This is a one-stop superstore for the organically and healthy minded. There is a great selection…read moreof fruit and vegetables in front and a couple of isles full of vitamins, supplements, milks, breads, oats, cereals and other groceries down back. There is a decent selection of meats and dairy as well. They stock informative books and magazines and even cater those with a sweet tooth with a great selection of chocolate. The prices are pretty good too if you start to compare with other organic retailers. Some of their prices are even the same as the mega chain supermarket just down the road. Situated on Smith St and servicing the healthy for the last 20 years, this family owned business is a pleasure to come and shop in. There is a very earthy feel with passive staff and smiles and positivity all around. If you can't make it down, they also have an online shop and even do home delivery.

Firstly, a confession…read more Although I occasionally brought organic produce, I had not signed on to the organic way of life. I thought it would be too expensive, boring, and not flexible enough for my student life. How wrong I was. I discovered Organic Wholefoods on Smith Street a couple of weeks before, and am now prepared to make weekly migrations to stock up on fruit and vegetables and a few other products as well. Organic Wholefoods boasts some beautiful regional produce (juicy oranges, enormous mushrooms and free range eggs) as well as an enormous range of cereals, flour, tea, nuts and more. I was particularly impressed with the wide range of tea and coffee, and had to get my hands on some of the Mount Zero Extra Virgin Olive Oil (under $20!). I was surprised to see that the produce was pretty reasonable (a couple of dollars here and there more than Coles of Safeway) but after buying and trying out the food I could definitely tell the difference. Although I may not have the budget to buy organic for everything, visiting and trying the produce stocked at Organic Wholefoods was an eye-opening and enjoyable decision.

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.

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.

I owe the discovery of this fantastic little business to my partner. He brought me here to have a…read morelook at some great organic produce near to where we live. This is a beautiful little store. There is a great range of organic and fair trade food from veggies to milk, and eggs to olive oil. Asparagus, apples, oranges and corn are all really cheap at this time of the year and it was great to see that organic produce is only a little more expensive than the industrial fruit and veggies that we buy in the supermarkets. There were a few finds that made this organic store really special. They have Mount Zero Olive Oil for around $16 (at least $2 cheaper than what I found in the CBD), and they also stock galangal. This is a type of ginger that is used a lot in Thai cooking and that has consistently eluded me in my shopping. They also have a little coffee and drink section up the front that produces fruit smoothies and iced chai among other beverages. There is seating out the front, and the atmosphere of the store is a pleasant and health-conscious one. Something we can all be happy with.

From the owner: Organic, vegan, vegetarian, gf specialist.read more

I'm now a regular at this store where I stock up on my favourite spices, dried fruit & nuts and…read moresavoury snacks. This store has all your grains, pasta, flour (every type including banana?!), legumes, teas, coffee, spices, herbs, energy/health "balls" and so much more. The Source stocks a great majority of Australian and Organic produce. It's mainly self-serve - except for the spices in large jars on the top shelf - which you can weigh on the scales provided and put in brown paper bags provided. Staff are super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. And prices are very, very reasonable. Why would you purchase expensive, mainstream foods, when you can buy Fresh, Organic, Cheap and Bulk? See you next week The Source Bulk Foods for my stock up of Organic Coconut Flakes (soooo goood) and oils.

Serene Nature House is your one stop on-line food & health products retailer that links small…read moreorganic farmers and organic produce suppliers to the Melbourne public. The proprietor Serene Teffaha is very passionate about real food, so she set up Serene Nature House to provide you access to genuinely healthy food that does not follow trends but real science. Serene Nature House products are chemical and pesticide free - some of their farmers and suppliers are certified organic- other producers simply can't afford certification but still follow chemical free farming and production processes and are deemed 'organic' without the labels. Just because something is labelled 'organic' per se does not make it healthy, therefore Serene Nature House does not supply packaged juices & drinks, puffed breakfast cereals and processed oils and the like as they are very concerned about maintaining health food standards. The owner of Serene Nature House is very passionate about healthy food and goes above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that you will get the best service possible. Serene Nature House delivers their products to all of Metropolitan Melbourne for a fixed rate of $6.99, irrespective of the weight. Serene Nature House comes highly recommended and I urge you to try their on-line shop at least once. I can assure you that after the first time you will be coming back more often.

