Pete M., Toronto
Panacea really is an eco-shopping oasis. Ken, the owner, has stocked the shop with vegan and environmentally-friendly products.It’s a mini grocery store and drug store carrying all kinds of treasures that are hard to find at the big chains.For example, Panacea is the only store in Toronto that stocks Daiya vegan cheese (the cheese substitute that is making vegans south of the border go nuts). Even though it’s a Canadian product, you can ONLY find it at Panacea and it is heavenly, melts perfectly and has naturally sourced ingredients.But even better is the Sweet & Sara marshmallows that are ABSOLUTELY TO DIE FOR. SO INCREDIBLE I FEEL THE NEED TO TYPE IN CAPS. Ok, I need a moment…. Phew.I didn’t eat marshmallows for a decade after finding out they contain meat-industry by-product gelatin (think jello). It’s just boiled hooves and bones. Barf! But now, thanks to Sweet & Sara I don’t have to be the weirdo at the camp fire with a piece of dark chocolate stuck inside two speared graham crackers. These marshmallows are great for roasting and this is one of the few places you are guaranteed to find them in their 3 different flavours (in the fridge at the back on the left).There’s all kind of other treasures to be found in here from natural nail polishes to bleach-free tampons, make-up, toothpaste, razors, shampoo, hippie bumper stickers and all things you need to be eco-chic.
Val G., Toronto
A stone’s throw from the heart of the Annex, Panacea is pretty much a literal one-stop-shop for vegan goods and goodies. You don’t know how lucky you are, Toronto!Some other health food stores or supermarkets do carry a small crossover of products with Panacea, but honestly, it’s refreshing to walk into a store and not have to seek out the products you want amongst everything else. Being 100% sure I can buy this or that canned good, particular toiletries or household products, cupcakes, clothes or chocolates.. well, that’s terrific!Some highlights include:
* Gardein frozen goods! Mmm, wings.
* Daiya shredded vegan cheese, god amongst vegan cheeses. (Other good quality brands like Teese and Sheese are also available).
* Reasonably priced Vega products
* A selection of vegan makeup, one thing that is much harder to track down outside of the internet.
* Go Max Go chocolate bars – worth the trip to the store alone
* Single bars of Tofutti/So Delicious soy ice creams so you can buy to go and snack/wander around the Annex with a delicious treat.
* Harder to find baking/cooking products like nutritional yeast, vegan jello, soy cream etc.
* A great range of candy & chocolatesAnd so much more!When you visit, Ken or Pam is there with a friendly welcome and helpful answers about products you’re after, and if they have them in stock or not. When it’s not super busy, they are always willing to have a chat, and I bet they really value having regulars they get to know. This is a labour of love, something that the business owners clearly believe in, and it makes it a great place to shop simply because of that.Leave your ingredient-scrutinising and your worries at home, and pop into Panacea post-haste!
Nicole H., Toronto
Panacea is awesome. If you’re vegan, it’s the perfect place to shop: you never have to read ingredient lists, everything is vegan! They have a good selection of gluten-free products too, including some snacks, cereals, flours and pasta. Also a good place to stock up on organic, eco-friendly cleaning and beauty products.They’re also the only place in town (that I know of!) that stocks the fabulous Daiya vegan ‘cheese’ and clothing from Herbivore Clothing Company (in Portland).Also, the owners are very responsive to suggestions. I’ve emailed them asking for products to be added to the store and they replied quickly saying they’d already planned to get in the products I was asking about!
Candice E., Toronto
Panacea is a great store that sells all kinds of vegan products at a great price. They carry the widest variety of vegan cheese (Teese, Follow Your Heart, Daiya, Sheese, just to name a few) that I’ve seen in Toronto. Besides food, they also carry cleaning products, clothes, beauty products, dvds. Many of the items they carry are hard to find anywhere else in Toronto. The store is not huge but there are lots of gems to be discovered. The store owners are lovely and very helpful. A must visits for vegans as everything they carry are vegan-friendly so there are no need to read the ingredient list with a magnifying glass here. They also offer a 5% discount for vegetarian discount card members.
Helen L., Toronto
Located just opposite honest eds, this store is co-owned by a woman who’s been in retail for many years, and in that time, worked with animals and animal products and learned a great deal about the products she was selling and how they came to be and who it was that was making them.part of the impetus for the values supporting this business come from her awareness of the injustice towards those animals, in terms of the way they are farmed and treated and from the way the workers that are used in countries without our standards are exploited for our gain both financially and spiritually.And so we have panacea. now in her own way, she does try to provide that all encompassing solution, or perhaps, awareness, but refusing to carry products she might like very much, but that don’t fall within her standards. and good on her. nice to see some honour out there.Within panacea you will find a grocery filled with both fair trade and organic products. The selection ranges from shirts made from organic cotton, to purses and bags made from refurbished juice containers to a whole whack of vegan foods and health and beauty products.This store works well as a local healthy, tasty grocery store and sets itself apart by helping to introduce the public to alternatives that are better for ourselves, for our planet and in the long run for the economy. You might have to seek out much larger grocery stores if you want a large selection of organic produce, meat and non-vegan products and want to be sure that you will find all that you need.Sometimes if you don’t see things like organic cotton balls on display for purchase you wouldn’t necessarily think that there’s so many pesticides and exploitation associated with cotton that’s produced in a less respectful manner.In terms of price, expect what you would expect for any store carrying organic and fair trade stuff. Right now, that stuff just costs more.So here here for panacea and its strong step forward and good luck!
Jimi S., Ontario
If it weren’t for Panacea, I just might have starved to death. After making a fairly radical diet change from omnivore to vegan, I was struggling to keep variety in my meals and craving my old favourites. After discovering Panacea (via Yelp!) I realized that I literally had an oasis at my disposal. I love that they offer so many different products (cookies! marshmallows! gardein meatless chicken fingers!) and that I don’t have to eyeball the ingredients list of every item I pick up. Panacea can literally be a one-stop shopping experience for your pantry and kitchen, and the staff are so friendly and personable. Just around the corner from the Bathurst subway stop, this shopping experience couldn’t be more painless!
Meghan S.
NORTH YORK, ON