Non-veg shop but offers a selection of vegan and vegetarian items including convenience foods, refrigerated and frozen foods, grocery, and health food items. Open Mon-Sun 08:00-21:00.
Writing this as other reviews are very old. I've been in Brighton for a year now and visit Taj semi-regularly as it is a decent store in the centre. It is easy enough to avoid the non-vegan areas (think deli and frozen stuffs). Fruit and veg are first in the store, and down the first aisle are the vegan frozen goods. Big section of vegan milks, and has other vegan items scattered around the non-perishable isles. The main reason I go here is because they sell plastic-free (PF) spinach and Bonsoy milk - pure Tetra Pak, no plastic cap. I usually pick up other hard to find PF items here like mandarin segments, tofu, juices... They also do various mushrooms (shiitake, oyster) that are difficult to find, white sweet potato and papaya!
We love this shop. We get to have a plethora of fresh produce, affordable fruit and veg, really great range of legumes, spices, veggie and vegan options. They even have a hot counter where you can get a curry, we had a biryani, bhaji, falafal and curried potato for around £12
Brilliant supermarket!! lots of vegan options available here, such as tofu, vegan cheese, chocolates and sweets, quorn, so much fresh veg and fruit too!
I've tried a handful of the 'major' chains and they are limited.
Taj have a wide array of vegan food options. They sell lots of ingredients that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. I live a bit far out and away from any international food stores so this is a massive positive for me! They also have a good range of vegan refrigerated and frozen items.
I absolutely love this shop. As a Brighton resident I visit at least once a week, if not more often. Their counter of curries and Indian snacks is incredible! Try the battered aubergine. Fruit and vegetables, freezers and chillers full of vegan food, soya yogurt and milk, jars of gherkins, roasted peppers etc. snack bars, nuts, crisps - vegan heaven! Avoid the olives though - have seen dozens of flies coming out of the big self-serve tubs!
As other reviews have pointed out, Taj is basically a supermarket with a good range of ethnic and vegan products BUT also a meat counter.
Useful to have somewhere in central Brighton to buy spices, etc that can be hard to find elsewhere.
The range of fruit and veg was good but we weren't bowled over with the quality of what we bought.
The olives were yummy.
Was surprised the take-out curry counter didn't have more to offer veggies.
This is a wonderful store.
They have a brilliant selection of health food and exotic foods. All the beans and lentils you can ask for and a huge selection of spices. This is my one stop shop for food, because they also have a wide selection of vegan favorites like rice milk, tofu sausages and dairy free chocolate.
You can also buy nice prepared food from their fresh foods counter.
The staff is always helpful and friendly.
I regularly use Taj, but only because of the phenomenal vegan choices they have. Otherwise I feel rather guilty supporting a company selling halal meat. I've never seen staff so unfriendly, especially the ones at the till. They clearly hate their jobs and do it only because they have no choice. They often completely ignore you having a chat between themselves while serving you. Another thing that drives me up the wall is the fact that they are fixated on giving out as many plastic bags as possible. In other places they actually ask whether you want one or not, but not these people. I feel pressurised into accepting them, which I never do, of course. Even when they see my own bag in my hand and even after telling them, sometimes several times, that I don't want one they just ignore you and carry on. I normally end up begging them to let me use my own bags. Many times I've been close to speaking to the manager, actually, I get so worked up by it. 3 more things to watch out for:
food past the sell-by date (I've seen mouldy fresh pasta before and jars with their seals broken as I could press the button on top),
a very high percentage of items not labelled for price at all, so you have absolutely no idea how much they're going to be,
also Taj has a habit of tricky pricing. When within a product range there are different flavours (for example chocolate bars, same company and brand) they stick the same price on all of them, except one which will be sometimes quite a bit higher. You have to inspect the prices very closely not to fall into this trap. I make a point out of never buying those items. Why would I pay 25-50% more for something I know costs the same as the others? Also, I never buy fruit and vegetables there as they can't be bothered informing you about their origin. So I can't be bothered buying them. All in all, I couldn't live without it, but I'm always very careful to double check every product I buy and not to fall into their little traps.
Situated on the corner of Western Rd and [censored] Rd.
Grocery with a wide range of fruit and vegetables some exotic to the UK. Also a variety of food items for Middle Eastern, South, South Eastern and East Asian food.
Fairly comprehensive grocery store.
They also sell hooka pipes.
We stay at Brighton at this moment and used to go there to shop rather often. But the selection of organic fresh vegetable and fruits are way much less compare with Sainsbury, so eventually we change the place. For organic vege, they will put a sticker of "organic", but you will have no clue of where is the source. They have a wide selection of vegan frozen food and organic canned food. It is a good place to get Oriental food or spices as well.
