Bulk Foods

Pachamama Coffee of the Month: Mexico

September 16, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Mexico happens to be Pachamama’s coffee of the month, and since September marks the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we thought sharing this blog would be helpful, informative, and provide a new perspective about coffee’s wonderful, labor-love journey from seed to cup.

We present Pachamama’s latest Blog, Journey to the Origin. Their Creative Director, Rosa, recounts her discovery of coffee’s incredible journey from seed to cup while visiting one of Pachamama’s owner cooperatives: La Union Regionnal Cooperative, in Veracruz, Mexico.

We hope you find the time to read about her experience. It’s a short read that demonstrates how Pachamama Coffee is one of the most sustainable coffees the Natural Grocery can offer our customers. It is available in our El Cerrito Store.

June 15th, 2021 – Happy Re-Opening Day California!

June 15, 2021 by The Natural Grocery Company

Thanks to everyone who has made the sacrifices necessary to get us to this point! You will notice some changes in our stores the next time you visit.

Hand sanitizer will be available at the door for anyone who wishes to clean their hands before and/or after shopping. It is no longer a requirement but it is strongly encouraged.

We will no longer be limiting the number of customers who can enter the store at any given time but please be respectful of other shoppers personal space and don’t crowd anyone.

Customers who are vaccinated are no longer required to wear masks while shopping but are encouraged to do so until they are comfortable sharing indoor space with un-masked patrons.

If you are not vaccinated for Covid-19 you must wear a mask while inside any of our locations. This is for your safety, the safety of others and the current California requirement. By entering our stores without a mask you are self-attesting that you have been vaccinated.

The board of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, voted on June 17 to approve new rules, which now allows fully vaccinated workers to go without masks at work. Governor Newsom has signed an order, which makes Cal/OSHA’s new rules take effect immediately. Our Natural Grocery Company rules will change to follow the new Cal/OSHA rules, starting Friday, June 18. Fully Vaccinated employees have the option to not wear a mask. Of course, any fully vaccinated employee can continue wearing a mask. Employees who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear a mask.

Self-serve Bulk is back! Our Bulk Departments have been given the green light to re-open self-serve bins. Things will look a little different and it will take a bit of time to transition the entire department. Our plan is to have items that are traditionally cooked in open scoop bins while foods eaten as-is will be in the gravity feed dispensers. Dried Fruits will remain pre-packaged. You may bring your own clean containers to fill. Please have a cashier weigh your clean, empty container before you fill it!

The Annex will now have indoor and outdoor seating available! Our menu is expanding and a separate announcement will be made about all the changes you will see there.

Thank you,

The Natural Grocery Company

Our Bulk Packaging is Compostable!

September 2, 2020 by The Natural Grocery Company

We are still packaging everything in our Bulk Departments so that you may purchase the products you like without the plastic! The Natural Grocery Company is committed to using packaging that protects your food and does not contribute to more plastic waste. We use NatureFlex TM to pack all our Bulk Items. Our resilient workers at The Annex prepare these items for sale in our facility. Items are then transferred to our stores as needed. Thank you for your continued support!

USA NatureFlex 120NKR Spec Sheet

Slow Cooking – Groats

January 16, 2017 by WineAndBeer

Whole Groats

While shopping in our El Cerrito store bulk section, I was tempted to try the organic oat groats instead of the rolled oats. I was both inspired by the current sale price ($1.19/lb) and want the healthiest option for our five year old son. Our bulk buyer, David gave me another reason. He said, “why not eat things as close to the way mother-nature produced them as possible.” I can’t argue with that logic so I bought a bulk bag of groats.

Here’s what I did to process the groats:

1 cup of groats in 3 cups of water

Before bed, I put one cup of groats in a heavy bottom stainless steel pot along with three cups of water.

Simmering groats

In the morning, I turned the burner on medium heat and started cooking in the same pot where I soaked the grains.

