Hey friends! Welcome back to the Gubba Podcast. In today’s episode, I am going to be discussing Azure Standard. I’ve been doing monthly hauls over on my vlog channel and gubbahomestead.com and I’ve had so much fun doing these. Azure Standard is like an online grocery store that I have come to love and adore this past year, so I want to do an entire episode dedicated to it!
I first heard about Azure Standard while listening to a podcast about a year ago. This homesteader mentioned how she buys non-GMO, organic food in bulk at reasonable prices from Azure Standard and then continued on about her pantry. And My mind was like what the heck is Azure Standard?
I want to buy organic food in bulk at good prices! So I did some research and learned about Azure Standard for myself, so now I can share with you what I learned and how it works.
What is Azure Standard?
They are a family-owned company out of Oregon that sells non-GMO, organic and natural groceries at an affordable cost. But not only do they do groceries, they do beauty, healthcare, garden, and other fun products as well.
They raised awareness about the dangers of GMO food and how the exposure to the pesticides can affect our overall health and they set out to procure safe and quality food sources for people.
What products does Azure Standard carry?
I would then ask – what DON’T they carry! For your kitchen and pantry, you can obtain frozen foods, meat, refrigerated items like eggs and cheese, special diet items like gluten-free and dairy-free items, bulk foods like grains and beans, canned goods, kitchen supplies like grain mills, bakeware, storage supplies, and seriously so much more!
I love that they are well-rounded and make it inclusive for people with a variety of diets.
They also sell herbs, nutritional supplements, and essential oils. I recently ordered some rosemary oil from Azure that I am excited to try out.
Rosemary essential oil is used for hair growth and health by stimulating blood flow, so I will be using it on my hair to help repair its health. It’s important to source quality essential oils, so I’m excited to try what Azure is carrying.
Azure also carries health and beauty items, perfumes, bath and shower items, feminine care items, and dental items. AND In my recent Azure Standard haul vlog, I didn’t have as much food as I did personal care items.
I tried out a minimum ingredient deodorant (which I’m loving so far.) General store deodorants tend to be full of aluminum and words you can’t pronounce, and I’m just not a fan of putting funky chemicals on my skin anymore, so I’m truly loving this Earthlandia deodorant from Azure.
I feel like I’m not stinking up the place either, so that’s a plus. I also purchased some tooth powder to try out and some natural feminine care products.
I loved that I didn’t have to hunt down these individual items at 10 different stores – azure had them all online. I ordered from my couch and waited their arrival.
AND Along with all of these goods, Azure carries laundry supplies, cleaners, pet food, outdoor necessities, food storage items, and so much more! You really need to go onto their website and look around to grasp what all they carry.
There is a link in the description that will take you directly to their website. JUST Go look around and see what they have to offer you.
What are the product standards for Azure Standard?
I love that they have a high bar for their vendors to provide nutrient rich, minimally processed, no preservatives, GMOs, or artificial colors and flavors.
They have an entire page dedicated to the unacceptable ingredients that CANNOT be added to foods supplies to Azure. This list includes artificial sweeteners, fluoride, nitrites, hydrolyzed protein, soy protein isolate, and more.
I love that I can shop and have peace of mind that my food won’t have hidden gunk lurking in it. All new vendors have to certify that their foods don’t contain any of the ingredients Azure stands to avoid to keep our food and bodies safe!
How does Azure Standard work?
Azure Standard typically delivers drops once a month. What this means is that they deliver items to a drop point.
The drop point could be someone’s house or a park, and it is your responsibility to be there when the items have been dropped off. Funny story, the first time I ever ordered from Azure, I actually forgot to be at the drop point and the coordinator was not too pleased with me. OOPS!
My stuff ended up sitting at the park until I could pick it up and luckily no one took it, haha.
So, throughout the month you add items to your online cart. You can checkout and continue adding or subtracting items to your cart until the deadline. Once the deadline is hit, you can’t add any more stuff to your cart and then you sit back and wait for the delivery.
For me, the deliveries are the next week after the cutoff point. So, order throughout the month and be there to pick it up at the drop point.
You can arrange pick-ups with the drop point coordinator if they’re kind enough to help out as well. Easy right?
I personally love shopping from my computer and not having to go into the store. Ever since rona, going to stores has been especially stressful. By using Azure, I don’t have to go to the store as often.
I save in gas by having to make less trips to the store as well. If you don’t want to interact with anyone, you don’t have to. You can keep your distance and avoid contact with everyone—no interaction necessary!
How do returns work on Azure Standard?
Easy! You report the item within 7 days of receiving it to Azure customer care and they will help you out. I’ve had to deal with them two times and both times they were friendly and helpful. The first time, a box of tea I had ordered didn’t arrive, but it showed that it did and I was charged for it.
They immediately credited my account—no hassle. The second time I needed to return some malfunctioning gamma lids and they provided me with a return code to do so.
All I had to do was package it and return it to the driver at my next drop—I’m still in the middle of doing this, but I’ve enjoyed the easy experience so far.
One principle Azure touts itself on is building community, and I have personally felt this. By going to a drop point, you sometimes get to meet other people who are there to pick up their items.
Most of these people will be like-minded to you—buying in bulk, building food storages, gardeners, budget buying their groceries and you can meet some cool people! I had the opportunity to meet a farmer who produces produce, so I’m hoping to see what kind of operation they have come summer!
I also enjoy going to pick up my packages of Azure goods every month—it feels like a mini-Christmas each time. I pick up my packages then go home to open them up and delight in what I ordered and film an unboxing so you all can have some fun with me.
How do I build a food storage?
I love that Azure Standard helps me build my food storage. If you follow along with me at the Gubba Homestead, you know that food storage is important to me.
I want to be able to thrive in any circumstance, not just survive and Azure helps me do that. I love being able to purchase in bulk from them. If you find an item you want, there will most likely be different bulk buying options for it.
I love that Azure lists the different price options because it shows how much you save by purchasing in bulk. You can save this way by purchasing with friends or family or just purchase bulk and rotate into your food storage.
I hope yall enjoyed this episode on Azure Standard, and I hope it answers your questions.
If you want to learn more, head over to my website gubbahomestead.com where I write in depth blogs about food storage and everything preparedness!
