A few years ago, one might easily shrug off healthy eating as yet another diet fad. The same doesn’t ring true today because the evolving concept has increasingly more people embracing it with notions of health, environment and personal conviction for this lifestyle commitment. Regardless of how we got here, conscious and mindful eating has become a life choice for many urbanites in Jakarta. It was bound for a store like Growell Whole Foods to emerge at the epicentre of lifestyle in Gunawarman street for the devotees of wholesome and healthy living.
The store snugly takes up space in one compact floor, carrying everyday essentials for your kitchen and home. With tidy shelving, it’s hard to resist the photo-op with that quintessential supermarket aesthetic, but the real gems are stored on the shelves. Grocery runs to Growell will fill your basket with all sorts of goods from imported seasonal fruits to healthy local produce and manufactured goods. The mission at Growell is to curate and carry wholesome products and of quality: certified organic and GMO-free (by USDA, EU Organic and other certified standards) for their imported goods (with most being from the US, Japan, United Kingdom and South Korea), while the local brands they carry (such as East Java & Co, Mama Roz and Pipiltin Cocoa) are those in line with Growell’s ethos: organic, fresh, natural, healthy, quality and eco-friendly.
At the heart of it, Growell is also about catering to dietary needs across the spectrum. Not into soy milk? Try Rude Health’s almond or oat alternatives. Avoiding gluten? Their handful selection of gluten-free pasta and noodles from Ladang Lima and others in the list will surely suffice. Flourless brownie mix? Check. In other words, the store is a one-stop market where shoppers can discover and shop with confidence, eliminating the meticulous task of inspecting every ingredients list. This applies to their beauty and home goods sections too where eco-friendly Castile bar soaps from Dr. Bronner’s, Earth Choice’s natural and gentle detergents and skincare from Cahaya Naturals are ready to be your go-to’s.
Another attraction in the store is Growell’s nutbar. Indeed, with increasingly more households DIY-ing their nut butter and milk, this section was only the right addition for the store. Among the varieties of nuts they sell, almond and cashew remain favourites, which shoppers can grind on the spot to make a jar of all-natural nut butter.
The shop extends to a small bakery section with a galore of baked goods from Beau Bakery and an adjacent Wine Stop store. Growell did right by calling themselves a one-stop market for wholesome food. It fares well in the middle of Senopati with young go-getters and homemakers eagerly shopping for a healthier lifestyle.