CERES - or Centre for Education & Research in Environmental Strategies - is a non-profit…read moreenvironmental and educational organisation and 'urban farm' situated in Melbourne's East Brunswick. Boasting a permaculture nursery, organic market, restaurant, cafe, function centre, educational programmes, workshops and courses and the occasional kick ass music festival and offering free entry to all, CERES is nothing less than an environmentally friendly; sustainable, and decidedly local Melbourne institution. I'd recommend a visit to CERES organic market and a trip to its cafe as well as a mozey around the environment park's nursery where you can buy plants to take home to your own urban oasis. And with all nursery staff 'qualified in Horticulture and Permaculture' and being passionate about teaching urbanites how to grow their own food, I promise you'll leave feeling a little less green.

If you haven't been here you absolutely must check it out. CERES named after the Roman goddess of…read moreagriculture, is a community run park with the goals largely set out by its acronym: Centre for Education & Research in Environental Strategies. In recent years they have moved to set up a bunch of community hub projects to get more people involved and help turn a profit for the cause. If you turn up to CERES you can walk around the park through the beautiful gardens and water features; or you can check out the fully fledged plant nursery, organic markets and the cafe. They also have an events centre called the Merri Table, which is a bar & function restaurant serving up organic food. The nursery is remarkably cheap and has a fantastic range of plants. They also have a station where you can return your old plastic plant pots or pick up free ones from others that have returned theirs. The market is set around the organic farm, which is a beautiful setting to buy the delectable range or organic food sold here 9am-2pm every Weds, Fri and Sat. And the cafe is set within the gardens of CERES and they serve up a range of food, drinks and coffee - which to be honest are all pretty average and overpriced. But then again the setting does kind of make up for that lack. CERES also hosts a range of outdoor music festivals and events, so keep an eye out on their website in case you miss out!

What a great way to start the morning. I Decided to go for a stroll and ended up at the market and…read morespent a good chunk of time then walked out with a bag of groceries. Reasonably priced and a great selection of products. If you ever want to prepare a meal, there's great selection.. Market city coffee was fantastic, bought some cheeses, and picked up a borek pastry. Market is separated into different buildings. Seafood, deli and meats, and I didn't get to walk to the produce section. I stopped in at nine, but according to Google, it opens at six. In a shopper. Owner told me they close at three on the weekdays and four on the weekends. Open every day!

Definitely glad I booked my Melbourne hotel next to this market knowing I'd spend a good chunk of…read moretime there! The market is huge with so much to see - I spent almost an entire day here! Really great lively atmosphere with lots of people and the large downtown buildings in the backdrop of the market were beautiful! There was a great fruit and vegetable selection - I choose a few different fruit options to take back to my hotel later to enjoy. I LOVE mangosteen but it's hard to get fresh ones in the US so was super stoked to see those available! The indoor section with cheeses, meat and seafood was also super impressive! I snacked on some lobster and oysters then went outside and had some sugarcane juice and the BEST MUSSELS I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Such a great day at this market!!

With all the toxic chemicals and genetically modified foods available everywhere, it's nice to know…read morethat this family run and owned business is committed to just the opposite. Organically grown is a great little store that sells 100 percent certified organic produce. Fresh fruit and vegetables are sourced daily from the Melbourne market and the store is inspected annually to ensure the 100 percent organic certification remains that way. Find a great range of fruit and vegetables, grass-fed organic beef from Gippsland, free range and organic chicken, bread, free range and organic eggs, bulk foods, fruit juices, grains, honey, cereals, snacks and even organic certified cleaning products.

Great little shop with great range of products. Without fail, every time I shop there I am…read morecharged more than the price on the goods. If I purchase mandarins I am charged for oranges, if I purchase small lettuce I am charged for large lettuce, if I purchase juicing carrots I am charged for normal carrots ... every time!!!

This is my favourite place for natural remedies the walls of this little market shop are full of…read morethings like horseradish, hairy lemon and echinacea supplements. They also stock lots of different health foods including whey protein, soy protein, dried fruits and roasted nuts etc. Being located at the South Melbourne Market you can be sure the produce from The Discount Health Store are fresh and full of nutrients, it is well worth taking a look through the various items on sale here as it is one the best places to get value for you dollar, by buying in bulk or combining items together.