I'm not convinced that Taj is selling the most ethical food around. Last time I was in there, (admittedly a while ago) they were selling Chiquita bananas (bad for these reasons... http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1852) , while the Waitrose store opposite seems to sell nothing but fair trade. And other produce wasn't labelled as organic, but the store sign outside leads you to assume all of it is.
The store is wonderful for ethnic food which can be hard to get hold of in Sussex, but I would remain very sceptical of the rest and especially for paying high prices for what you believe to be more ethical produce.
As a vegan Taj is a real lifesaver, it's packed with every vegan and health product you could want. It can be a little pricey for some things but overall it's so much nicer to shop there than in the supermarkets around. Even the staff remember you and are friendly. They could stock a little more on the organic side, but the produce is really nice and often local. Overall Taj makes living in Brighton even more positive.
15 Reviews
First Review by tailspin
christy1993
Points +905
decent store with lots of vegan - Edit
Writing this as other reviews are very old. I've been in Brighton for a year now and visit Taj semi-regularly as it is a decent store in the centre. It is easy enough to avoid the non-vegan areas (think deli and frozen stuffs). Fruit and veg are first in the store, and down the first aisle are the vegan frozen goods. Big section of vegan milks, and has other vegan items scattered around the non-perishable isles. The main reason I go here is because they sell plastic-free (PF) spinach and Bonsoy milk - pure Tetra Pak, no plastic cap. I usually pick up other hard to find PF items here like mandarin segments, tofu, juices... They also do various mushrooms (shiitake, oyster) that are difficult to find, white sweet potato and papaya!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan, Plastic-free fruit and veg, Relatively decent prices
Cons: Deli and frozen stuffs sections - can avoid, Can queue for a while, Staff hit and miss
Guest
AlexWaring
Points +120
Love this place - Edit
We love this shop. We get to have a plethora of fresh produce, affordable fruit and veg, really great range of legumes, spices, veggie and vegan options. They even have a hot counter where you can get a curry, we had a biryani, bhaji, falafal and curried potato for around £12
Read morePros: Great selection of fruit and veg, Hot counter with veg & vegan options, So many options
Cons: Not strong enough to carry all the stuff
Guest
AmandaRulton
Points +585
Lots of vegan food - Edit
Brilliant supermarket!! lots of vegan options available here, such as tofu, vegan cheese, chocolates and sweets, quorn, so much fresh veg and fruit too!
Read moreI've tried a handful of the 'major' chains and they are limited.
Some items are a tad pricey!
Updated from previous review on 2024-01-09
Pros: Loads of vegan options, Plenty of fresh fruit and veg
Cons: Some items pricey
Guest
wilsonschneidg
Points +3259
Great range - Edit
Taj have a wide array of vegan food options. They sell lots of ingredients that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. I live a bit far out and away from any international food stores so this is a massive positive for me! They also have a good range of vegan refrigerated and frozen items.
Read moreGuest
GinaGee
Points +22
Lovely shop - Edit
This is a great shop and has just been extended. Has so many vegan items and is reasonably priced. You won't walk out without buying anything!
Read moreGuest
cmwilmowski
Points +134
Vital for a Brighton resident! - Edit
I absolutely love this shop. As a Brighton resident I visit at least once a week, if not more often. Their counter of curries and Indian snacks is incredible! Try the battered aubergine. Fruit and vegetables, freezers and chillers full of vegan food, soya yogurt and milk, jars of gherkins, roasted peppers etc. snack bars, nuts, crisps - vegan heaven! Avoid the olives though - have seen dozens of flies coming out of the big self-serve tubs!
Read morePros: Almost everything you need., Incredible home-made curry counter.
Cons: Questionable hygiene standards.
Guest
Miggi
Points +2982
Supermarket with some good vegan choices - Edit
As other reviews have pointed out, Taj is basically a supermarket with a good range of ethnic and vegan products BUT also a meat counter.
Read moreUseful to have somewhere in central Brighton to buy spices, etc that can be hard to find elsewhere.
The range of fruit and veg was good but we weren't bowled over with the quality of what we bought.
The olives were yummy.
Was surprised the take-out curry counter didn't have more to offer veggies.
Pros: Spices and unusal ingredients, Vegan foods stocked
Cons: Sells meat. , Mixed quality
Guest
Anneluren
Points +45
Great store - Edit
This is a wonderful store.
Read moreThey have a brilliant selection of health food and exotic foods. All the beans and lentils you can ask for and a huge selection of spices. This is my one stop shop for food, because they also have a wide selection of vegan favorites like rice milk, tofu sausages and dairy free chocolate.
You can also buy nice prepared food from their fresh foods counter.
The staff is always helpful and friendly.
