Costco Epping: Part II - The Food Section

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Walking along Costco food aisles is bewildering to say the least. You simply cannot focus on the task at hand. Even if you have a shopping list, it is easy to be distracted by what's on display. You might actually leave with a trolley full of stuff not one of which was on your list.



There are so many choices. A good range of gourmet soups meet the eye. Dried fruit, some organic others not, nuts, seeds, and groceries like rice, pasta, oils, sauces, spices, quinoa, coffee, tea, and juice boxes, chips, pretzels, and a whole lot more. Giant bags of chips, crackers, biscuits, and whatnots.In the frozen section is a long line of refrigerated storage containing mango pulp, blueberries, raspberries and more of those. There's also vegetable, chicken, and seafood. Large packs of dumplings, party pies, dim sums, and more.



Fresh produce is a section all by itself with two sections one of which is a large cold room where vegetables like spinach, capsicum, celery, carrots, and fruits such as strawberries and grapes are stored. Just outside this cold room is where the potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, melons etc are displayed.



Moving along we come to the bakery section with muffins, croissants, cakes, bread, cupcakes, brioches, and more of those. You can see these being freshly baked and refilled as quickly as they are snatched up by customers. And then you come to the deli section. The display is truly impressive. Platters upon platters of sandwiches, light eats, salads, party platters all of which are ready to go straight to your dining table if you're entertaining. This is also where you'll find the roast chicken and pizzas made to order.



As you leave the edge and move to the centre you'll find the fresh meat section with various cuts of beef, pork, and chicken all packed and ready to go. They also have a wide variety of seafood including prawns, oysters, mussels, and shrimp. Adjacent to that area you'll find a great selection of ready to eat food, cheese, sausages, gourmet food, finger foods, and more exotic stuff.



Little food kiosks add to the fun. They offer little bites for you to taste and sample and may be added to your trolley. Of course, these are free of charge and so you might hesitate at first especially when you know you have no intention of buying the stuff. But at the first signs of peckishness you steadily overcome any sense of shame and sample away, and they are quite persuasive and friendly and so it doesn't feel like you've done something criminal. They don't seem to mind and you do eventually pick some stuff they recommend. Froot Loops, anyone?



When you have filled that massive trolley to overflowing, it's time to chill in the cafeteria area with sun umbrellas adding cheer to the space as if the appetising aromas weren't already doing that. You get coffee, tea, light eats, and cold drinks that you pay for and proceed to devour at any available table. It's a bit chaotic but who cares.



And then you're out past the tyre section and the Jacuzzis to the exit where you have to produce your receipt which they check against the stuff in your trolley and wave you out. All good and you're good to go. You can fill up on fuel on your way out of the car park.



Shopping at Costco is quite surreal mainly due to the size of it all. Everything is so massive it makes you feel puny. That's Costco for you.

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