Welcome to the world’s largest vegan grocery store—located in Reykjavik, Iceland! Since its opening in 2020, Vegan Budin’s claim to be the most massive vegan grocery store on the planet has gone undisputed. But the almost 6,000 items sold there lay groundwork for the claim. Buckle up, because in this post, we’ll take you on a virtual tour of this vegan behemoth of a grocery store.
🌱 VEGAN BUDIN
- Name: Vegan Búðin (Vegan Budin)
- Location: Faxafen 14 108, 108 Reykjavík, Iceland
- Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
We first traveled to Reykjavik in 2015. Although we weren’t plant-based yet, Iceland’s capital city was definitely not the most vegan or vegetarian-friendly at the time. Things have changed, though.
Fast forward to our second trip to Reykjavik in 2023, and we were delighted to see that the city has evolved into a vegan paradise of sorts. There was no shortage of vegan restaurants and options—even in unexpected places like gas stations or the airport. It was in this environment that a store like Vegan Budin cropped up.
And if you’re visiting Iceland, odds are you’re going to take part in a lot of outdoor activities—like glacier hiking, trekking to inactive volcanoes, or climbing basalt columns. Those activities generally take place in more remote locations in Iceland, where vegan options aren’t as accessible. So stocking up on provisions at Vegan Budin is the move, friends. We rented a car and drove the Golden Circle and onward to Vik in south Iceland. Our Vegan Budin supplies were a lifesaver.
The layout of Vegan Budin is a lot like your standard grocery store, only 100% vegan and gigantic! They’ve got a freezer section with vegan meat substitutes, pre-prepared meals, and ice cream. There’s also a refrigerated section with fresh produce, vegan dairy, vegan eggs, and things like kimchi. In the aisles, you’ll find dry goods (pasta, beans, nuts, cereals, breads), condiments, and supplements. Additionally, you can get your hands on so much more than food; think clothes or cruelty-free cosmetics and cleaning products. Without further ado, let’s dive into the goods, shall we?
Be sure to check out our other vegan travel guides:
- Vegan Afternoon Tea in London
- 5 Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Marrakech
- 4 Vegan Nashville Hot Chicken Spots in Nashville
🛒 AMERICAN & EUROPEAN PRODUCTS
Situated between the U.S. and Europe, Iceland sits on prime real estate for the importation of both American and European goods. That means you’ll find American products from all over the country, including ones that may not be available in your region.
For example, we saw Juicy Marbles—vegan steak—for the first time in Vegan Budin’s the freezer section. It’s not available in stores where we live, and the only way we can get our hands on it is by ordering it online. So that was pretty darn cool.
We also got to see (and try) European brands, like the English vegan chicken brand Shicken, the Scottish vegan cheese brand Sheese, or the Swedish vegan salmon/tuna brand Hooked.
💡PRODUCT STANDOUTS
Here are some of the products that stuck out to us at Vegan Budin. We had never seen vegan caviar or chickpea miso before.
The salami and smoked ham by German-based Veggyness were incredible. We picked these up for our road trip provisions. They were the closest to the real thing we’ve tried. In our experience, though, European vegan deli meats are generally ahead of the products in the U.S. America, you’ve got your work cut out for you!
These are the items we purchased at Vegan Budin for our roadtrip around the Golden Circle and to Vik in the south of Iceland. As you can see, we packed a picnic lunch, which we enjoyed at Geyser Geothermal Area. We loved everything we bought. Sweden’s Hooked vegan tuna salad had meaty texture and delicious ocean flavor. Iceland is known for having some of the best yogurt in the world, called skyr. Skyr is richer and creamier than regular yogurt, and Iceland-based company Vera’s skyr was exactly that. And if you’re a snacker, like we are, definitely pick up UK-based Love Corn’s cheese & onion-flavored corn nuts and German-based Veganz gummy peaches for your own picnic lunch.
💄 MORE THAN JUST FOOD
If you thought Vegan Budin offers only food, think again!
Vegan makeup and clothing.
Kombucha on tap.
Vegan supplements and protein powders.
Packing boxes and paper bags as eco-friendly options to carry out your groceries.
We hope you enjoyed our virtual tour of the world’s largest vegan grocery store, located in Reykjavik! Definitely check it out if you find yourself in Iceland, and make sure to read our other vegan travel guides below.
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