Guest
RisingForce
Points +40
Good store with flaws - Edit
I regularly use Taj, but only because of the phenomenal vegan choices they have. Otherwise I feel rather guilty supporting a company selling halal meat. I've never seen staff so unfriendly, especially the ones at the till. They clearly hate their jobs and do it only because they have no choice. They often completely ignore you having a chat between themselves while serving you. Another thing that drives me up the wall is the fact that they are fixated on giving out as many plastic bags as possible. In other places they actually ask whether you want one or not, but not these people. I feel pressurised into accepting them, which I never do, of course. Even when they see my own bag in my hand and even after telling them, sometimes several times, that I don't want one they just ignore you and carry on. I normally end up begging them to let me use my own bags. Many times I've been close to speaking to the manager, actually, I get so worked up by it. 3 more things to watch out for:
Read morefood past the sell-by date (I've seen mouldy fresh pasta before and jars with their seals broken as I could press the button on top),
a very high percentage of items not labelled for price at all, so you have absolutely no idea how much they're going to be,
also Taj has a habit of tricky pricing. When within a product range there are different flavours (for example chocolate bars, same company and brand) they stick the same price on all of them, except one which will be sometimes quite a bit higher. You have to inspect the prices very closely not to fall into this trap. I make a point out of never buying those items. Why would I pay 25-50% more for something I know costs the same as the others? Also, I never buy fruit and vegetables there as they can't be bothered informing you about their origin. So I can't be bothered buying them. All in all, I couldn't live without it, but I'm always very careful to double check every product I buy and not to fall into their little traps.
Pros: Huge vegan variety, Good layout, pleasant shop
Cons: They take you for a fool, Grumpy staff, Expensive
Guest
Jemima
Points +484
Grocery store w lots of ethnic ingredients - Edit
Situated on the corner of Western Rd and [censored] Rd.
Read moreGrocery with a wide range of fruit and vegetables some exotic to the UK. Also a variety of food items for Middle Eastern, South, South Eastern and East Asian food.
Fairly comprehensive grocery store.
They also sell hooka pipes.
Pros: Big variety for ethnic cooking, pretty fast turnover
Guest
raphalla
Points +776
Vegetarian Friendly Grocery - Edit
We stay at Brighton at this moment and used to go there to shop rather often. But the selection of organic fresh vegetable and fruits are way much less compare with Sainsbury, so eventually we change the place. For organic vege, they will put a sticker of "organic", but you will have no clue of where is the source. They have a wide selection of vegan frozen food and organic canned food. It is a good place to get Oriental food or spices as well.
Read morePros: Frozen Food
Cons: Label
Guest
milady
Points +77
Not Convinced - Edit
I'm not convinced that Taj is selling the most ethical food around. Last time I was in there, (admittedly a while ago) they were selling Chiquita bananas (bad for these reasons... http://www.theecologist.org/pages/archive_detail.asp?content_id=1852) , while the Waitrose store opposite seems to sell nothing but fair trade. And other produce wasn't labelled as organic, but the store sign outside leads you to assume all of it is.
Read moreThe store is wonderful for ethnic food which can be hard to get hold of in Sussex, but I would remain very sceptical of the rest and especially for paying high prices for what you believe to be more ethical produce.
Guest
keithpp
Points +57
excellent Indian food shop - Edit
I was in Brighton earlier this year
Read morehttp://www.heureka.clara.net/sussex/brighton.htm
for Seedy Sunday Brighton
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/02/390643.html
On my way home, I passed by Taj Natural.
It was like a Aladin's Cave for food lovers, an Indian variant of Infinity Foods.
Unlike Indian and other 'ethnic' shops which are usually dark and dingy and dirty, this was open and airy.
A vast range of fresh fruit and vegetables, but it was far more than just a fruit and veg shop.
I was with friends, and they too were impressed.
I left laden with food.
We need more quality food shops like Taj Natural where food shopping is a pleasure not a hateful chore.
Also try Infinity Foods.
Pros: fresh fruit and veg, wide choice of foods
Guest
Graham
Points +168
The Best Shopping Experience in Brighton - Edit
As a vegan Taj is a real lifesaver, it's packed with every vegan and health product you could want. It can be a little pricey for some things but overall it's so much nicer to shop there than in the supermarkets around. Even the staff remember you and are friendly. They could stock a little more on the organic side, but the produce is really nice and often local. Overall Taj makes living in Brighton even more positive.
Read morePros: Friendly, Great Selection, Great Atmosphere
Cons: A little pricey
Guest
tailspin
Points +24
Good selection - Edit
Good store, just a shame that is serves dead flesh
Read morePros: good selection
Cons: NOT VEGGIE, MEAT COUNTER
Guest
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