People In Business – Sandra Dubs 1990 Manna Natural Food Store – The Whole Person, August 1990
“As organic as possible” is Manna’s slogan. Sandra Dubs refuses to cut corners – no artificial ingredients whatsoever, all possible ingredients organically grown, the best brand tamari – even the pickled ginger used with sushi is naturally coloured. Manna have a mainly macrobiotic food bar at the rear of the health food shop. The shop is also very definitely deserving of the name ‘health food’ ‘ Unlike many other stores, they have a very compact display of proprietary vitamins, etc., and a very large display of herbs – big, old fashioned jars lined up on chunky wooden shelves with bulk herbs for sale. She also sells eight or nine different types of rice – and with it she dispenses free advice on how to cook it.
Sandra is enthusiastic, lively and glowing with health. If ever there were a moment when you considered becoming macrobiotic, Sandra would convince you – not in her words so much, but by her obvious abundance of vitality. I was impressed by her positive and realistic attitude. She does not treat food in a negative way at all – there was no talk of things being bad for anyone. She seems to feel her way around what is best for her in a relaxed and even joyful manner.
She herself goes by macrobiotic guidelines, but says we’ve got to live in the real world. She says she can find good things to eat wherever she goes. Her only total exclusions seem to be meat and dairy.
Sandra has a degree majoring in marketing and accountancy, but she was disillusioned working in the commercial world and spending other people’s money. She was always interested in food, coming from a Rumanian/Hungarian background where the emphasis was on home-cooked good food. She found herself gravitating toward health food establishments. She worked for a few years in health food shops in Australia and then checked out every health food shop she could find while overseas. Sandra also worked for Spiral Foods for a few years before buying Manna.
Now she gives out generous helpings of goodwill and advice with the generous helpings of excellent (and economical) food. As I settled down to lunch, I think my taste buds alerted every cell in my body that this was good tasting and good for me. I really felt as though all those little cells were dancing with glee as they felt the energy of the succulent sushi and the crunchy carrot salad with seaweed, the buckwheat noodles and vegies. Yum! Manna have a sushi bar on Fridays, using only natural ingredients,
and Sandra and her Japanese chef, Ito-san, also run Japanese cooking classes on Monday nights. They also cater.
They are open until 7 p.m. every week night (except Monday) so that South Yarra’s unit dwellers can take home a healthy dinner. “People live with us – we know all our customers and they know us”, says Sandra. She was joking on one level, but, watching her relate to her customers, it was obvious she really does care for their health and welfare and does know a lot about them and their families.
Manna have a naturopath on the staff on Tuesdays and Thursdays and two other natural healers give free advice Wednesday lunchtimes and Monday evenings. Looking back over this review, I realise it is much more general than just food, and I suppose this is because of Sandra’s influence. She says, “Food, like sex, is basic to our existence. We have lost touch somewhat and are operating too much from the head.” She is doing her bit (focusing on food!) to rectify the situation. Sandra says, “I am excited about what I do.” Pop in for a visit and you will be too.
