. There is also a little café in the centre of the store, and a lovely seating area next to the window, with all the sunlight and breeze coming in.
I tend to pick and choose what I like to buy from here — I can’t afford to shop only organic, which is why talking to the staff about what is in season helps so much. There are a few special things I can’t resist though. The Mylor Bakery bread is the most expensive bread I’ve ever bought — between eight and eleven dollars a loaf — but it is also the greatest and best bread I’ve ever eaten. I would recommend the fruit loaf (loaded with heaps of figs, apricots, really moist and spicy) and the olive and pumpkin loaf (so good that eating it with anything else on it is a travesty).