Natural products and wholefood store with an organic juice and smoothie bar inside. Stocks organic produce, vitamins, vegan and vegetarian foods, toiletries, and more. Open Mon-Wed 9:00am-6:00pm, Thu 9:00am-7:00pm, Fri-Sat 9:00am-6:00pm, Sun 11:00am-5:00pm.
Reviews (8)
First Review by skinnydog
Contributions +1541
health food store like Holland and Barrett - Edit
Quite similar to Holland and Barrett offering a range of Vegan supplements, snacks, frozen items, cheese, Tofurky, meat alternatives, dry nuts and fruit. They also have a juice bar.
Pros: Vegan options
Cons: Has non vegan things like dairy and fish oils, Pricy
Contributions +102
Expensive but appreciated! - Edit
Perhaps Beanfreaks has changed over the years, as I don't relate to the experiences of those who wrote the first couple of reviews - though I will say their prices are still pretty steep!
Beanfreaks has a great choice of veggie and gluten-free foods/snacks, toiletries and supplements - and I've never seen a bigger range of nut butters! I want to try so many things - but I have stop myself because it's a tad expensive which is what lets Beanfreaks down a little.
They stock Tortoise Bakery - a Bridgend bakery which makes fab organic breads, I recommend the flax and chia seed sourdough and the spelt brownie.
I haven't tried one of their smoothies yet - but their fresh fruit smoothie bar looks promising.
Pros: Plentiful choice, Fresh smoothies, Smelt lovely in there last time I went
Cons: Steep prices
Contributions +18
Great store - Edit
Totally confused by the previous reviews. Beanfreaks is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise chain store saturated city centre.
Pros: wide selection, helpful staff, better than H+B
Contributions +902
pretty good selection - Edit
Front half of store is all dietary supplements and such. Back half is food. Miso soup mixes, cereals, snack bars, refrigerated foods, tofu, etc. One shelf of various soup mixes were mis-labelled and -priced. Be aware.
Contributions +13
Helpful - Edit
I've been shopping at Beanfreaks (and Health & Herbs amongst others) for years.
Couldn't believe the reviews here, so had to register to make a comment. You won't find a more helpful and knowledgeable staff.
Always interesting new things as well as the basics (cereal, beans etc). Yes I am biased, as I'm on the membership card which gets you a decent discount on most items. I frequently can spend an hour just browsing all the weird and wonderful items.
It's an independent health food store that has been running for as long as I remember, and I'd certainly chose it over a H&B any day of the week.
Pros: Huge variety, Great staff knowledge
Cons: Need to catch a bus into the centre
Contributions +27
Meh - Edit
I wouldn't go here if you have any other choice. It's mainly geared up for selling muscle building poweder and other pills and potions that make a lot of cash so the food is almost secondary.
Pros: central
Cons: corporate
Contributions +21
over-priced, cold atmosphere - Edit
I would not reccomend Beanfreaks. I think that the prices are way too high, and that just because it is a central location means they think they can charge more. I also don't like the impersonal feeling, it is very busy and there isn't much time to talk to staff and you feel quite anonomous, rather like shopping in a supermarket than your local. Also, there is too much emphasis on Maximuscle kind of stuff for my liking, and they dont do fresh fruit and veg it's more packaged expensive foods. i suppose that it's the only decent place in the city centre, but it is worth going elsewhere unless you are on the go in town. I don't suppose the shop is made from sustainable materials either?
Pros: handy when in town
Cons: Over-priced!, Impersonal
2 Responses
Fluffy Nutritionist 01 Jul 2008 - Sustainable materials ..... Do you now how long the shop has been there .... 21 years I call that sustainable!!!
Beanfreaks is built upon strong ethics ... the founders started out in the health food industry in 1977 ... long before eating a healthy diet and going green were fashionable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fluffy Nutritionist 22 Feb 2013 - Dear Nettletea,
I think you are being a bit on the critical side, Beanfreaks Cardiff is a busy city centre store, so by its nature can feel a little less intimate, however the staff are always friendly, and the Senior products advisor Alison is wonderful and full of knowledge, she has worked for Beanfreaks for over 15 years.
The prices are always competative.... considering we are are a family business and not a big corporation that oppresses suppliers to give you cheap food!
The lack of fresh fruit and veg ..... well its simply supply and demand .... cardiff is serviced by a fabulous market two shops up, and a weekly organic market.
What makes me sad is that nettle tea hasn't really taken trouble to chat to staff or look beyond the sports section... which is only one small section in a large fabulously stocked independant health store.
We
Contributions +35
going down hill - Edit
They're not so good now for grabbing a quick snack to eat if you're a hungry shopping vegan. They've not even worked out how to split the soya milkshakes down to singles so that you can just buy one instead of three. Duh!
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