Macro Wholefoods, Willoughby Road, Crows Nest

Macro Wholefoods, Willoughby Road, Crows Nest
Monday 23 July, 2007

Macro Wholefoods is located in the large site next to the Crows Nest Hotel that once housed Five Star Gourmet. The concept is simple and described as,

"Macro Wholefoods Market in Crows Nest opened its doors on 1 December 2004. The store covers an area of 1200m2 and features a range of over 8,000 organic, natural and environmentally-friendly delights! Our departments include fresh produce, deli, bakery, butcher, grocery and naturopathic dispensary, make Macro Crows Nest your one-stop-shop for organic and wholefood products."

It really is a one stop shop and today I was meeting an old Uni buddy for lunch in the Macro Cafe. With so much focus on organic food and its benefits I was keen to understand the Macro concept better. They define organic as,

"grown and handled without the use of synthetic chemicals, artificial fertilisers, food irradiation or genetically modified ingredients (GMOs). Organic farming focuses on the health of the soil and utilises the best of both traditional agriculture and modern techniques to produce nutritious fruit and vegetables with minimal intervention. Organic farming also cares for our environment through the use of renewable resources and a commitment to the conservation of energy, soil and water. Buying certified organic means that the produce has passed the stringent requirements of a 3-year certification process, ensuring integrity for the consumer. Our organic produce is fully certified by Australian Certified Organic (ACO)."

The Macro Cafe is open plan and spills out onto the pavement. It's very relaxed and the menu is listed on laminated menus on the table with specials written on a large blackboard. As much as I loved the open plan setting it was also an open invitation for pigeons (rats of the sky) and my skin crawled each time one flew in.

On the plus side there was a complimentary water tank that you could help yourself to, a range of organic produce in jars to sample and great organic coffee. Once you know what you want you can order & pay at the counter. The staff then hand you a large green teddy bear moneybox with a number on it to place on your table. My lunch buddy and I both ordered one of the specials - Tomato, lentil & barley soup.

The soup was sensational. Served in a humongous bowl with wholegrain bread roll & butter on the side it was thick, incredibly tasty and very more-ish. I savoured every mouthful. If I knew it was going to be on the menu regularly I would return more often!

Macro Wholefoods - 13 - 19 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest - (02) 9004 1240

http://www.macrowholefoods.com.au/crowsnest.html