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