This little-known grocery store helps you save more on your grocery bills!

In the current climate, where the cost of living seems to be on an ever-upward trajectory, finding ways to stretch the household budget is more important than ever.

That's why the discovery of a little-known supermarket offering ultra-cheap groceries is such a game-changer for savvy shoppers.



When news.com.au writer Eleanor Katelaris was wandering around Sydney’s King Street in Newtown, she stumbled across a hidden gem of a store that is making waves among those in the know.

‘I’ve recently been feeling the pinch when it comes to grocery shopping,’ Eleanor said.


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Have you ever heard of this hidden gem of a store? Credit: Eleanor Katelaris


‘Luxury items are virtually off the cards, and even the prices of everyday essentials are creeping up and up.’

Imagine finding luxury items like gourmet chocolates, artisanal biscuits, and specialty cheeses for up to 90 per cent off the recommended retail price (RRP).

It sounds too good to be true for Eleanor, but it's a reality at this innovative store.

‘I thought, what's the catch?’ she said.

‘Then, I read the sign above the checkout—"Beyond Best Before".’



Beyond Best Before operates on a straightforward business model.

It sources products close to or have just passed their best-before dates—items that supermarkets and grocery stores typically pull from their shelves.

These products are still perfectly safe to consume, but due to industry standards, they're often deemed unsellable by mainstream retailers.

Beyond Best Before purchases these items at a discount and then offer them to customers at significantly reduced prices.

Before heading to the store and snagging some products, Eleanor talked to one of Beyond Best Before’s employees about the concept.


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Beyond Best Before sources products close to or have just passed their best-before dates. Credit: @beyondbestbefore / Instagram


‘I chatted with an employee to learn more about the concept because I was confused about how these items were still safe to eat if other supermarkets didn't want to sell them,’ she said.

‘It turns out that food near its best-before date is perfectly fine, it’s just “use-by” dates you need to be wary of.’

‘The staff also told me that the store's mission was to help shoppers during the cost-of-living crisis while also reducing food waste.’

Since its opening in July 2023, the store has impressively saved over 81,000 items from being discarded.



The range of products available is vast and varied, catering to various tastes and dietary needs.

The store also has a transparent shopping experience by displaying the RRP next to the discounted price, allowing customers to see how much they save.

‘Prices ranged from 40 per cent off to a whopping 90 per cent off, and the further out of date something was, the cheaper it became,’ Eleanor said.

‘Things that were still in date by a couple of weeks or even months were about 50 per cent off.’



Eleanor spotted plenty of chips and sweets.

‘I spotted Takis tortilla chips (10 packets for $12), Harvest Snaps, nuts, and plantain chips, which would all be great for lunch boxes,’ she said.

‘In terms of lollies and sweets, there were Swedish Fish ($2), Rocky Road bars ($1.50), Warheads ($2.50), Lifesavers ($2.20), and Oreos ($1.50).’

‘The shop also featured hard-to-find kids' cereals from overseas, like Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs and Lucky Charms, usually priced in the double digits but now just a fraction of the price.’



Eleanor stumbled upon the store unexpectedly and didn't plan a big shopping trip. However, she couldn't resist the temptation of the heavily discounted items.

‘The gourmet chocolate caught my eye straight away. And for 80 cents a pop, down from $7.95, who was I to refuse? I also obviously had to grab that $4 cookie butter,’ she said.

‘I then bought a Tom Yum Bone Broth Concentrate to use as a soup base and in slow-cooker meals. It retails for a whopping $29.95 (which I would never pay), but I got it for around $4!’

She also picked up some Old Bay seasoning for $3 from the usual $15 and Sensodyne toothpaste for $3.

Eleanor mentioned other similar supermarkets are popping up in various states, like Cheaper Buy Miles in Victoria, which currently has three locations: Footscray, Flemington, and Brunswick.



If you're still not convinced about the idea of consuming foods nearing or surpassing their best-before dates, it's not just Eleanor and that store employee you should listen to.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO) Consumer Food Safety Spokesperson, Dr Rozita Vaskoska, explained the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use-by’ dates. You can read more about it here.
Key Takeaways
  • news.com.au writer Eleanor Katelaris discovered a hidden supermarket in Newtown, Sydney, offering gourmet and everyday items at up to 90 per cent off the RRP due to the products being close to or past their best-before dates.
  • Beyond Best Before's business model involves selling products that conventional supermarkets won't sell because they are near or have passed their best-before dates, thereby reducing food waste and saving customers money.
  • Foods near their best-before date are safe to eat, unlike foods past their use-by date; this distinction is important in the store's concept.
  • Similar concepts to Beyond Best Before exist, such as Cheaper by Miles in Victoria, and these stores provide significant grocery savings to consumers during economic strain, contributing to a more sustainable and cost-effective shopping experience.
Have you ever shopped at a store like Beyond Best Before? What treasures have you found, and how much have you saved? Share your experiences in the comments below!
 

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I have shopped at one similar in Marrickville just down the road from Newtown. Which sold chicken and milk as well which was close to the use by date.
Everything else was just past the use by date.
If you spend $5 or more inside then you got a loaf of bread for free and got to pick fruit n veg from the table outside for free.

