Over the past couple of months, I have had the pleasure of working with Winter and Maria, in their Little Plant Pantry, a plant-based and zero-waste whole foods store. The Little Plant Pantry is one of the first of its kind in Amsterdam, drawing a sound following as the neighbours and passersby become familiar with this little gem.
I wandered into the shop late in March. Because I had been following them on Instagram, I was excited to see when they would officially open. During my visit, I spotted a large shiny stainless steel vessel, filled with maple syrup. This piqued my interest and I asked, “where do you get your maple syrup?” Winter had the perfect answer: “the only place you should get it from… Canada.” The rest is history, really. Winter, Maria, and I began a spirited conversation about food and cooking and sustainability, discovering we each have our area of enthusiasm and expertise. In the next days, I brought in some sample dishes from my home kitchen so Winter and Maria could have a sample of what I like to create. They liked what they tasted!, and we set up an arrangement where I would advise on their menu and do some cooking and baking, a couple of days a week.
Day by day, the shop is evolving. I’m typically in there bright and early to cook for a few hours until Winter and Maria arrive and get on with running the Little Plant Pantry. During the time I’ve been helping out, volunteers have chipped in to make the garden take shape and it’s thriving beautifully!
At the Little Plant Pantry you can bring your own containers to fill with a variety of dry and wet goods. (They also have containers on hand for purchase.) There are a selection of delicious desserts by the Amsterdam-based vegan bakery, Willem Pie (the Tiramisu is my favourite!) Outstanding kimchi is available from local entrepreneur The Table for Kimchi. And, plant-based cheeses are supplied by Zuurbek. On the shelves, have a look for the best peanut butters prepared by hand, by Emiel at Nutorious. Along with a collection of natural coconut bowls and bamboo straws for purchase, the shop also has organic, soaps and face creams made from all-natural products.
I invite you stop in at Bosboom Toussaintstraat 45-H, in Amsterdam, and check out the Little Plant Pantry. Granola, oatmeal cookies, banana bread, soups and stews, made on site by yours truly, are good and good for you. Thank you, Winter and Maria, it’s been my pleasure to have a hand in this nourishing menu. 🙂
