One of the only well stocked health food shops in the Richmond area. A little pricier than others…read morebut I have always received helpful & friendly service when I have visited and am looking for something in particular! They have a wide range of supplements, health food products, skincare & cleaning products as well as a small range of fresh organic fruit and vegetables. If you are local and looking for a convenient health food shop, this is the place to go.

So happy to find this natural foods shop during my stay in Richmond, Melbourne! Very decent…read moreselection despite smaller size of the store (I'm used to my massive natural foods co-op in San Francisco and Whole Foods on practically every corner, so there's that to keep in mind), and lots of beauty products, supplements, herbs, etc. Not much of a produce selection, but it was the week between Xmas and New Years. My understanding is they have a lot more to choose from usually. No matter. Still got my "hippie essentials" (pure young coconut water, organic dark chocolate, gluten-free granola, etc.). The woman at the counter (one of the owners, I believe) was also very nice. Highly recommend this place!

Great concept! Setting up an organic food stall on unused urban space. Fresh vegetables, organic…read moremeat and cook books. The live music and bicycle powered smoothie maker make this a great addition to South Yarra's village atmosphere.

It's not often I get excited about a butcher. I mean, I do love my meat, but the process of getting…read moreit is usually more of a hassle than anything else. Bertie's, on the other hand, is different. Bertie's is more like a speciality food store - championing the 'paddock to plate' cause. They use free range meat and butcher the entire carcass - which means you can literally pick any cut you like and ask for help on how to prepare it. The same amount of thought is given to the condiments and accompanying food and booze - all very high quality and appear to be from local or speciality producers. What keeps me coming back though is their lunch offering. They make a daily selection of salads, usually vegetarian, but you can select a freshly cooked meat to add as accompaniment like pulled pork, roast turkey or lamb. In winter, they make deliciously rich soups that you almost need a knife and fork for.

Selling delicious organic meats in a beautifully presented environment. Bertie's has recently just…read moregone under the knife for a bit of a makeover and what a spectacular job they did. Adding small goods, pantry staples and seasonal vegetables means you can pick up a meal in one go and know it will be delicious. Bertie's isn't discount any more but the meats taste amazing and are worth every cent.

I don't know how I stumbled across this lunch delivery but I'm certainly glad I did. While there…read moreare so many options for healthy lunches in the city, I feel that a good, tasty, inexpensive salad is more of a hidden gem. The menu goes up a few days before and orders close on the Monday, for delivery on the Wednesday. Jacq comes and delivers it to your workplace and it looks like she's getting busier and busier, with this week's menu being sold out before I got a chance to order. She's definitely come up with a great idea for lunches with the focus on making healthy packages that she would want to eat. ie stuff from her 'nonno's garden'. When I first saw the lunch, I thought it was small, but my eyes were obviously too big for my stomach. Our lunch was the: TRIPLE DECKER BLISS SALAD QUINOA CRUMBED EGGPLANT - TOP layer #1 MIXED MEGA SALAD - MIDDLE layer #2 MIDDLE EASTERN RICE - BOTTOM layer #3 I couldn't get through it all, not because it wasn't tasty (it definitely was 'freakin good') but because it fills you up pretty quickly. I ended up saving some for my afternoon snack and it tasted just as good. Good Freakin Food is already on my email contact list, ready to place the orders quick smart when the menu for next week comes out.

Freakin yum, that's what! If it weren't for Jacq and her amazing lunch time deliveries, I think I…read morewould have died of scurvy by now. Well maybe not died, but I know I wouldn't be as well nourished as I am. On weeks that I get a salad delivery my boyfriend and I eat those MASSIVE lunch boxes two days in a row and my body is super happy. I love the variety - from rice balls to noodle salads, loads of mixed fresh organic veggies and usually a piece of fruit thrown in, it's always delicious and incredibly filling. Often I have to eat half for lunch and the other half a few hours later because they're so choc-ful. At $12 per salad it's an absolute bargain too, with the $20 lunchbox offering the best value. As well as the salad you get a seasonal juice and a healthy ball thing that's loaded with nuts and coconut and deliciousness.

I absolutely love this place in Fitzroy! It has a very nice atmosphere and it's a peaceful place to…read moretake some relax in the city. The food is awesom and you can also buy something to take home. Imprescidible for veggie lovers!! ;)

Yes, Friends of the Earth sounds hippie and alternative. It is but it's great!…read more It's a cafe/organic food store where they focus on helping the environment and educating people on organic produce. Locally grown, seasonal produce, organic meals and fair trade teas are what Friends of the Earth are all about. This is a growing mentality that I support and feel like after visiting a place like this you understand why people are so passionate about it. There really is nothing better than the really fresh, organically grown foods they have on offer where it's guilt free and makes you feel fuzzy that you've helped the "little guys" and the environment. It's fantastic to wander through and look at the fresh products where the cafe idea is great and their coffee is amazing so it's definitely worth stopping by!

This is, once a month farmers market. It takes place in the reserve on Auburn road, access is easy…read morefrom the freeway, Toorak rd as well as the walking ./ bilk path along the freeway going along the back (you can even pay entry from that side). The variety of stalls present at this market is always good. There is usually a nice selection of vegetable stall holders, always a few good options for breads as well as hot foods. I love the buffalo Sausages and the fresh cheese! If you like fresh from the farm foods and friendly faces when your shopping then this farmers market is a great one to drop around for, happening Third Saturday of every month.