Every 10 to 15 minutes, I checked the pot and stirred. 30 minutes into cooking, the groats were sticking to the bottom of the pot so I added more water (1 cup). I also added ¼ cup of raisins, a pinch of salt and a dash of cinnamon. 20 minutes later I added another 1/4 cup of water because the water was nearly absorbed. The groats cooked for a total of 1.5 hours. I added additional water (1/4 cup) another three times during the cooking process.

If you cook groats at home, add water as you see fit. It takes a lot to overcook groats but very little to burn them when there is not enough water in the pot. In other words, keep ’em hydrated.

Toppings: pecans, maple syrup and whole milk

Hearty Breakfast

Leftovers – tomorrow’s breakfast!

The groat cooking process took longer and required more attention than the rolled oats. However, the nutritional benefits make the extra time worth it (when time allows!). For hurried mornings, consider cooking a larger batch. Soak the groats before heading off for your day, cook them in the evening and re-heat them with a little extra water and/or milk in the morning. Or, make enough for leftovers every time you prepare groats.

Why Eat Oat Groats? Here’s what one of our wholesalers (Hummingbird Wholesale) writes about this wonder grain:

Organic Oat Groats are whole oats with only the outer husk removed.

In general, oats have more protein and healthy fats, and less carbohydrates than most other whole grains. This grain is high in beta-glucans, which work to stimulate the immune system. They contain more soluble fiber than any other grain, and oats are also beneficial for their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-itching qualities.

Sounds like a great food if you ask me! Here’s to your morning meal!

Hummingbird Wholesale

May 11, 2016 by WineAndBeer

We choose our business relationships carefully. The folks at Hummingbird Wholesale live and breath values that align with our own. Headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, they serve their immediate area on down to us folks in Northern California. We are lucky to be within their distribution territory because they bring delicious, organic bulk products at competitive prices. Look for a list of products we carry from them below! Their philosophy about business is to be like a hummingbird. This beautiful and poetic entry from their website describes the metaphor in more detail.

Sustainability at Hummingbird Wholesale

by Julie and Charlie Tilt

What if, like the hummingbird, all people would sip the nectar of the earth without harming the flower? Is it possible? At Hummingbird we know it is possible, and we will never give up until this vision comes to fruition.

We can enjoy the sweetness of the harvest and the delicious nourishment of the earth while remembering to be grateful, and taking only our share. We honor the earth’s abundance through doing good work with the energy we receive from its sustenance. We are focused: with adroit maneuvering we extract the flower’s nectar in a manner that ensures the flower remains for others to be nourished. We share in the delight of its beauty, now and into the future.

We grow ourselves in collaboration with others, in service to the community. Our work at Hummingbird is essentially love in action. We use our willpower, along with positive thought and actions, to move the world into a sustaining momentum. We humbly learn from our mistakes, laugh at ourselves, and respect the different opinions of others. We do this with an attitude of joy and reverence; aware of the mystery and grandeur of the planet we all steward.

The hummingbird is a tiny little creature, and we recognize that the fragility and workings of the complex interaction of humans in nature is dependent on the smallest of things: the birds and the bees and the earthworms. We strive in every action to enhance the existence of all creatures with our caring attention.

We never give up, and remain positive despite any obstacles. We take 100% responsibility for our lives and our future. We feel complete and whole in relationship to our world. Our hearts are filled with love from our good and courageous deeds every day.

At Hummingbird, we model a business continually striving to deepen our understanding of sustainability by improving our systems to reflect these values. We represent positive change for a hopeful future for all beings.

Hummingbird Wholesale

Find these products in our bulk section:

Michigan Tart cherries dry organic

Regional Snack Blend organic

Granola- Bucky’s Raw Hazelnut organic

Granola- Higher Power GRAWnola organic unswtned

Nutritional Yeast organic

NUTS Tamari Almonds organic

NUTS Hazelnuts organic

NUTS Sprouted Mixed Nuts and Seeds organic

Pumpkin Seeds Oregon grown organic

TRAIL MIX – Northwest Blend w/cinnamon organic

Persimmons dry organic

Blueberries dry organic

Pear slices dry organic

Peaches slices dry organic

Bing cherries dry organic seasonal

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