Naturally On High

Bulk goods and organic products are the calling card of Naturally on High, despite the inevitable associations its’ name conjures up.
Not everything is totally organic and there’s some gelatine based lollies down the front end, but all the bases seem to be covered from skin care through to dried fruit and nuts. The prices are very reasonable and there are some interesting brands on offer. However, the place is always ridiculously busy, so you end up spending a longer amount of time in a queue than you would at most other places, and the service can be a bit impersonal and spacey at times. It’s also a very cramped store that’s difficult to navigate if you’re carrying a lot of stuff, but it’s not too impossible a quest.

I love that scene in The Simpsons where Otto walks out of a shop called Stoners Pot Palace and says something along the lines of, ‘that’s a flagrant case of false advertising’. Hilarious.
Naturally On High conjures images of those shops in NZ where you can get ‘party pills’ over the counter and they get you high in a sick kind of way for about 20 minutes, then you come down for five days and it’s worse than any actual drugs you’ve ever taken. Reality is, they only sell organic dry goods, grains, nuts and produce here. Boring.
But not really. They also do bread and it’s pretty good, though you never seem to be able to get the same one twice, which kinda sucks. And they do all these sweets but then you get them home and you realise the chocolate’s actually carob so you try and pass ‘em off to you stupid nieces but they’re wise to it and turn their spoilt brat noses up at them.
But this place does do great healthy stuff. And they do know their shit. But you gotta put up with some pretty flaky service and narrow aisles and shit. I’m on the fence about this one…

Do you desire to eat more organic food but just find it is too expensive? Well Naturally on High is one of the cheapest places you will find organic food and rock bottom prices.
Don’t go their expecting to see your typical organic store, looking all gourmet and teaming with Naturopaths giving you all sort of advice. This place is much more like your typical continental bulk grocery store. In fact, they do sell a range of (non-​organic) continental bulk foods as well.
It is also a very small shop, so expect to have to weave your way around the many customers this place attracts.
Recently they have expanded into the shore front next door as well. So now they have a juice bar, a full range of organic fresh fruit and vegetables and a lot more organic skincare than before. Really the prices at this place cannot be believed until you go there. Trust me, I have worked in the organic industry for years, and this is hands down the cheapest place you are ever likely to find. So much so that I wonder how they manage to even stay in business.

Its name might scream ‘head shop’ but Naturally On High is nothing of the short. In fact it’s an exceptionally good health food shop in Thornbury that is absolutely packed to the rafters with an incredible selection of well priced organic foods.
I particularly like Naturally On High for its impressive range of herbs and spices which are hands down the cheapest I’ve yet found in Melbourne and bulk items such as Naturally On High’s selection of organic freshly ground coffee which is at times cheaper than its inorganic supermarket counterpart.
This place can get busy at the weekends so if you fancy a leisurely browse it’s definitely wise to visit during the week. A true health food gem.