Victorias Basement Artarmon

One of my absolute favourite things to go shopping for is homewares. Kitchen appliances, cooking utensils, recipe books, you name it. And there is one place that I could easily spend hours browsing and shopping in, and that's Victoria's Basement in Artarmon. Full of some of the best bargain shopping you will ever see when it comes to all items food and cooking, it's a home cooks delight.





Located next to the Home HQ centre, Victoria's Basement has undercover car parking which, although tight, is convenient. You step into a lift, and go up to find yourself in the middle of a warehouse full of every kind of kitchen, food, and dining item imaginable. I actually didn't know where to start on my first visit there, but it didn't really matter - any direction uncovers so many delights I could easily spend an entire pay if I didn't have any restraint.







The first thing that took my notice on a recent visit there was a shelf packed full of pet items. Food and water bowls had matching placemats to have underneath to keep things tidy, and were decorated in a cute, retro theme. Further along was every kind of outdoor and picnic item you could ever need. Foldable chairs, coolers and eskies, together with picnic baskets loaded with plates, cups and cutlery. And all in such cute colours and designs.



Because the weather is getting colder though, I passed on the outdoor section and headed straight for the books. The weekend I was there they had a massive sale on all cookbooks. The range included high profile chefs, and a series of the tie-in books for MasterChef Australia. I definitely couldn't help making a purchase here, and picked up a book that shows how to get two meals out of one.



It was with some envy that I eyed the cast iron pots and skillets, and fancy roasting trays; but they are still priced a little out of my league even with the great discounts. More in my line was the huge amount of wooden chopping boards and fun kits where you can make your own cheeses, yoghurt and cider. I'll definitely be back to grab a few of these sometime soon.



Victoria's Basement also has the biggest collection of china ware I've ever seen. Brands include Monopoly (I was a particular fan of the 'Go Directly to Jail' coffee mug), Royal Doulton, Bunnikins and more. A stack of fruit-themed coffee mugs took my fancy, but they were quite expensive at $20 each. A helpful staff member told me that they had just come off sale, but would likely go on sale again some time in the future. Victoria's Basement now offers the option of signing up to their newsletter, which tells you exactly what items are on sale, so I'll be keeping an eye out on that.





The staff were all very friendly, and the store was crowded with people who seemed just as excited as I was. If you're after something for your kitchen, and don't want to pay exorbitant retail prices, I would definitely recommend checking out Victoria's Basement.





Rating: 10/10

Where: 89 Reserve Road, Artarmon.
Why: For all the bargains
Cost: There are discounts on many items, but not all, so make sure to check out those price tags
When: Whenever the best sales are on - sign up to the newsletter to keep track.

Good for kids: The parents that were there were nervous due to breakables being on low shelves, so probably best to leave the kids at home if possible.

#shopping
#artarmon
#cheap
#homewares
#home

%sydneyfun