Melbourne's food markets dial up their online offerings

August 7, 2020

Co-Lab Pantry lets you order drinks and condiments from restaurants.Co-Lab Pantry Supplied

While you might want to embrace your ability to hit the aisles given it's one of few legitimate reasons to leave home, now is not the time to treat shopping like an episode of Supermarket Sweep.

Bear in mind, the big shops are still relatively busy, relied upon by the elderly and the most vulnerable.

On the flip side, multiple online retailers have been set up to bring the best of Victoria right to your doorstep, supporting small producers along the way. Treat yourself and shop like a hero.

Fresho.com.au is the online platform used by some of Victoria's best. You can order vegie boxes from Northside Fruit and Veg, seafood from Clamms, Ash Bros Seafood and The Fish Shoppe. You can get cheese bundles, meat boxes from Gamekeepers or Barongarook Pork, and drink packs from Colonial Brewing Co and Dominique Portet.

Melbourne Food Squad offers supplies generally used by Melbourne's restaurants. Save up and splash out on some scampi caviar or scarlet prawns and keep our industries ticking.

Drinking might be something you're taking a break from, but if you're not, invest in Victoria's spectacularly embattled wineries and cellar it. Most wineries deliver to your door, but if you're overwhelmed by who to help first, jump onto 6psouth.com, which has started a campaign delivering mixed six-packs drawing from all across the state. Follow their Instagram @support_victorian_wineries.

A vegie box from South Melbourne Market.Supplied

More into spirits? Since the last lockdown, Luke Whearty's high-tech, zero-waste bar Byrdi has expanded its range of delivered tipples. They're available via byrdishop.com.au. Fitzroy's legendary Black Pearl, which has produced some of Australia's best bartenders, also turned 18, a ripe age in bar years. Remind yourself of long nights drinking their zombies from the safety of your own living room via blackpearlbar.com.au.

Want to get your hands on Messina's ice-cream toppings, IDES peanut butter (you really do), Chotto Motto's crisp chilli oil and Entrecote's secret steak sauce? Co-Lab Pantry is a new one-stop-shop for all the condiments from Melbourne's restaurants, letting you spread your support far in a single transaction (colabpantry.com.au).

Food markets have also made it all a bit easier with some new and improved online offerings. Leading the way is Prahran Market, which has recently launched Food Lovers' Direct. The online marketplace and delivery service enables users to order from 41 producers in a single transaction, meaning you can visit the butcher, baker and cheesemaker (plus many more) without leaving the couch. South Melbourne Market is launching a similar one-stop-shop for click and collect and metro Melbourne delivery in coming weeks, but in the meantime, along with Queen Victoria Market and Dandenong Market, there's an order-and-collect service for locals within the five-kilometre zone. Preston Market also has individual stalls offering home delivery. These markets, along with Footscray Market are still open in real life, sans general merch stalls, but if you must go, remember the five-kilometre rule and, of course, your mask and good manners.

For details, orders and latest opening hours visit: