A Little Baker St Andrews produces traditional handmade organic sourdough breads plus a range of artisan croissants, cakes and savouries, all baked in a wood-fired oven. The process includes resting the dough for a minimum of 6 hours from mixing to baking, with this resting time giving the bread a unique flavour and texture and making it easily digestible. All the breads are both yeast and preservative free, using the Lactobacillus bacteria for fermentation. Local ingredients are used where possible, including: berries from Kinglake, honey from Hurstbridge, citrus fruits, mushrooms and olive oil.

Now a cafe as well as a bakery.

Caffe Strada makes a wide range of gluten free bread, which is available from both its own shop in Ivanhoe and a variety of other outlets in nearby suburbs.

Caffe Strada is also a cafe which focuses on producing healthy, flavoursome gluten-free food. The cafe is a 100% gluten-free environment and they bake all of their products. Their homemade sausage rolls are fructose-free.

Certified Organic and Biodynamic fresh produce. Seasonal local organic produce such as Research raspberries, Wandin Valley blueberries, Coldstream lemons, Panton Hill garlic and Healesville free range eggs. Groceries, coffees and much more.

Gateway Market grows a wide range of vegetables, herbs, fruit and flowers. These are grown in a temperature-controlled hydroponic greenhouse, which uses much less water than conventional growing methods. Shoppers can pick their produce directly from the plants.

As well as their own produce, Gateway Market sells a range of fruit, vegetables, cheese, pies, chutneys and jams, all grown or made in the Yarra Valley.

They also have a cafe.

Kellybrook produces a range of wines, ciders (branded Kelly Brothers) and beers (branded Riders Brew Co.). Their wines include Shiraz, Cabernets, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Gewurztraminer, as well as Apple Brandy and Tawny Port. Their ciders include Sparkling, Apple and Pear. Their beers include Golden / Summer Ale, American Pale Ale and Porter.

Darren and Farley Kelly founded Kellybrook Winery in 1962, starting with cider and then moving onto wine in the 1970s. It was the first winery in the Yarra Valley to receive it’s Vigneron Licence and Cellar Door licence (1969) and it is one of the few wineries in the Yarra Valley still owned by the original family. Set amongst lush vineyards and historic gardens, the winery offers an authentic Yarra Valley tasting and working farm experience. A large range of wines, beers, ciders and local produce are available for tasting and sale. Picnics and grazing plates featuring local produce are also available all day. The gardens feature a 125-year-old oak tree which is listed with the National Trust, as well as roses, salvias and bulbs.

On the last Sunday of each month, ‘Sunday Sessions’ are held with live, local music from 1.30-4pm and hot food from the kitchen. Over the first weekend in May, there is the annual Kellybrook Cider Festival, soon to be in its 30th year.

Nature’s Harvest offers customers who have a preference to natural produce, a complete range of health food products and alternatives to conventional products found in everyday shopping outlets. It specialises in organic and biodynamic produce, grown in ways intended to protect wildlife and the environment. The store stocks a large range of products including organic and biodynamic meat & chicken, organic fruit and vegetables, flours, grains, nuts, local raw honey and freshly ground peanut butter, free of any oils, preservatives or contaminants. Local, free-range eggs, as well as a selection of yoghurts, cheese, tofu, dips, vitamins and health drinks, are also available for purchase. For those with specific dietary requirements, Nature’s Harvest also offers a wide selection of gluten and wheat free products including cereals, flours, sweets, biscuits and grains.

Old Evropa’s products include focaccia classica (with cherry tomato & olive), focaccia nera (olives only), pain ordinaire, pain de campagne, pain de Provence and pain au Levain. All their products are handmade, utilising traditional time-honoured methods, using only the finest organic ingredients. The long fermentation enhances the products’ flavour and makes them suitable for people with gluten sensitivity.

Organic Fix is an organic grocery store with some healthy addons. It sells quality, wholesome food which has been produced ethically and sustainably. The aim is for it to be a one-stop shop for healthy food for all Elthamites. Their best sellers are nuts, lentils, chickpeas, fresh veggies, frozen berries, tofu and vegan cheese.

Many of the products are Certified Organic, including all of the vegetables and most of the fruit. Where not certified, the products are spray free. Packaging is kept to a minimum and there are lots of package-free dry goods.

In February 2022, Guy Palmer interviewed Sarah McCall, the owner of Organic Fix. Read his writeup of the interview.

Turners Bakehouse Eatery is a historic bakery offering authentic sourdough breads, pies, cakes and pastries baked in its traditional wood fired Scotch oven that was built in the late 1890’s by Charles & Stephenson Turner. After being closed in the 1940’s and left vacant for many years, the bakery has been lovingly restored. Their signature hand-made sourdough is made with a mother culture of wild natural yeast that is over 100 years old and which is fed and cared for daily. Ask for a tour of the bakery.

Most of Yarra Valley Dairy’s cheeses are fresh, soft style cheeses made in a style that reflects the farmhouse cheese of France and Italy, although their mature cheeses have also become an important part of their range. The cheeses are made from cow’s milk from nearby Yarra Valley dairy farms and goat’s milk from Gippsland.

All of their cheeses are available for purchase in their Cheese Shop, alongside a range of carefully selected regional produce and local wines. Cheese plates, together with locally baked fresh breads and various regionally produced charcuterie items, are also available to purchase and eat in. The Cheese Shop is open 10.30am-5:00pm every day (except Christmas Day), and is located in a 100 year-old milking shed with beautiful views of the Yarra Valley. You can also view the making of the cheese through a viewing window.