Departments
Customer Service
Our community markets each have a customer service desk. Our team’s mission is to provide helpful, friendly, informative, knowledgeable and up-to-date information about all areas of the store including our products and services, our standards, and community involvement.
Complimentary Store Tours
Our complimentary store tours are hosted by Certified Nutritionists. For more information about this service, click here.
Household Goods
Whether you need to blend it, store it or purify it, we have the appliance to help you!
Our appliances are available at our Customer Service desks. We have a variety of water and air filters, blenders and much more. Due to limited stock, we recommend calling or emailing before coming in to purchase a specific item. To check if we carry an item you are interested in, please call our customer service directly.
Refund Policy
All refunds are processed at the customer service desk with the exception of the Body Care and Dispensary departments who handle their own product returns.
Bread
We offer a large selection of breads from over 30 different bakeries and specialize in carrying an assortment of natural and organic breads sourced from the best local companies.
Our specialty items include: organic, salt-free, gluten-free, sprouted, soy-free, sugar-free, vegan, non-wheat varieties, sourdough.
We also carry a variety of buns, bagels, flat breads, raw crackers, pitas and baked goods.
Special orders and holds can be arranged by calling the bread department ahead of your next visit to the store.
Bulk
Buying food in bulk is a great way to save money. It is also better for our planet as it tends to be packaged less than many other grocery items, especially if you bring in your own re-usable bags or containers.
Our bulk department is full of staples and unique products. We carry dozens of different flours, beans, peas, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, trail mixes, flakes, whole grains, rice, granola and candies.
We also carry nutritional yeasts, salts, carob, cacao, chia, hemp seeds, couscous and other great products.
Bring your own containers
We will credit you 25 cents for any container you bring in to buy bulk items.
Carrot Kitchen
The Carrot Kitchen is The Big Carrot Natural Food Market’s eatery and food service department. We are proud to serve our community fresh, local and organic dishes. Daily our cooks create a healthy selection of fresh, innovative dishes with ingredients sourced from many local farmers and producers. We use organic ingredients when ever possible because we believe organic is the best choice for our plates and our planet. We have a variety of dishes suitable for many specific dietary needs including vegan, vegetarian, paleo, made without gluten and/or dairy.
Our kitchens vary slightly between the Danforth and Beach Community Markets.
At the Danforth we offer a salad bar, hot food bar, taqueria and 4 daily soups & stews.
At the Beach we offer fresh daily meals (protein, starch, vegetables) and 2 soups.
Both locations offer:
- Dozens of grab & go, sandwiches, salads, snacks and meals
- Rotisserie organic chicken
- Pastries and desserts
Grocery
We offer many gluten-free, non-dairy, low sodium and salt-free products as well as ingredients and foods to support macrobiotic, paleo, keto, vegan and vegetarian diets. We also stock organic baby food, allergen-friendly school snacks, environmental cleaning products and even pet food!
We are continually striving to improve our product selection. Can’t find a product on our shelves? It’s possible that it may not be available in Canada or does not meet our rigorous store standards. For more information, visit our product standards page.
For product inquires or to place a special order, contact the Grocery Department.
Fridge and Freezer
Our fridges and freezers are full of healthy alternatives to convenient items. We carry a large selection of prepared foods, desserts, soups, dairy and vegan/vegetarian substitutions!
Our cheese selection is well curated. We offer local, organic and artisanal products to goat, sheep, cow and buffalo cheeses.
We also have a large selection of dairy-free alternatives suitable for vegetarians, vegans and those avoiding dairy.
Danforth: 416.466.2129 x 222
Beach: 416.466.2129 x 313
Organic Juice & Smoothie Bar
We offer fresh, organic drinks, cold-pressed juices, speciality elixirs as well as refreshing smoothies.
To boost the benefits to your favourite drinks, we offer a variety of nutritional additions such as superfoods, protein boosts, immune elixirs, detoxifiers, energizers and greens.
Our coffee is triple certified – organic, fair trade and bird-friendly! We offer a wide range of organic and fair trade teas.
To learn more about our cold-pressed juice facility and the benefits of cold-pressed juice, click here.
Our Danforth Community Market Organic Juice Bar in Toronto was renovated in May 2019!
We serve up fresh cold-pressed juices, smoothies, elixirs, smoothie bowls and shots!
