Local food directory

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.

Alberto's Delicacies use old family recipes and have been servicing small markets for around 12 years.

Alot of Good Stuff's preserves, biscuits and loaves are all made from locally-sourced produce and high quality ingredients. They are handmade in small batches to assure peak freshness and maintain quality. They include gluten-free options.

Alpine Walnuts sell walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts. The walnuts are sold in their shells, shelled, green, as oil and as flour. The hazelnuts are sold in their shells and shelled. The walnuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts are all harvested around April and are then available until sold out; typically, this means that hte walnuts and hazelnuts are available for most of the year, whilst the chestnuts are available until early Autumn.

Arthurs Creek Garlic was established in 2010 as a cooperative venture for the purpose of growing quality Australian garlic and and producing premium garlic and chilli food products. Unlike some imported garlic, their garlic is not fumigated or bleached. Rather, it is nurtured through its growing period with tender loving care to ensure intense flavour and superb looking and tasting garlic.

Their food products come from the same inspiration. They include: garlic & chilli fusion; garlic fusion; garlic & chilli extra virgin olive oil; garlic extra virgin olive oil; eggplant magic with garlic & chilli; and eggplant magic with garlic. The fusion is an old family recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation. The garlic in all of their products is grown at their farm in Arthurs Creek. Because of their belief in using the finest ingredients, they only use Australian chilli and extra virgin olive oil in their products.

"Grown from the earth, inspired by our heat, loved by our hands, adored by your tastebuds."

AVS Organic Foods (formally A Vegan Smiles) aims to create and provide tasty foods that are free from animal cruelty.

AVS focuses on non-dairy cheeses using different techniques that include culturing, ageing and fermenting. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy vegan cheese.

AVS is a strong advocate for animal welfare and was founded on a desire to educate non-vegans that foods can taste great (even better without animal products), coupled with the frustration of the limitation in purchasing vegan-friendly or dairy-free products when out with family and friends.

This garden is open to the public.

This project began as a dream of the manager at the Central Ringwood Community Centre when she spied an empty unused sunny patch of grass that begged to be filled with plants and people. This site used to be a skateboarding park that was filled in and left. A group of volunteers (led by brother-and-sister team Robin Hallett and Jess Ness) have been working to develop it into a community garden. They aim to develop and maintain the site as the primary sustainability centre in the Outer East of Melbourne.

There is an open public space with fruit trees, herbs and a bush tucker garden whose fruitful harvest is free for all to enjoy. The communal garden beds are keyhole shaped and of an ergonomic height designed for up to 10 people each. There are companion herbs beneath the fruit trees to serve as organic pesticides, soil remediators, and pollinator attractors. Everything will be labelled so that the public can learn from what is growing, and members of the garden can share their knowledge and passion for gardening, thereby building a sharing economy. Their plans also include: wicking beds; a seed library; a covered area for teaching, potting, cooking, events, etc; and a play area for the children.

They run many workshops and classes at the garden. See their Facebook page for details.

The garden's partners include the local Rotary (TTM), Transition Towns Maroondah (TTM), Mullum Mullum Indigenous Gathering Place, Heathmont College, Ringwood Secondary College, The Box Hill Institute, and the social enterprise Elishacare. The inclusion of schools and community groups is helping to build a strong sense of community ownership.

A management committee has been established, in the form of a sub-committee of the Central Ringwood Community Centre’s Committee of Management.

Available June to September.

Beenak Farm is a small farm in the Yarra Valley with five acres of kiwifruit. It is certified as Biodynamic by NASAA. Since converting to the Biodynamic method of management in 2002, they have been selling their fruit through wholesale markets and, increasingly through farmers' markets. They have been farming in this way for 35 years and are convinced that biodynamics is a sustainable way of growing food into the future. They like to tell their customers about kiwifruit and the way they are grown and regard farmers' markets as the best way of communicating with them.

This garden is membership-based.

The garden was incorporated in November 2014, and is entirely run by volunteers. The three main aims are:

1. To develop an open space community fruit and vegetable garden for individual community members and community groups who want to engage in, and learn about, sustainable gardening practices.

