Bulk Barn

Ive been going to the Bulk Barn since I was old enough to get an allowance. 20 years ago it was in Bayer’s Road Shopping Center (remember how great that place was??)
When this location opened I was thrilled to my toes. The selection is just mind boggling~better than when I was a kid! The smell of the bulk barn makes me feel nice too.
you can buy green tea in bulk and it’s very high quality. You can buy stuff to make bath bombs, you can get gluten free mixes without paying ridiculous grocery store prices. This location is far and away the best I know of. If there is a more diverse location nearby some one inbox me!
:D

Lots of bulk food, no barns however. Not even the slight odor of hay or farm animals (which is a good thing).
Seriously though, great selection on everything bulk, from grains to candy, and everything in between.
I like this store better than the Dartmouth one, they seem to go through stock faster and have a wider selection.
Like most stores you just have to keep an eye on the prices. Some things are priced a little high compared to your typical grocery store, some things are considerably cheaper due to the lack of packaging (which I like considering I reuse mine).
Plenty of parking, little waiting at the cashier, friendly service, clean store. The isles are a little narrow if you get a couple bulky bulk barners bin digging across from each other.

Now I wouldn’t call Bulk Barn’s prices as great. If you do the math and compare the products like grain, flour, etc. with those from Atlantic or others, they aren’t different. The only option you have is that you can choose to buy them in smaller quantities and you are not force to but in a big jar/​bottle.
Bulk barn has a host of items that they sell like grains, beans, treats, flour, oats, coffee, chocolates, even jams and peanut butter. But I would say, that if you want a good price, go for what’s on discount. They do put up infront of the shop what’s on offer for that week and also for students, go on Wednesdays as you’ll get 10% discount. Sometimes when you’re lucky, check out their website and you might find some coupon offers which you can print as well. If you do all this, then yes you’ll definitely get stuff at a good price.

I’m starting to cook more now, and Bulk Barn has quickly become my treat to myself as well as a source for so many staples.
There are (to the best of my recollection) four long aisles of foods. One has nuts, fruits, baking ingredients, chocolates, flours, oats, quinoa, etc, with cake decorations that others have already described.
The next has a lot of premade pancake and bread type mixes, cereal, granola, many basic baking and cooking ingredients, snack mixes, and more.
Third is the candy aisle — I avoid it, but if you’re a candy addict, this will be like Willy Wonka himself popped in to help design it. Jelly beans to chocolate, salty snacks or sour, some of everything is available.
Finally, there’s an aisle with lots of rice, beans, pasta, etc on one side, and a wall of spices, teabags and loose tea and coffee, and vitamins.
There are also pet treats (especially dog supplies like crazy), liquid dispensers for honey, maraschino cherries, pie fillings, and more, and lots of pre-​packaged foods (quick-​make and premade or ingredients) too.
My favourites:
–The bean dispensers. They’re so colourful and varied and fun to look at! Hint: they also have dried edamame beans there, but with the snack mixes, between the cake aisle and candy aisle.
–Vegetarian chicken soup stock. Yes, please! There’s also dried tiny soup noodles you can add to it (boil 4 – 6 minutes) for that authentic Lipton soup package, vegetarian style.
–Spices like crazy. You can find anything you need here. They also sell the little spice jars if you need them, probably for cheaper than Wal-​Mart. (Dollarama is also a good place to go for them.)
–Popcorn kernels. They’ve got white or regular kernels, both at pretty reasonable prices, and it’s WAY healthier to make this yourself than microwave popcorn. If you don’t have a hot-​air popper, throw a handful in a paper bag or covered (not airtight) bowl, microwave it like bagged stuff, and add salt or butter yourself.
–Oatmeal (quick, regular, or steel-​cut). I’ve started having it every morning, and it’s actually surprisingly delicious with a little milk and brown sugar. (Then again, isn’t everything?)
The only reason I held back the fifth star is because not everything is cheaper here. It’s worth writing down the «per 100g prices» and comparing to other stores — sometimes it’s significantly cheaper to buy here, and sometimes it’s surprisingly expensive.
It’s a good thing I don’t have a car, because my backpack limits the amount of stuff I can buy. :) Yep, it’s a reasonable 20-​minute walk from Mumford Terminal, students and walkers. That seals the deal for me!

The Bulk Barn is where I head when I want to drop a few dollars. There’s just something about this place that makes me throw abandon to the wind and fill up multiple baggies of tasty goodness.
Of course, it’s not a great place to take kids, particularly if they know it has a candy aisle. But if you can stay away from the licorice allsorts and the gummi worms, you’re a better person than I am!
The Bulk Barn is great for cooking needs, too. Sometimes, you only use a certain spice or ingredient once or twice a year — not often enough to keep large amounts in your pantry. The Bulk Barn makes it possible for you to drop in and grab as little as you need, when you need it.
One thing you may not know is that the Bulk Barn also carries Wilton cake pans and decorating accessories. There are some seriously cute pans here, if you’re the baking type.

If there is a single person in this world who has not shopping at the Bulk Barn, they really need to start!
Everything in a baker’s cupboard is in the bins for sale at the Bulk Barn. I enjoy baking cakes and the selection of Wilton cake decorating tools is amazing. Everything from icing bags, icing tips, cookie cutters, cake pans, toppers (wedding, birthday etc), and fondant plus much much more.
My niece and nephew also really enjoy it when I take them to the Bulk Barn. They fill a few bags full of their favourite candy. It’s great because they can pick a little bit of this and a little bit of that and then they have a great selection to choose from.
I keep close watch for their flyers. They have coupons attached to them and it all adds up quickly.
One suggestion that I have is to write the codes on the twist ties if you can. I have found that if you don’t, the cashier may charge you for a different item that could be more expensive. I can’t really blame them for mistakes because there are a lot of bins to try to memorize.

Bulk barn isn’t exactly a grocery store. There is no fresh fruit or produce, but lots of dried. And you’ll find everything from nuts to spices, flour of every kind, candy… too many types to choose from.
I realize there are many bulk barns around but I am particularly pleased with this one, just a quick drive from my house. And I love, love, love all the baking gear, from utensils and cake pans for all those specialized form cakes to every size decorating tool… not to mention candy flowers and other decorating delights. Who knew there were enough molds to line a very long wall and so many different chocolate options to fill the many molds.
The staff here are very helpful and knowledgeable– always a plus when you are looking for something specific. Today, for example, I had already tried two large grocery stores –who shall remain nameless — to get some Japanese Panko Breadcrumbs. I was dreading having to run all over town for them and… voila! There they were and so much cheaper than in the larger shops too.