Wonderful cheese selection in the cheese cave that is downstairs with a knowledgeable cheese…read moremonger. I went to cheese stores all through Melbourne and around Brisbane and this was where I found the greatest selection of cheese made in Australia. Upstairs has a variety of boutique products from granola to chocolate. Also, there is a gelato counter and espresso bar as you enter the store.

This place looks like nothing more than a gelato shop from the front, so you'd be forgiven for not…read morerealising there's a whole specialty grocery inside -- and they also do delicious made-to-order artisan sandwiches to take away. To get a sandwich, bypass the gelato out front and go inside, then bypass the groceries and head straight to the back. There's a cashier here who will take your order and bring your sandwich out to you after about a 10-15 minute wait. I love this place because of their four vegan sandwich options: a tofu salad open sandwich with sesame and lime dressing; a bagel sandwich with a tofu and corn fritter and curried cashews, cucumber, and coriander; a tempeh burger on focaccia with kimchi and ABC sauce; and an eggplant, pumpkin, spinach, white bean, and basil pesto on focaccia. If these descriptions don't have you drooling right now, I don't know what's wrong with you. All vegan sandwiches are $11.50 and come with potato chips. This is a fair price for a delicious and rather filling lunch. Their non-vegan sandwiches aren't much more expensive either. My favorite is the tempeh burger with ABC sauce -- it's like an Indonesian sweet soy sauce -- oh man. Just the right mix of unusual but awesome flavours. There's no seating here -- it's take-away only, unless you're out front having a gelato. While you wait for your sandwich, you can peruse the specialty grocery items. They have a small but impressive collection of hard-to-find and locally-made items, such as La Tortilleria tortillas, local hand-made chocolates, jars of refrigerated kimchi, and chips made from all manner of non-potato things -- kale chips, bean chips, turnip chips.... Just be prepared for some sticker shock. These specialty groceries don't come cheap. (One of the chocolate bars was $14!!! It better be chocolate CRACK, at that price.) All in all, a great place to come for an awesome take-away sandwich with fresh and often unusual ingredients at lunchtime, and a fun place to peruse if you like your exotic, organic, hand-made/hand-dipped/hand-chopped/hand-crafted/hand-tooled/hand-whatever fancy-pants specialty grocery items. You know who you are. (Note the sandwiches are a Monday-Friday lunchtime thing only. I came once on the weekend and they weren't making sandwiches. The gelato is available all the time, but I admit I haven't sampled it yet.)

This is my favorite butcher in Thornbury. Conveniently located across the road from Psarakos, the…read moreorganic meat here is excellent quality and price.

The best butcher in the local area by a fair bit. Their lamb.... is actually lamb, and not cheaper…read moremutton. The organic range is small but not outrageously priced. Best way to test a butcher is their mince. It's the easiest product to cheat on and go very low quality. These guys don't. They also mince on the spot for you if you ask Try the grass fed and aged beef or the free range pork.

I love the Fruit Pedallers. It is a little bit like a little rabbit warren with lots of nooks and…read morecrannies to find yummy tidbits of organic produce. It can be hard to find exactly what you need if you are after something specific, as the shop is not laid out in a methodical manner, but for me this makes the shopping experience all the more enjoyable. Sometimes I think the staff at the Fruit Pedallers must think I'm a little fruity myself, when I spend hours browsing the shop only to come up to the counter with a bottle of milk and a cucumber, for example. Up until recently their fresh fruit and veg have been very very expensive. But with a recent change to their buying strategy, they have dropped prices significantly. Yay! Now we can all eat more organic food. Who knows I may even come up to the counter with a cucumber and a head of brocolli. They also have naturopaths on staff - where you can get some free advice (as long as you buy their awful tasting herbal mixtures of course) on your lingering cold etc.

The Fruit Pedallers is a ditty little health food shop on Westgarth's High Street selling all…read moremanner of organic whole foods alongside natural therapies such as naturopathy, homeopathy, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, kinesiology, art therapy, acupuncture and more besides. In foodie slash health conscious Melbourne, where organic food stores are ostensibly a dime a dozen, The Fruit Pedallers is notable for its friendliness and excellent range of herbs and vitamins alongside fresh organic fruit and vegetables and a ruddy good selection of organic and fair trade chocolate. Its staff are helpful and extremely knowledgeable and although The Fruit Pedallers can be a little dearer than its competitors, this little Westgarth health food haunt is a local favourite, and with good reason. The Fruit Pedallers is a particularly good health food store to visit if you're in the market for vitamins or supplements and don't quite know what you're looking for. Excellent all round.

