Having gone from eating conventional product to organic I do believe there is a difference in the taste and quality of the produce. So, I eat organic where I can and I grow some of my own too. If you have just moved to Melbourne, are on a holiday and need to know where to buy organic in Melbourne or have moved to a new suburb then you will want to know where your local organic shop is.
I have listed some organic stores here and I will continue to add them where I know of them. Or, if you know of a new one that has popped up then please leave a comment below so I can check them out or add them to the list. A more extensive list is at the bottom of this post.
Organic Stores In Melbourne
Terra Madre (The Fruit Pedallers)
Location: 103 High St. Northcote.
A few doors up from Westgarth Cinema on High St. or near the cafe called Barry on Cnr Barry St and High St.
http://www.terramadre.com.au/
Opening Hours:
Mon to Sat 8:30am – 7:30pm,
Sun 9:30am – 7:30pm
This store also known as The Fruit Pedallers, is a major organic supplier to the area and where I shop the most. It has evolved over the years. It was a small store to start, with personal service and a range of products that you could not get anywhere else. Now, the store has grown. They bought out the shop next door and converted it and I have to say there is a diverse range of products and they also offer other services too such as naturopath consultations.
What has always surprised me about Terra Madre is the price of organic food. It has always been cheaper than buying conventional at my local supermarket. That has not changed even though they have grown as a store and in popularity.
The only thing I find challenging about Terra madre is the crowds. I find the shoppers there are not very aware of others around them so they will sometimes just obliviously block the passage with themselves or their trolleys or baskets so others cannot move through and keep going. What makes it more difficult too is that you are often having to make your way around the staff stocking the shelves in the produce section. They turn over so much stock and produce that if they did not continue to stock during business hours, the shelves would fast become empty. So, between the customers and the staff, it can feel frustrating. Some times (especially Sundays) are more busy than others but this is generally a VERY busy organic store.
Fresh Organic Produce
The produce is good because they turn over so much of it. You can get some organic product from Coles and Woolworths but I can only guess that it has been sitting in cold stores most of the time. Most times too, the supermarket organics are n0t cheap.
I even managed to get my first ever yacon root (normally converted to syrup in jars to buy there). Fresh tumeric has also been available and they are well stocked most times with a huge ranges of fruits and vegetables.
They also have bulk dry goods that are in dispensers. In recent times, you will notice that most of what is on the shelves in just Terra Madre Branded. This can be annoying at times as you might not want their own branded goods.
They are a progressive store too so if you are into raw nut milks, raw juice, kombucha and tibicos then this is the place. I make my own water kefir and will eventually make my own kombucha too. I have access to kombucha and can sell it to anyone who wants to start. Contact me if you are interested.
How To Get To Terra Madre
There is quite a bit of parking available around Terra Madre. You can drive up the hill a bit and park on High St on the left heading out of the city. There is usually plenty of parking there and you only have to walk a block. You can also use the trolley to transport your goods to your car and return it once done.
The tram runs along High St and there are cafes and other shops to explore. You might like to stop by at the Raw Food Restaurant just across the road from Terra Madre. It is called Shoku Iku and if you blink you could miss it.
Staff And Checkout
Yes it is busy there but surprisingly, even though you might be 18th in the queue, the staff are super fast and the register line moves fast. The staff are always friendly too but if you want specific advice then you are best to speak to one of their qualified naturopaths. I have been shopping there so long that I know some of them by name as they know me. You can also spot the odd raw celeb too such as Kemi Nekvapil.
The only thing you need to watch out for is that sometimes the registers get it wrong. You may be charged a double for an item and sometimes that may mean quite a few dollars. So, always ask for a receipt.
This is a definite ‘go to’ for organic stores if you live in the North to North East Melbourne suburbs.
Super Fruit / First Harvest Organics
Location: 230 Waterdale Rd. Ivanhoe.
Nestled in with other shops in the strip and two doors down from Lip Cafe.
Opening Hours:
Fresh Organic Produce
How To Get There
Super Fruit is located in the Ivanhoe North shopping strip on Waterdale Rd not far from Bell St. It is about a 15 minute walk from Ivanhoe train station or you can park out front or in one of the side streets. There are no trams but you may be able to bus it if needed.
Staff And Checkout
Kew Organics
Location: 4/79 Willsmere Rd Kew.
Easy to walk past without knowing it is there. Located in the shop strip near the Earl St roundabout and kind of opposite a very popular coffee shop / cafe called Ora.
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday: 9am to 6pm
Friday: 9am to 7pm
Saturday: 9am to 4pm
Sunday: 10am to 3pm
I decided to give this little organic shop a try because I was after some Loving Earth Kale Chips and everyone was out of stock at the time. It’s really not obvious that it is there and if you literally blink you will miss it. I have been to this store on about 4 occasions in more recent times so I don’t know much about the history or the owners.
Fresh Organic Produce
They do have quite a range of fresh produce although I don’t find it as fresh as some other organic stores in Melbourne. This organic shop might seem a bit pokey but it is more of a long skinny store that stocks a good range of shelf goods. The prices are not too bad and they also have a little section (at the time of writing this) on health DVDs such as ‘Fat Sick and Nearly Dead’.
How To Get There
This place is not far from Burke Rd but you can only get there by car or bus. The Eastern Freeway is not far away so if you live in the Eastern suburbs then this might be a good organic shop for you on the way home from work. It is a bit of a walk from Kew junction.
You can park on the street further back, which is easier than trying to find a park right out front.
Staff And Checkout
I have found the staff to be hmmmm….disconnected. Friendly but reserved and not like the service I get at other organic shops. Mostly I’m not there for the service though; just there to get my products and be on my way. Like Super Fruit, you don’t have to worry about long queues of people. There are generally other people there shopping but I’m used to Terra Madre.
Other organic stores that might be local to you:
I still have a lot of stores I haven’t been to so, I give you a list to help you find where to buy organic locally in Melbourne. Feel free to comment below about your experience.
List Of Organic Stores In Melbourne:
CERES – Cnr Roberts and Stewart Streets, Brunswick East
COS Cheltenham Organic Store – 360 Reserve Rd, Cheltenham
Australasian Organic Wholesalers – 43 Taunton Dr, Cheltenham
Box My Bunch – 154 Tennyson St, Elwood
Organic Wholefoods – 277 Smith St, Fitzroy
Organic Larder – 167 Malop Street, Geelong
Superfruit Organics – 230 Waterdale Rd, Ivanhoe
Kew Organics – 4/79 Willesmere Rd, Kew
Melbourne Street Organics – 1430 High St, Malvern
Queen Victoria Market – Garden Organics located Stall 71-76, I Shed Stalls 71-77, Therry St, Melbourne
The Organic Food And Wine Deli – 28 Degraves St, Melbourne
Get Real Organics – Were St, Montmorency
Passionfoods – 219 Ferrars St, South Melbourne
Terra Madre (The Fruit Pedallers) – 103 High St, Northcote
Joe’s Organic Market – 64 Victoria Rd, Northcote
Replenish – 20 Douglas Parade, Williamstown
If you have a local organic store you frequent in Melbourne that I have missed then slap me about and send me on my way. Actually, if you slap me with a few storks of rainbow chard the bruising won’t show and I can add them to my green smoothie in the morning. 🙂
Happy Organic hunter gathering everyone!
Give yourself the power to roar!
Eileen.