I found a little-known supermarket to score ultra-cheap groceries

"I couldn't believe my eyes. The shelves were lined with gourmet chocolates, biscuits, oat milk, lunch box snacks, cheese, and loads more items for up to 90% off the RRP. I thought, what's the catch?"

While wandering around Sydney’s famous King Street in Newtown the other day, I stumbled across a hidden gem that has revolutionised how I’ll shop for groceries from now on. 

Like many others, I’ve recently been feeling the pinch when it comes to grocery shopping. Luxury items are virtually off the cards, and even the prices of everyday essentials are creeping up and up. 

So when I came across this shop, which promised gourmet food and pantry staples at a heavily discounted price, I thought it was too good to be true. 

I walked in, and the shelves were lined with gourmet chocolates, biscuits, lunch box snacks, oat milk, cheese, and loads more everyday and specialty items. 

It was also packed with locals doing their weekly shop, piling their baskets high with expensive-looking products.   

I thought, what's the catch?

Then, I read the sign above the checkout — ‘Beyond best before’. 

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Image: Supplied

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The genius business model

Beyond Best Before has a simple yet clever business model: it sources products that conventional supermarkets and grocery stores no longer sell because they’re close to or past their best-before date. Because they’re deemed ‘unfit’ for sale, Beyond Best Before purchases them at a discount and then passes these savings on to shoppers. 

Before I ran rampant in the store (the gourmet chocolate was calling my name), 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.

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 opening in July 2023, they’ve saved over 81,000 items from landfill! Impressive stuff. 

Armed with the knowledge that I was shopping consciously, saving the planet and not going to contract food poisoning, I started exploring the store. 

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What does the shop sell?

The first thing that struck me was the sheer range of products. From fancy brands to pantry essentials and specialty products catering to vegans and other dietary needs, the selection catered to everyone.

I also liked that items had the recommended retail price (RRP) next to the actual cost so you could compare and see how much you're saving.

Prices ranged from 40% off to a whopping 90% off, and the further out of date something was, the cheaper it became.

Things that were still in date by a couple of weeks or even months were about 50% off. 

In terms of snacks, there were plenty of chips and savoury goodies. I spotted Takis tortilla chips (10 packets for $12), Harvest Snaps, nuts, and plantain chips, which would all be great for lunch boxes.

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).

A gourmet Biscoff alternative, Le Lucca Cookie Butter, was a steal at $4, down from $10 and was marketed as a ‘staff favourite’. 

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. 

There were also plenty of drinks, like coconut milk reduced from $9 to $3.50, 750ml LoBros kombucha (down to $3.90 from $7.70) and LoBros sugar-free soft drinks for $4.30, down from $8.75.

Image: Supplied

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What did I buy?

Because I just happened upon the store, I wasn’t in a position to do a full-on shop, but I got a few items that were so discounted that they were hard to pass up. 

As I mentioned before, 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 boujee $4 cookie butter. 

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! 

I also picked up some Old Bay seasoning, usually $15 for just $3. 

Finally, I got some toothpaste because that sh*t's expensive these days! Sensodyne is usually around the $12 mark at my Coles, and here, they were just $3. 

Image: Supplied

Before the FOMO sets in, know that Sydneysiders aren’t the only ones who can shop at stores like this. 

I’ve seen TikToks of similar supermarkets popping up in different states, like ‘Cheaper by Miles’ in Victoria, which currently has three locations; Footscray, Flemington and Brunswick. 

The difference between best-before and use-by dates

If you’re still unsure about the concept of eating foods close to or past their best-before dates, don’t just take it from me and that store employee.

According to Better Health, “The 'best-before' date gives you an idea of how long the food will last before it loses quality. A product will remain fresh and of good quality right up to the 'best-before' date (and sometimes beyond) if it is properly stored in accordance with any storage conditions on the food label, both at the store and at your home.”

“Manufacturers usually choose a 'best-before' date well before the time when the food would be expected to deteriorate and spoil.”

They also state that foods after the best-before date are safe to eat, but “they may have lost quality and some nutritional value.” 

For health and safety reasons, foods that should not be consumed after a certain date are marked with a ‘use-by’ date.

This distinction is crucial, as it allows stores like Beyond Best Before and Cheaper by Miles to sell products that are still good to consume but at a massive discount, helping everyday Aussies save money on their groceries.

Cha-ching to that!

Originally published as I found a little-known supermarket to score ultra-cheap groceries