- Click here for our Danforth Coffee Menu
- Click here for our Danforth Juice and Smoothie Menus
- Click here for the Danforth Smoothie Bowl, Shots and Kid’s Menu
Our Beach Community Market Smoothie Bar is nestled inside the store beside the Carrot Kitchen. We offer delicious homemade smoothies and a great selection of bottled cold-pressed juices.
Click here for our Beach Coffee Menu
Click here for our Beach Smoothie Menu
Bring Your Own Cup
We encourage customers to bring in their own reusable cups and containers. When you bring your own container you will receive .10c off any beverage. BYO is on hold due to Covid-19.
Custom Orders:
Although we do take phone orders, we must accommodate all ‘in-person’ orders as our first priority. Note: Custom orders and 1 Litre sizes may take longer to process.
Danforth: 416.466.2129 x 231
Beach: 416.466.2129 x 331
Meat and Seafood
In 2013 our butchers became certified in organic handling practices so we can offer you more choice. The Big Carrot prioritizes small Ontario family farms as well as organic and pastured meat – there are always organic and grass-fed options.
Our Meat and Seafood standards
- We have direct relationships with our farmers and suppliers
- Meat from intensive factory farms or feedlots, and the use of synthetic hormones and antibiotics in the feed is prohibited
- All of our eggs are cage-free, the majority of our choices are organic or pastured
- We only sell Ocean Wise approved, sustainably caught, fresh and frozen seafood and our canned salmon and tuna is sustainably sourced
- We will never carry fish that is ranked ‘Avoid’ by Seafood Watch or any genetically modified animals such as the GM Salmon
Our specialty items include grass fed beef, pastured chicken, wild game meats, gluten-free crumbs on our breaded items, no sugar in our prepared foods marinades and spice mixes, in-store pasta and meat sauce, 3 bean chili, roti and meatballs, Phil’s Own – sausage, burgers, roti, flattened chicken, schnitzel, Grab & Go items, Oceanwise approved fish and seafood.
Meat Buying Guide
Ocean Wise Guide
Produce
The Big Carrot is proud to offer a wide selection of certified organic produce. Our extensive experience in the natural food industry allows us to draw from a variety of growers and distributors, as we strive to bring you the best quality of certified organic produce, year round.
We buy directly from local producers whenever possible, and work with a number of certified organic, local distributors striving for an organic chain of supply, all the way from the organic farm to our produce department.
We are proud to participate in GROW FOR THE STOP. The Big Carrot donates 10% of the retail sales of THE NEW FARM’s produce to The Stop Community Food Centre.
What does organic mean?
Providing customers with certified organic products is at the core of The Big Carrot’s mission. The term “organic” refers to agricultural and processing/handling practices that exclude the use of synthetic fungicides, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, amongst other non-sustainable agents. Central to the philosophy of organic farming is the preservation of soil structure and environmental vitality, through the use of substances and methods that are conducive to its sustainability.
Please visit our Organics page for more information.
Danforth: 416.466.2129 x 213
Beach: 416.466.2129 x 313
Wellness
At The Big Carrot, our Wellness Department comprises our Body Care and Wholistic Dispensary. These departments offer natural health products to help keep you and your family healthy inside and out. Our product selection varies between our 2 locations, please call ahead if you are looking for a specific item.
Body Care
The Big Carrot’s Body Care department is proud to be free from dozens of harmful ingredients including parabens, formaldehyde, phthalates, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulphate, petroleum, aluminum, oxybenzone, artificial colours and many more.
Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are trained to assist you in finding which product best suits your body’s needs, skin type, and style. Our staff expertise includes aestheticians, aromatherapists and make-up artists.
In our body care department, you will find natural make-up, baby care, men’s care, candles, hair and face care, essential oils, DIY ingredients and containers
Dispensary
The Big Carrot’s Dispensary is home to hundreds of natural health products including:
- Ayurveda
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Herbs from various regions around the world
- Plant and gem essences
- Bee products
- Tinctures
- Food based products
- Flower remedies
- Homeopathic
- Super Foods
We also carry many products that are vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO.
Our professional staff of natural health care professionals are available daily to help select the right product for your specific needs. We offer products to help balance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Special Orders: Can’t find a product on our shelves? Our staff will first research your product request to see if it is available in Canada. Some orders, mostly products we don’t normally carry on a regular basis require prepayment. Visit, call or email us if you would like to request a product search.