I went only once as I felt it should have been for those who couldn't afford groceries. I got a bag of items which came to $25 I gave $50. This place is run by volunteers. It's on Addison Rd Marrickville. I have posted about it before.

The one at Newtown I believe is a private business. I noticed the oreos were $1.50 I would wait until the supermarket put them for half price $1.25.

Newtown is a suburb in Sydney that has always been filled with let's say different people and shops and still is.
 
We have NQR not far from us but would love to see, either a Beyond Best Before or a Cheaper Buy Miles. This East side of Melbourne in the Narre Warren area. There is also great shops in Qld, Silly Solly’s they are great as well but none near us. Another in Tasmania called something Shipyards?? Why not this side of Melbourne? We always miss out.
 
Good to know such concept stores are opened to also help reduce waste.
But at our age, I am cutting back eating preserved processed foods. Unfortunately, farmers’ market sell produce from their gardens at close to supermarket prices.
 
We have a similar outlet here in Bundaberg called "Angels Mini Mart" in Targo Street where the long distance bus station is. Many products are "Best Before", & include Dairy & frozen foods & prices are more than competitive. There is also a small coffee shop/snack bar. Check them out on facebook.
 
Food for thought 🤔 How often have we all bought something with our shopping and forgotten about it? You find it in the pantry or refrigerator past the 'best by' date and it tastes as it should, no spoilage or upset stomach. Yet many would never knowingly buy something past its best by date......
 
Food for thought 🤔 How often have we all bought something with our shopping and forgotten about it? You find it in the pantry or refrigerator past the 'best by' date and it tastes as it should, no spoilage or upset stomach. Yet many would never knowingly buy something past its best by date......
I bought something from the discount trolley in IGA Mannum South Australia just recently. It was also the trolley for our of date products or almost out of date. I found an Asian chicken sauce. It was nearly $6. Far more than I would normally venture on these trolley items. I thought it must be really good. I thought it was a collection of different herbs and spices to rub on my chicken. Imagine my horror when I opened the packet and found off raw chicken mixed with spices. It was disgusting. I checked the use by date. 6 months old!! I didn't know you could sell fresh chicken after six months on the shelf. I rang the store. The manager said that the new policy said they could sell it up to 6 months after use by date including FRESH meat products. He wasn't interested in whether he was responsible for someone dying of salmonella poisoning. I sent an email to Head Office of IGA. They never bothered responding.

So a word to the wise. Don't buy ANYTHING from the out of date trolley. Make the store do their own dirty work. Shame on you IGA.
 
I have shopped at one similar in Marrickville just down the road from Newtown. Which sold chicken and milk as well which was close to the use by date.
Everything else was just past the use by date.
If you spend $5 or more inside then you got a loaf of bread for free and got to pick fruit n veg from the table outside for free.

I went only once as I felt it should have been for those who couldn't afford groceries. I got a bag of items which came to $25 I gave $50. This place is run by volunteers. It's on Addison Rd Marrickville. I have posted about it before.

The one at Newtown I believe is a private business. I noticed the oreos were $1.50 I would wait until the supermarket put them for half price $1.25.

Newtown is a suburb in Sydney that has always been filled with let's say different people and shops and still is.
Well done , I call it "PAY IT FORWARD" which is something i do whn ever I can
 
Some things never go out of date. Vinegar, jelly crystals (if not water damaged) mustards. Fermented sauces. I had a carton of fish sauce, and it's taken me 30 years to use, still fine because it is fermented, on my
last bottle now. Milk, cheese, etc, need dates and spoiler type foods need dates but somethings are ridiculous because of the Govt. regulations
 
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Sounds like they only sell highly processed junk food, with no nutritional value at all. I wouldn't bother buying crap that's full of refined sugar, fructose, chemical additives, colours, flavours, preservatives, fake this, fake that. 😱
 
Some things never go out of date. Vinegar, jelly crystals (if not water damaged) mustards. Fermented sauces. I had a carton of fish sauce, and it's taken me 30 years to use, still fine because it is fermented, on my
last bottle now. Milk, cheese, etc, need dates and spoiler type foods need dates but somethings are ridiculous because of the Govt. regulations
Totally agree.
When my kids were younger I eould often pop into NQR to top up my grocery shopping. Only two of us now so don’t need to shop there, but definitely helpful for anyone feeling the pinch.
 
Just happen to see this article , and was coming back from an else errand was with a friend and they said there was a store just out of the way by acouple of blocks, so we made our way and found it, gee so pleased, made a big difference to that week budget,also found a Hans market outlet, also stopped of ther and got a varityof meat products, but is a little too far to shop on a normal basis, but now know where they for a future exorcise.
 
l remember in the old days when food had no use by date on nor where it came from and we survived . l remember opening a jar of jam to see mould on the top and we just scrapped it off it was still good underneath same with cheese .People are so fussy .l grew up in the war years and food was had to get the ration books only gave us 4 ounces each person for butter etc and you could only get boiled sweets all the rest was under the counter.
 
l remember in the old days when food had no use by date on nor where it came from and we survived . l remember opening a jar of jam to see mould on the top and we just scrapped it off it was still good underneath same with cheese .People are so fussy .l grew up in the war years and food was had to get the ration books only gave us 4 ounces each person for butter etc and you could only get boiled sweets all the rest was under the counter.
I still have what's left of my old ration books and identity card.
 

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