My suburb's so daggy, our local shops are known as the ‘Square of Despair'
My partner and I are both transplants from interstate; though we'd been in Melbourne a few years and knew our way around Sydney Road – we basically lived in our Dejour jeans – Brunswick West had never been on our radar. When we went 'out their way' for their housewarming party, riding the 58 tram through the parkland and out past the zoo, it felt like we were heading to the end of the line in the middle of nowhere. (Of course, the 58 does continue to 'West Coburg', which we later learned wasn't a real suburb.)
A couple of years and dodgy rentals later, it was our turn to pack our bags for Brunny West, a street away from the Alexes. Now, it's hard to imagine living anywhere else.
There's a small-town community feel in Brunswick West that's harder to find in other inner suburbs. The distance between Sydney Road and Melville Road is not great, but it's far enough for us to remain undisturbed by all the goings-on over there.
It's a perfect setup; close enough to walk home from Eddy Castle after a beer, far enough away that everyone forgets about us. If Brunswick East is the yuppie, apartment-dwelling sibling of the cooler, grungier Brunswick, Brunswick West is the older sister: long past caring what anyone thinks about her, a bit daggy, maybe a bit too excited about her new worm farm. (Or maybe that's just me.)
We're where all the real punks live; punks with really great veggie gardens, who spend their free time knitting jumpers for their rescue greyhounds. Though, while you'd think we'd be lumped in with Brunswick by everyone else, it's more often the reverse: locals here are often hazy on the boundary where we end, and Brunswick begins. Technically, Gillon Oval and Gilpin Park don't belong to us, but to longtime West Brunswegians, pretty much anything this side of Sydney Road is ours.
We're out of the way a bit, a mostly residential suburb with nothing particularly in the way of office buildings or universities. Our shopping centre is Union Square, which almost feels like it shouldn't count. Known fondly to locals as the Square of Despair for its retro, neglected vibe and horrific public toilet, it features a Coles, some takeout places, a dollar store, a tobacconist and little else.
Melville Road is our beating heart, with businesses scattered along it, mostly hairdressers, cafes, pharmacies and panel beaters. The people who frequent our businesses are mostly locals – or tradies in hi-vis, parking outside Mr Truong's and eating banh mi in their utes at lunchtime. The pace is slower.
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- News.com.au
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While he acknowledges that he's comparing a spring water version with a flavoured one, he points out that you're better off buying the Sirena one and adding your own flavourings to it, to get the most tuna. When it comes to maple syrup, he compares Woolworths' 100 per cent pure Canadian Maple Syrup, which has just one ingredient and costs $9.50, with Woolworths' Maple Flavoured Syrup, costing $2.50, which has over nine ingredients. Parmigiano Reggiano, which is aged for a long time, was compared with regular parmesan, which he called just 'a regular hard cheese'. Olive oil wasn't spared either. He explained: 'Your extra virgin is basically just cold pressing olives, whereas your regular is extracted by using heat and/or chemicals, and in doing so, you lose many antioxidants and polyphenols. So pay for the quality'. His video quickly went viral, with commenters shocked by the differences. 'I didn't know that about tuna!' said one viewer. Another added, 'Interesting, just proves that generic brands are a rip off'. 'Thank you. This is why I don't buy home brand,' a third admitted. More price and ingredient disparities Mr Wernham told there are countless examples of these product disparities. 'Coconut milk is one to look out for,' he said. 'For example, Ayam has 89 per cent coconut extract and costs $5, versus only 50 per cent in your Coles or Woolies homebrand (both $1.10). This can go as low as 19 per cent in some light versions too, such as TCC Light Coconut Milk, which costs $2.30'. Buzzwords to look out for For those trying to save money, Mr Wernham doesn't simply recommend always buying the most expensive option. Instead, he encourages shoppers to read ingredient lists carefully and look out for certain buzzwords. 'Terms like 'natural' might sound ideal, but they're not strictly regulated and can be used on products that contain naturally occurring substances, even if they're highly processed,' he explained. He also warned that products labelled 'sugar free' or 'low sugar' may contain sugar alcohols, a type of sweetener. 'Although they contain fewer calories than sugar, it's important to remember they still have a few (2 kcal per gram), and in high amounts, they can cause gastrointestinal discomfort for some people,' he said. Shoppers should also be mindful of hidden sugars. Ingredients like maltodextrin, cane juice, dextrose, or corn syrup are 'basically just sugar in disguise,' he noted. 'Superfood' is another marketing term to watch out for. 'This is promoted for foods with supposed health benefits, as they're often very high in a certain nutrient,' he pointed out. 'While this is great, they may be lower in others, so I wouldn't say they're necessarily more or less beneficial than other foods.' And if a label claims to 'detox', he said it's worth remembering that the body's own organs do that job just fine. 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News.com.au
26-06-2025
- News.com.au
Aussie brand that sells 1 product every 30 secs launches in Coles
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7NEWS
26-06-2025
- 7NEWS
Two simple family meals that are made with only five easy ingredients
Courtney Roulston is a cook, TV personality and Coles ambassador. Today Courtney is making two easy recipes: Tandoori lamb chops with yoghurt sauce; Chicken and spinach triangles. Chicken & spinach triangles Serves 4 Prep & cooking 30 mins 250g frozen spinach, thawed 2 x 150g pkts Coles Shredded Roast Chicken Breast 1½ cups (420g) Jalna Greek Style Natural Yoghurt 16 sheets filo pastry 150g Coles Baby Leaf & Beetroot Mix Method 1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place spinach in a colander and use your hands to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Discard liquid. Place spinach in a bowl with chicken and 1 cup (280g) yoghurt. Stir to combine. Season. 2. Place 1 filo sheet on a clean work surface, covering the remaining sheets with a damp tea towel. Spray sheet with olive oil spray. Top with 3 more filo sheets, spraying with oil between each layer. Cut in half lengthways. Spoon one-eighth of chicken mixture onto one side of one short end. Fold diagonally to enclose filling. Continue folding diagonally to make a triangle. Transfer to lined tray. Repeat with remaining filo, oil spray and remaining chicken mixture to make 7 more triangles. Spray with oil and season. 3. Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden and heated through. Serve with remaining yoghurt and salad. Tandoori lamb with tahini yoghurt Serves 4 Prep & cooking 20 mins ¼ cup (75g) tandoori paste ½ cup (140g) Jalna Greek Style Natural Yoghurt 950g pkt Coles Australian Lamb Loin Chops 1 tbs tahini 2 bunches baby broccoli Method 1. Combine tandoori paste and half the yoghurt in a bowl. Place the lamb in a glass or ceramic dish. Spoon over marinade and toss to coat. 2. Combine remaining yoghurt and tahini in a small bowl. Season. 3. Heat a lightly greased barbecue or chargrill on medium-high. Cook the lamb, in batches, for 3 mins each side for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Set aside for 5 mins to rest. 4. While the lamb is resting, cook the baby broccoli on the grill, turning, for 5 mins or until tender. 5. Serve lamb with tahini mixture and baby broccoli.