Cooking an Asian meal tonight?…read more Pick up everything you need at ARC Asian Grocers. This new Asian grocer next to Preston Market has everything you need for your next Asian inspired meal. The store is new and very clean, making it a pleasure to explore, and trust me you will want to. The staff are happy to help confused non-Asian shoppers wanting to try something different! The fresh food section has all the herbs you need as well as Asian fruit and vegetables, yes even the stinky Durian is here for your culinary pleasure! There are aisles dedicated to Korean and Japanese cuisine (get your sake here too) and every spice, sauce or ingredient you need can most likely be found here. The coolers at the back of the store stock everything from coconut water to extra firm tofu, and there is an aisle dedicated to desert items, yum! The variety here is fantastic but the counters can get crowded on market days and the fresh meat selection is very limited. That doesn't matter though as you less then a minute from the meat and seafood section of Preston Market. Come here if you want to be inspired, want a taste from home or if your Asian grocery needs are not being met at your local chain supermarket.

I have been growing to Frederick since I moved to Richmond about eight months ago. They have tons…read moreof healthy produce in products that will never make you feel guilty about eating them. On top of that they are huge supporters of local businesses and small businesses which have a special place in my heart and to be honest is the main reason why I keep going back to this place. The workers are also very genuine and I always have a lovely chat with them when I come in to buy something.

At first glance Bivano and Sons appears to be a high quality and well stocked fruit and vegetable…read moreshop. But anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting this well known grocer knows better! Yes B & S has the best looking and diverse range of fruit and veg I have seen, but it doesn't stop there. There is a beautiful range of flowers to choose from as well as a deli section I could very well live in. Any shop that has a fridge of Ben and Jerry Ice-Cream has my vote. And yes, they do stock a range of sauces and deliciousness from Gourmet Simon Johnson. This grocer is not only filled with beautiful products but friendly staff and a conjoining butcher for all your carnivourous needs. This place is a pleasure to visit and its produce joyous to consume. Yes, it is that good. All other greengrocers take note please.

A while ago I heard about a cheese shop which was located in the industrial area of Thomastown but…read moredidn't know what the name was and didn't know where it was.......until recently at one of the stalls at the salami festa I tasted the most delicious skewer of Buffalo boconcini, cherry tomatoes and basil, drizzled with Italian olive oil and balsamic. I picked up a brochure and discovered it was "That's Amore" located in Thomastown! That's the place! They don't just sell cheese here either. If you love beautiful Italian cheese - imagine fresh tubs of ricotta & tasty pecorino, delicious ricotta canoli to have with coffee, or fancy mouth watering porchetta in a crispy bread roll, like those you may have tasted in a Perugian town in Italy, then you should definitely visit That's Amore.

Found an instant favourite place hidden in the industrial area in Thomastown for lunch today…read more That's Amore Cheese! Huge selection of cheeses direct to the public and an amazing deli. Also really great pork roast panini, chicken and more.

It doesn't look much from outside, but Psarakos Brothers Vege Barn is a little bastion of all…read morethings fruit and vegetable in the inner north. Stretching over a couple of football fields' worth of real estate, the place is chocked full with produce ranging from your run of the mill 'Australian'-style spuds and onions, to a wide range of Asian varieties and further regional obscurities. The stuff here is pretty much non-organic, but is usually in pretty good shape at least for a week after purchase. The big difference here are the price-points. Psarakos provide their veges in bulk, so it pays to sift through the bins, but the prices match and even often better those seen at Preston or Victoria markets. Plus there is very little hassle-factor in shopping here, with ample parking and a very relaxed overall vibe about the place. A downside is the opening hours which are limited and Saturdays can be a little hectic. But if you hate the market rush and chow through a couple of bags of greens a week, you can walk out of here with two bags full of groceries for under forty bucks.

I rang Psarakos to enquire about a special on wine & the male who answered was very rude & abrupt…read more He told me to get my facts straight & hung up on me! The worst customer service ever!! I will be going to Dan Murphy's from now on!!

The market has most things I want. There are many varieties of fresh vegetables and fruits. Items…read moreare properly displayed and prices are very reasonable. staff are very polite and helpful. The place is properly ventilated and is very clean.

Ohhh this market ROCKS!! I've finally manged to find a deli stocking the gourmet and Mediterranean…read morestyle goods and flavours I love - all in the one place! I came here for the fresh, cheaper than the supermarkets fruit and veg but I've stayed because of the biggest variety I've ever seen for gourmet goods, deli goods, continental, International and ethnic foods and spices. You can't go past the delectable range of olives here, in particular the kalamata olives and green stuffed olives with capsicum or mild chilli's. Bocconcini and feta cheese is to die for, and you have to try out the assortment of herbs and spices. So cheap, so plentiful, so wonderful - you just have to come here to experience true gourmet deli produce.