Newsletter #18

Dear all,

Spring is here! It brings good weather, fresh wind and of course all sorts of news from the bioase…

New products

Beelitz Asparagus This year’s asparagus season started much earlier than usual, but just in time for Easter! The ‘white gold’ is now known far beyond regional borders for its high quality and delicate, smooth and elegant flavour. Asparagus is also rich in potassium, an important electrolyte for nerves and muscles, and is ideal for diabetics as it is low in carbohydrates. White asparagus is made up of more than 90% water, so it should be eaten as fresh as possible. In addition to the classic hollandaise sauce, asparagus goes very well with strong cheeses. The asparagus spears and peels can be used to make an asparagus cream soup. Grab it while the short season lasts!

Product of the Month: Quail Bean Tempeh This month Marco recommends quail bean tempeh from Peaceful delicious in Brandenburg: quail beans are not only beautifully speckled like a quail egg, they can also be used to make tempeh!

Like tofu, this protein source is made by fermentation using an edible mould. One advantage of tempeh over tofu is that the whole bean can be used, so there are no by-products. Quail bean tempeh is easily digestible, filling, rich in protein and a good source of folic acid and calcium.

You can prepare quail bean tempeh in much the same way as other meat alternatives: stir-fried whole, or sliced and added to a curry or other vegetable dish.

Bioase Hausgemacht Water kefir and kombucha from “Kollektiv Bioase Hausgemacht” (=homemade products) are finally back after a long winter break! They are made by collectivista Ashley with the fruit from the store; partly with what would otherwise have to be thrown away. The flavors vary constantly, so be in for a fresh surprise every time :-) The fermented drinks contain important probiotics, antioxidants and B vitamins and can therefore support intestinal health and the immune system.

The very popular Fire Cider (an apple cider vinegar with extra power) is already sold out – wow! Another batch is in the making, but it will take another month to complete. We can reserve bottles of it for you, just let us know!

We have also changed our homemade bottles so that the deposit is now only €1. We would be very happy if you brought them back to us!

Zero Waste Shopping

Great news: Unpacked almond butter and tahini is finally back in stock! Nourit experienced severe delivery delays due to financial bottlenecks. Now they are back. Hooray!

“Nourit Naturkost” is a young company for unpackaged organic food based in Berlin. The company wants to move closer to a resource-saving and sustainable future by eliminating single-use packaging. Now we can finally fill the almond butter or tahini directly at the counter in our returnable jars or in your own containers.

And now for the other good news: since Easter, in addition to nuts, dates and cocoa nibs, we have three types of pasta that you can fill yourself. You are welcome to bring your own containers for this purpose, or you can get a cloth shopping bag from us for a small donation. You can also use our returnable containers (€1).

As mentioned in the last newsletter, we would like to offer a small, selected range of unpackaged products. To ensure this is as tailored to your needs as possible, we would like to hear from you: Which products would you like to buy unpackaged and fill yourself in our shop?

We have created a survey for you in which we have already made a pre-selection. This is based on the experience of other stores and also takes into account the workload for our small team. If your product requests are not included, please let us know! However, we ask for your understanding if we are unable to fulfil all your requests. We are curious to know what you want! Click here for the survey.

Zero waste – let’s go!

Become a member!

Unfortunately, many of our loyal member customers have moved away since the beginning of the year. In order to attract more customers back to Bioase, we started our “Promo Campaigns” in March. You may have seen one or two of us on the street handing out flyers.

The membership giveaway campaign is also still running: If you are already a member, you can give away up to two one-month trial memberships until the end of May. If the recipient then signs up for a regular membership, we’ll take you both out for a coffee! :-))

A quick explanation for those who are not yet familiar with the membership option: All products in the shop and café are marked with two prices: One for members and one for all other customers. Our membership option is for those who shop with us regularly and want to support us in the long term. The monthly membership fee and your reliable purchases give us more financial security. We pass this advantage on to our members in the form of reduced product prices. As a member, you can shop with us at significantly lower prices than other organic supermarkets! You can also have a say in what we carry, order products we don’t stock or place bulk orders. Interested? Find out more in our store or here: Link Link

News from the team

Our dear Camille will soon be a dad, so he’s going on parental leave for couple of months. We already miss him and wish him a wonderful time with his family.

Our expert and very competent and lovely Elke will also be leaving us at the end of April because she has found a job in her town. We thank her for the last few months, in which she has been an amazing support and help to us!

But we also have two new people in our team starting in April: We are welcoming Claudi and Jay and are looking forward to our collaboration! Both will support us primarily in the evening shifts.

Miscellaneous

One of the oldest women’s collectives in Berlin, the Kreuzberg organic shop Kraut und Rüben, is looking for a breath of fresh air for a new beginning! They have been a firmly anchored neighborhood meeting place for over 40 years; and it should definitely continue! More information here, get in touch if you know anything or would like to get involved!

A note about our vegetables from our small suppliers in Saxony: Some of you may have noticed that some beetroot, yakon and radishes still have a lot of soil on them. These are deliberately delivered unwashed to increase their shelf life. It looks unusual to our city eyes, but this is how the vegetables really come from the field ;-) It still tastes fantastic, so don’t be put off and enjoy the beauty that comes out underneath that layer of dirt when you brush it away! 😃

And a word about paying by cash/card: As you know, we prefer to take cash. Of course, you can still pay by card, but only for purchases over €5 for EC cards and €10 for all other cards. If you don’t have the minimum, we’ll be happy to help you out with some change! For more background information on card payments and other frequently asked questions, click here

At the very end…

…as always a big THANK YOU, and see you later in Bioase!!! 🙂

Your Kollektiv Bioase