Columnist Leah Keiter writes about the advantages of shopping at Athens' bulk health food store, Bulk Food Depot.
Though it might sound weird, the spot I chose to write about today was one of my favorite places to go as a kid. My parents and my grandparents lived in Athens for a long time, which means they know everyone in the area — or at least it felt like that when I was growing up. One of those people that both my mom and grandma knew that was like a celebrity young Leah always wanted to visit is Gary Wells, one of the owners of the Bulk Food Depot.
The Bulk Food Depot is a specialized grocery store in Athens that focuses on bulk health foods ranging from spices to dried fruits to everything in between. When we would go in my childhood to shop, I would beg my mom for different flavored honey and candy sticks, while Gary helped them shop and talked to me from behind the counter. I was completely fascinated by all of the cool products and loved the familiar smell of all of the spices.
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The Depot is small, but makes up for its size with its wide variety of local, organic and vegan food items. Gary started the Bulk Food Depot in 1997 because of his appreciation of bulk foods and the variety and savings that local packaging — like what is currently used to package products at the Depot — can provide. Six years later, a customer named Danielle came into the store who would later become his wife and business partner.
Now, Bulk Food Depot sells a wide range of healthy food products, with a large gluten- and wheat-free section. Among these items are baking supplies, which include more than a dozen types of flours, ingredients for candy making and a selection of gelatins and starches. In addition to the baking products, my favorite section of Bulk Food Depot is the snacks. They have my childhood favorites — the honey and candy sticks — but also offer a wide selection of healthier snack options, like numerous popcorn and topping variations, trail mixes, and nuts and seeds (and butters from the nuts and seeds that are ground in store).
Although my sweet tooth automatically draws me to those sections, Bulk Food Depot has a large range of savory items as well. These include pastas, rice, soy products, sprouting seeds, a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options and the many spices and seasonings that make the Depot smell so wonderful. You can also find many different teas and other hot drink mixes, various sweetener options and other kitchen needs, such as specialty cookbooks. Bulk Food Depot also helps to support local business by selling a wide variety of Mrs. Miller’s jellies and jams, made in a kitchen in Fredericksburg, Ohio.
Let’s get to the point: Shopping options, whether that means groceries or clothing, are limited in Athens. For anyone getting tired of the same Wal-Mart shelves, the Bulk Food Depot is a great place to explore healthy, natural food options that just might be locally produced. Plus, the use of local packaging and bulk options allows the products to be sold at very competitive prices, which always come in handy as you’re running out of money at the end of the year. The Bulk Food Depot is located at 5457 Radford Road in Athens, and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Leah Keiter is a junior studying journalism. Have you been to the Bulk Food Depot? Email her at lk969912@ohio.edu.