2. To provide a meeting place for individual community members and groups to develop a community gardening identity.

3. To promote the Bellfield Community Garden within the Bellfield neighbourhood, and across the Banyule council area and neighbouring council areas, and to form strong community partnerships to enhance and influence the success of the garden.

Benny's Berries are well known for their fresh strawberries. In addition, their jams include blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, mixed berry and spiced fig with pear and walnut. These jams are cooked in small batches ensuring minimal cooking times, enhancing the fullest flavours and colours. They are made from a traditional classic family recipe using all natural ingredients sourced from the Yarra Valley. The philosophy is to keep it simple (only 3 ingredients are used) and natural, the way our grandmas use to make it.

Available November to May. Bimbimbi Farm grow strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, rockmelons and watermelons. They are chemical-free, use only certified organic products, and are currently going through Organic Certification. The fruit is picked when ready to eat, chilled, packed and sold.

Blake + Fables is an online cake, pie + treat delivery service. Offering a selection of flavours each week, and free delivery to your door, they make it easy for you to enjoy cake every day or to brighten someone else’s day with one. Each one of their cakes or pies serves 10-12 people, which not only makes them perfect to share with your colleagues at work or to take to a dinner party, but also means they cost less than $5 per person. They source their ingredients from Victorian growers whenever possible.

Cheeses and yoghurts are made by hand following traditional family recipes, which have been continually improved over the years. No chemicals, no preservatives, non-animal rennet are used, and the cheeses are suitable for vegetarians. Cow's milk produce: natural yoghurts and kefirs/probiotics, quark-soft cheese, bries and blues, hard cheeses/vintages - cheddar (tasty), romano, gruyere, tasty gouda, fettas. Goat's milk produce: kefir, chevre, marinated fetta, haloumy, tasty cheese (caprino), chevre with dill.

BoatShed Cheese are makers of artisan cheese from cow, goat, sheep and buffalo milk using traditional French methods. They never use animal rennet so vegetarians can be assured that their product is suitable for them.

Everything made from scratch, Bomba Wood Fired Pizza offers a mobile food catering experience selling gourmet vegan and vegetarian friendly wood fired pizza at events and functions around Melbourne. Fully equipped with a mobile wood fired pizza oven, 4x4 Kombi van and collection of antique & rustic decor, they offer a classy, fun, delicious and unique catering experience for your special event.

Their ingredients are fresh, locally sourced and organic where possible. For example, at markets, they source their veggies from other stallholders. They use 100% dairy free mozzarella style vegan cheese.

They are also available for catering at private events, birthday catering, party catering, wedding catering, corporate events, family fun days, sports events, expos, car shows, charity fundraisers, cultural events & more!

The garden is membership-based but is open to the public whenever the neighbourhood house is open (Mon-Thur 9am-4pm and Fri 9am-midday).

The garden is a communal garden which comprises a mixture of raised and wicking beds. It is a place to meet neighbours and have a chat. There are regular gardening sessions, composting, worm farms and workshops. Everyone is welcome.

There is a working bee every Saturday, 10am-midday.

Bumpstead Family Apiaries sell honey and beeswax products. Their honey includes Ironbark and Stringybark. Their other honey products include honeycomb and soap. Their beeswax products include moisturising lotion, lip balm and wood conditioner.

They have also set up apiaries around Melbourne and Victoria, offering a rental hive service. Finally, and most importantly, they promote the important job that bees do in supporting human life.

Butt's Gourmet Smokehouse are a small family business which is focussed on producing smoked meats and fish plus gravlax. Their smoked products include trout, trout pate, ham, bacon, kransky, kangaroo, lamb, beef/pastrami, chicken, eel, quail and turkey. Their pork & turkey are free range, their lamb & beef are pasture fed, their chicken & quail are barn raised, and their eel & kangaroo are wild caught. There are no 'e' numbers in any of their products and they use no artificial smokes, flavours or fillers.

The business started smoking fish in the 1970's but started off life as a butchery in the 1930's. They have kept the original open fired smoke ovens but also have a modern smoking oven capable of cold smoking. They use only river red gum as timber for their smoke.

As well as being a gluten-free bakery, Caffe Strada is 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.