Newsletter #21

Dear all,

Some of you might have noticed that we have significantly reduced our range during the summer holidays, especially when it comes to refrigerated and baked goods. We will of course slowly ramp up our range again at the end of the holidays. Please let us know what you are missing so that we can reorder important products for you more quickly!

School enrollment & start of school

On September 7th, a new, very important phase in the lives of many children in Berlin begins. They start school, learn to read and write and thus become more independent. And of course a few days later a new school year and a new adventure begins for all other grades 🙂 For growing up, you will find various treats to fill school bags or as a little motivational aid for lunch: various fruit bars, chocolate or chewing gum - many of them with sugar alternatives such as fruit sweetener, honey or xylitol. But we also have practical things for everyday school life or for at home such as water colours, colored pencils and wax crayons, children’s toothpaste, bath additives, animal washcloths or sustainable drinking bottles.

Stop by and get inspired about what you can do to do something good for the little ones (and bigger ones)!

Product information and new products

Product of the month: Non-alcoholic PIWI sparkling wine from WEINGUT Häußling First of all, what does PIWI actually mean? – PIWI stands for fungal resistance and thus a new movement or new generation of wine-growing culture.

Within the EU, conventional wine-growing uses by far the highest amounts of pesticides compared to other agricultural products.

By crossing well-known vines such as Sauvignon Blanc with robust grape varieties that are resistant to fungal diseases, the use of pesticides is significantly reduced, so that a more sustainable and environmentally friendly form of wine-growing can be guaranteed.

We have two Piwi wines from our ecologically sustainable wine supplier from Laubenheim an der Nahe that even contain no alcohol.

The ideal non-alcoholic daytime companion for a celebratory event such as starting school.

UMBio

In the last newsletter we already informed you about the incredibly delicious orchard juices from UMBio. These are very well received by you; we are of course very pleased about that! We now also have freshly cracked hazelnuts from UMBio in our range – very crunchy and aromatic!

Havelmi yoghurt

Havelmi has recently started offering a vegan oat yoghurt with cassis flavour! This is initially a test run to see whether the new product is well received by customers. You can already find the deposit jars in our refrigerated section. If you like it, they will continue to produce it. So grab a jar and enjoy! 😋

4peoplewhocare

The Kühle Köpfchen Aloe Vera Gel from 4peoplewhocare was our product of the month in July/August. The small manufacturer from Hamburg also produces other natural cosmetic products, all of which are plastic-free and contain as few ingredients as possible. In addition, part of their income goes towards planting flower meadows, which on the one hand provide a habitat for insects and birds, and on the other hand are an important regional CO2 store! We now have solid vegan hand and foot cream, body butter, lip care and sun protection in our range.

Nourit

We still have to be patient with the popular almond butter and tahini from Nourit. At the end of July, Nourit changed ownership. From now on, distribution will be taken over by Logisch Bio. We know very well how challenging such a change of ownership is, so all we can say is: good things take time! 🙂 Alternatively, we recommend the Muse from Monki – not the same, but still very tasty!

Federweißer

From around mid-September/beginning of October, like every year, we can look forward to sparkling Federweißer! Traditionally, it is enjoyed with onion cake. So keep your eyes open when you are in the Bioase! 🙂

The profile of the plum

It’s plum season, even here! Plums are digestive helpers with a large family - around 2000 species belong to it, including damsons, mirabelle plums and Reineclauden.

In the kitchen, they go well in fruit salads, filled with cream cheese when pitted or in plum cake, as a mirabelle spread, in yeast dumplings as a plum compote or in many other recipes.

Raw plums should not be eaten in excess and, if possible, should not be eaten with water or juices, as this will stimulate fermentation processes in the intestines.

Late plums should be exposed to the first frost, as this makes them even sweeter. They are only really ripe when their pointed end looks a little wrinkled.

News from Warawul

Hello again!

You may have noticed some staffing changes at the coffee bar. Zoulka is now working full time from Monday to Friday. Anabel, Brenda and Chris come in to support during the middle of the day and also cover shifts on Saturdays. Stop by to say hi and have a delicious coffee with us.

In coffee bean news, some big changes are coming to our menu. Our Rwandan coffee from producer Aimé Gahizi of Gitesi Coffee will only be in stock for a few more weeks. We will not receive Aimé’s coffee again until next year, as the fresh harvest is currently being prepared for export in Rwanda.

So if you still want to enjoy the Gitesi Peaberry, Washed or Espresso, don’t wait too long. Our Honduran coffee from Hidardo Hernandez will be available for a few more months.

We are especially excited to announce that our Colombian coffee from the Monkaaba project and producer Diever Galindez is currently in Hamburg and waiting for shipment to Berlin. This coffee will be available in September. And two Costa Rican coffee from producers Arelys Monge and the sisters Maria & Arleen Jimenez are currently afloat and will be arriving in German shores in September.

We are celebrating these new releases with open tasting sessions at the coffee bar. You are welcome to sip with us and find your new favorite. We’ll be sharing dates and more info at the coffee bar in the next few weeks.

Your Warawul-Team: Zoulka, Anabel, Chris and Brenda

Preview: Honey workshop in autumn with Ina from Sonnengold 🐝🍯

The honey tasting with Ina, which we had announced for July 21st, 2024, did not take place due to a lack of registrations. It was also one of the summeriest days – you were probably mostly at the lake or in the park 😉

That’s why we decided to offer a new date in autumn, when the temperatures have cooled down a bit and the cold season is just around the corner; because honey is unbeatable as an immune booster!

There is no exact date yet. We will keep you updated here and on our social media channels.

New to the team soon?

We are looking for a new collective person who will work part-time in the shop and also behind the scenes. If you know people who are interested in self-managed collective work and good food, please forward our request! You can access the job advertisement via this link.

FairLauf in Neukölln

Fair Week 2024 will take place from 13 to 27 September and will focus on climate justice under the motto “Fair! And not one degree more”. One of the events organised by the Aktionsbündnis Fairer Handel Berlin is the FairLauf in Neukölln. And of course we’re taking part! We believe that “fair” is more than just a logo or a certificate, and that “organic” and “fair” belong together. As a self-governing collective, we take a close look not only at our own working conditions, but also those of our suppliers and trading partners, many of whom we have direct and personal contact with. You can find more information about the project and how it works here.

On September 18, at the start of Fair Week Berlin Neukölln, there will be a KüFa (=kitchen for all) with fair and rescued food, followed by a film screening at the Kulturlabor Trial and Error. Come along!

Finally…

… as always, all we can say is: Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The summer is very lonely for us without you. Of course, we wish you enjoyment of every second of your vacation, but now it’s time to come to an end 😉

So with that in mind: See you later in the Bioase!

🙂 Your Bioase collective