Local food and drink directory

Hildebrand Grove is a local, family-run olive grove in picturesque Cottles Bridge which has been quietly producing award-winning olive oil for ten years. Ann and David Strutt are in there at every stage of the process: tending the olive trees, harvesting and pressing the olives. The oil is produced from a blend of Corregiola and Frantoio olives and the end result - a flavoursome and award-winning extra virgin olive oil - has become a beloved staple in many local households. In addition to selling the plain extra virgin olive oil, Hildebrand Grove also produces a great range of infused oils. With a variety of tasty flavours, these are a sophisticated addition to any pantry and can be used in cooked dishes or to dress salads.

This initiative is one of a number of related food-related initiatives at the site (others include a food is free table, a community garden and a seed library).

The food swap is a regular get-together centred on giving, swapping, and sharing homegrown food and garden-related items with others in the community. Its aims are to increase community access to healthy homegrown food, build strong local relationships, and reduce the amount of food-related waste and materials going to compost and landfill. It's also an opportunity to meet new friends and catch up with old ones.

Take along your surplus produce or, if there’s not much going on in the garden, just bring yourself!

Suitable items to share or give include:

All of Juanita's products are vegan, with no preservatives, dairy, gluten or sugar. They include a range of Mexican sauces & salsas, West African sauces & marinades, and beverages (chai, hibiscus tea and a smoothie mix). Her aim is to share flavours and ingredient combinations that she has discovered, stumbled accross and loved over the years, producing products that are as close to home cooking as they can be.

Juanita also operates a cafe, the menu of which is designed around, and uses, the Juanita's Kitchen products.

This garden provides therapeutic programs for people with disabilities and is also open to the public whenever the nursery is open (Monday-Friday 9am–3pm and Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm). Visitors are welcome but are asked to report to the Main Office upon arrival.

Inspired by a visit to a garden for children with disabilities in the UK, the late Kevin Heinze believed that all people should be given the opportunity to take part in gardening activities. He saw the benefits that horticulture-based therapy and recreation programs brought to people with disabilities and wanted to introduce the concept into Australia. Working with the Kiwanis Club of Doncaster and Templestowe volunteers, he raised the seed funds required and, with the help of Manningham Council, secured a lease on some land, where the Centre opened in 1979 and continues to be located today.

Kevin Heinze GROW operates a number of initiatives including: NDIS GROW On (its ‘core program’), GROW ON Transition (for secondary school students); Grow Well (for children who have experienced trauma); CHSP (a Commonwealth Home Support Program for older people with an interest in social and recreational gardening); Grow on the Go Gardening Services (services to the local community for garden maintenance).

The garden hosts two major plant sales each year, in April and October.

In February 2020, Judy Vizzari visited Kevin Heinze GROW. Read her writeup of the visit.

Kingfisher Citrus is a proudly owned and operated fourth generation family farm, nestled on the banks of the Murray River in Narrung, North West Victoria. Their citrus includes oranges, mandarins, lemons. limes, tangelos, blood oranges and grapefruit, and they also sell avocados. With a focus on flavor, their fruit is picked at maturity, is full of juice and is pesticide, fungicide and wax free. Their jams/marmalades/preserves include mulberry jam, fig jam, orange marmalade, mixed citrus marmalade, spiced oranges, lemon butter and preserved lemons. Other products include freshly squeezed juice, pure juice icy poles, onions, pumpkins, garlic and pickled garlic.

The blueberries are available December and January.

Fresh strawberries available mid October to mid June, raspberries available December to June, blackberries available from late December to mid March, and boysenberries and logonberries available in season. Fresh, hot homemade soup, frozen berries and award-winning homemade jams and syrups available all year. The soup is organic, Vegan-friendly and gluten-free. Most of the berries are spray-free.

La Villa Salumi make pork sausages, bacon and smoked smallgoods which they sell at markets.

Sausages as they should be: pork, salt, spices and herbs. No preservatives, gluten, rice, rusk or filler. Herbs and spices are hand blended (no commercial mix here), and sausages are hand tied using natural casings. None of the meat has been frozen, allowing customers to freeze at home if they desire.

A sweeter, Canadian style of bacon: slow-cured with maple syrup and brown sugar, then double-smoked in-house. As this bacon is dry cured, it does not contain excess water weight, which means it provides consistent cooking and crisping. Available sliced to any thickness, as lardons, slabs or whole bellies.

Smoked American-style franks: made using the same quality pork as the sausages. Finely ground pork is blended with a hint of chilli and select (hand blended) herbs and spices, then smoked in-house to provide a smoky frank with a great snap.

Kielbasa (polish garlic sausage): a traditional Polish recipe forms the basis of this smoked garlic sausage which is ready to eat. A small amount of beef is incorporated with pork and fresh garlic, along with herbs and spices, hand tied into rings and smoked. The result is a distinct garlic flavour with good mouth feel.

This garden is open to the public, with free membership (gold coin donation) and communal garden beds.

This is a new and developing community garden. The purpose of Links Community Garden Lalor is to foster community connections though the use of this space. It will include activities such as gardening, cooking, preserving, sustainability, sensory gardens, providing meals for those in need, upcycling, outdoor mothers or other social groups, eating or simply enjoying being in nature.

There are regular meetups at the garden, every Saturday, 10am-midday. All people of all ages are welcome, whether you're a gardening wizard or don't know a root from a branch.

Each ingredient in Magic Muesli's muesli and porridge is selected for the important role that it plays in maintaining a healthy body and mind. Oats and psyllium are a good source of dietary fibre. Goji berries contain antioxidants and cranberries contain vitamin C. Ground linseeds, sunflower seeds and almonds release the good fatty acids and whole linseeds aid digestion. Walnuts and chia seeds provide essential omega-3. And almonds, pumpkin seeds, buckwheat, sesame seeds and currants add goodness. The muesli is not toasted and contains no added sugar, no syrups, no juice, no added fats, and no preservatives – just raw and natural.

Manuko make a range of chocolate slices and truffles, stocked in select cafes and specialty retailers around Melbourne. All products are made from Certified Organic ingredients, and are raw, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free and vegan. Their products have a two month shelf life when stored refrigerated.

Their slices include salted caramel, turkish delight, hazelnut ganache, otway walnut ganache, peanut crunch, matcha mint, choc jaffa and choc coconut. Their truffles include original, turkish delight and mint.

Maya 'Xala Honey make pure and natural honey which they sell in 600g jars.

The owner, Nathan Stewart, is also the resident beekeeper at Rivers of Yarrambat.

"Maya'Xala" as it is an Indigenous word that means treat others and things the way you want to be treated (i.e. with respect). This sacred teaching and inter-connectedness could really help modern western ways of living.