This market runs every 3rd (and 5th) Saturday. There is a good range of produce stalls and a lot of…read moreorganics, but if they don't say it's organic, it probably isn't. You can have organic produce without being certified though, so best to talk directly to the individual stallholders. Plenty of parking on site, but watch out for the Toorak tractor set, who think road rules and courtesy don't apply to them.

Opening in December The Source has buckets of almost every nut, dried fruit, seed, spice, cereal,…read moreoil, superfood and nibbly thing you can imagine. It's a very simple concept: decide on what to scoop, grab a paper bag and write the corresponding number on your paper bag If you like to mix up your own muesli you will have a blast here, you could create some pretty incredible combinations that would almost certainly guarantee you a super power. One my brief visit I noticed lots of the trendy foods - coconut sugar, cocoa nibs, mesquite powder, hemp and many more to pimp your green smoothie or raw foodie creation. There's plenty of cooking ingredients too -- flours, grains, pulses and pastas. Up the back there's oils including olive, macadamia, cold pressed sesame (I'll be all over this next time) and raw coconut oil. And pay a visit to the corner of chocolate goodness, they have carob and couverture to name a few, and there's plenty of fruit covered options so it's healthy right? I could go on all day, save me the bother and check it out! Oh and grab an energy ball for the road. You've earned it.

My new addiction - dried mango. YUM. The various protein balls are also delish and are rather…read morefilling without all the guilt of other snacks. Prices can add up pretty quick here but the quality is always excellent and the choice is amazing - nuts, fruit, flours, oats and everything in between. Mix and match your own combinations to create some kind of super food that will give you everlasting energy. Or just get that dried mango for a slightly sweeter hit. Staff are friendly and helpful to boot as well!

We recently spent a few weeks in Melbourne, and I was here every few days for coffee, groceries,…read morework, or all three. Hidden away down a downtown alley, this place is awesome! Such a great vibe with all you could really want from a grocery store and a great coffee spot. There were plenty of tables inside and out, and the staff were all really friendly. Prices were as high as expected but worth it for the quality of groceries and household items. The coffee was also excellent! I think the only downside is no wifi; it is listed but does not work. Not a huge deal, I just tethered my phone.

Here is an organic grocer that still has that new car smell. The guys have only been open 4 days…read morebut quickly established themselves as a valuable addition to the Southbank community. Southbank has been a bit of a grocery wasteland with ample convenience stores but no real alternatives for healthy and fresh food. In steps Broad Bean with their selection of fresh food and groceries. As expected organic supplies are pricier than the average store but given the lack of alternatives and the very high prices charged around Southbank they are a very welcome and appreciated. With a beautiful looking store, friendly staff and good selection I'll be ducking in occasionally to check out their wares.

The Abbotsford Convent Slow Food Market is my fav in the city. I've been coming here for 7 years…read moreand I love it. It's held on the 4th Saturday of the month. I love the setting in the Convent grounds, I love the walk / ride along the river to get here and I love ending it with a beer / wine at the Bakery. I don't think this is a market where many could afford to do their weekly shopping but it's great to get some specialist items of superb quality. My fav items here are the only PROPER style pork English sausages from Pacdon I've found in Australia and the pork pie and bacon is fab too! The biggest perk of coming here is to pick up a few bottles of Peregrine Ridge red wine from Heathcote - it's by far my fav Australian wine. There's not a dud amongst them. A special place in my heart is the sparkly shiraz - just amazing.

This is one of four inner city markets run by the Melbourne Community Farmers Markets. Held on the…read more4th Saturday of the month it is unique as it demonstrates both Slow Food principles as well as meeting the Victorian Farmers' Market Association accreditation criteria of being direct from local producers only. So what is The Slow Food movement? You know when people say tomatoes, meat or fruit were tastier back in the day? That's because we used to eat traditional slow growing varieties and breeds. So globally, Slow food is about protecting those heirloom and rare breed varieties of food, which are fast becoming extinct in favour of modified fast growing produce that suits the turnover of supermarkets, fast food chains and industry. It is also about supporting your local farmers and producers, without the middle man. Slow Food Australia says "We build networks between grower and eater, agriculture and market, community and world. We champion good, clean, fair and local food in ways that enhance knowledge, respect and passion." So while this produce may not be familiar nor look as perfect as shop food, it is significantly more tasty, takes longer to produce, is chemical free, raised and handled ethically and works towards creating a sustainable future for the planet. The supermarket duopoly does not. So there's another point of difference. At the front of this market is seasonal fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, baked goods etc, in the courtyard at the back is meat, fish, dairy and cheese. And then there is the amazing Slow Food breakfast stall. If you really want to taste the difference, eat this stall's food before shopping and skip the Convent Bakery. You'll find the Slow Food stall's dishes have all been made from produce at the market. All made from scratch, no packet mixes or industrial processed foods. It's a beautiful example of what you can actually do with the market's food. We go regularly and learn a lot from talking to the farmers there. They give you cooking and handling tips and are happy to answer questions. If you come too, come early before everything sells out and bring your own bags, these farmers want to do you a favour by reducing waste too.