A must do touristic activity for those visiting beautiful Mclaren Vale for the day, or weekend. A…read moreveritable treasure trove for the sweet tooth is the Menz... or fruchoc factory, as it is colloquially known. If you've read any of my other reviews it's probably clear that I'm far more interested in wine than sweets, but without fail I am cajoled into visiting by well meaning friends each time I'm down in the Vale. Big bags of all the goodies made by the company are available and you can pick up factory seconds at bargain basement prices. Menz make the iconic South Australian confectionary 'fru-chocs', a processed apricot centre, covered in chocolate, resulting in a ball slightly larger than a malteser. They are also known for the medlow gums which mums and nannas tend to be fond of - they are undeniably delicious. I like it when they're making stuff in the adjoining work room and you can watch them cutting sweets or spinning fruchocs in the lolly cement mixer thingy. The shop is super easy to find, as it's on the main street, it also has an attached carpark for added convenience.

Maxwell's Organic Grocery was awesome. The food was awesome, I had their baked goods and no…read morecomplaints. Service was quick and friendly. Would recommend.

The friendly service combined with fresh, mostly local fruit, veg, and meat make this a delightful…read morecafe and grocery. While the food selection is small it is very fresh and cooked to order. The staff are friendly snd engaging, cleaning constantly so that there is no wait for the outdoor seating. If you are seeking a wholesome meal after morning spent at the nearby beach you should definitely pop in for a snack or sweet treat. You will not be disappointed. The middle size portion of cauliflower "fried rice" salad was perfect for a hungry girl (me)! My hubs was completely satisfied by the organic, grass fed hamburger and even raved about it the next day (!!), this from a man who is hard to please when it comes to burgers, if that tells you anything. If visiting Aldinga and wanting something fresh, delicious, and different than the usual fish and chips stop in and give it a go.

Bracegirdles is an excellent place to grab something nice and chocolatey. They make sweet and…read moreabsolutely amazing (sugary and unhealthy) chocolate that just melts in your mouth. This store is probably the closest to my house, even though it is around 20 mins South, however when I am down here for a break at the nearby caravan park, I am sure to pop in. No matter what you choose off the menu, you can be sure of two things: 1) It will most likely contain sugar 2) It will be awesome I have had their hot chocolate once, and it was very nice - I wish I could make one as good at home. I have also tried their iced chocolate, which was just as good. Service is ok and staff are generally attentive, with not too long a wait for what you ordered. It is nice to sit out in the sun at McLaren Vale on a nice day. Bracegirdles is also a very nice location on the main street which provides a good view too. I really probably shouldn't come here too often for my health but the heart wants what the heart wants (even if what the heart wants is bad for the heart).

The amazing hot chocolate is saving this from a 2 star review…read more I went for a friends birthday breakfast on a summer morning so it was quite hot outside. I was the first to arrive and was directed to an outdoor table by a friendly waitress and was given menus and upon request table water. The birthday girl and the rest of the group arrived and she wanted to sit inside with the aircon. This time an older, very grumpy looking waitress came out and didn't bother trying to hide her annoyance at us wanting to move tables. We went inside and she angrily dragged tables around as loudly as physically possible and threw the chairs in the general direction of the table and stormed off. We were shocked but just ignored it and sat down. We waited about 10 minutes but she didn't go and get our water and menus from outside so I had to do that. There isn't table service so you have to go to the counter and order. I ordered the big breakfast and a hot chocolate. I felt like a coffee but I've been her once before and the coffee was not good. Once again I had to deal with the terrible service from the waitress whilst ordering. She just seemed so angry to be there and made everyone feel very uncomfortable. We were in a large group so with all of us chatting we were being fairly loud. When the waitress came with my hot chocolate I mustn't have heard her the first time because I turned around to her yelling 'HELLOOOO ARE YOU LISTENING?! Here's your drink!' by this point I couldn't help laugh at how unbelievably bad this service was. I wasn't even offended anymore it was just comical. The hot chocolate was divine though. It's just pure melted chocolate, no syrups or powders and you can really taste the difference. I ordered just a basic milk hot chocolate which was quite pricey at $6 but worth it. They had chilli hot chocolate on the menu too and another exotic sounding one. I would have chosen one of those but had heartburn at the time but I'd like to come back and try them. When my breakfast came it was a very generous serving size. It was very average tasting though and far too salty. I was expecting something great for the price so I was disappointed. The homemade baked beans basically just tasted like canned tomatoes which was very disappointing because the Green Room in Willunga has the most amazing homemade ones ever at a cheaper price and I was expecting that sort of standard. Overall I would return for hot chocolate and maybe to try a desert but won't bother for a meal again. Just be prepared for terrible service and avoid the middle aged blonde woman if possible.

Gawler River Cattle Co opened up here not long ago and have been a big hit ever since. They are…read moreeither similar in price to, or in some instances cheaper ,the supermarkets and offer a much better quality meat. They have a huge range with all kinds of seasonings and marinades available too. Their service is great. Last time I went in they cut exactly what I wanted and seasoned it for me with my choice of seasoning at no extra cost. Their lamb rosemary and mint seasoning is the best around. They also have a great range of dog bones, chicken necks and off cuts at much cheaper prices than supermarkets. You can get fresh eggs to go with your bacon. They do get really busy on weekends though but always have about 5 or 6 staff there at a time so it's not too bad. And their opening hours are so long you can go there just about any time. Check out their website before you go for their weekly specials or to get some recipe idea's! Oh and at this branch they have a free BBQ with the Butchers on Sunday mornings so if you want to try before you buy, plan a trip then!

Used to shop there regularly but the grumpy and often rude dark haired woman who works there has…read moremade shopping there quite unpleasant so I now buy my meat from other butchers.

Whilst the staff are friendly unfortunately none of them seem to have any idea what they're talking…read moreabout. I've called in advance to ask if they stock certain products and have never been given correct information. This has happened around 5 times now. It can be very frustrating especially if I buy all the other ingredients for a recipe and then get there to find that they don't actually have the product in when they said they would. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of other health shops around. They do have a wide range of vitamins though and the strawberries I've bought there were amazing. It's worth checking if they have some of the things at a regular supermarket though since it's always cheaper elsewhere.