A Victorian Affair

Tickets are now on sale for A Victorian Affair, which will run 16 to 26 October.

South Melbourne Market is home to over 150 small businesses that showcase local growers, producers, and makers all year round. This event will shine a spotlight on some of these local heroes, while also highlighting food provenance and the benefits to supporting and eating locally produced and grown products.

The diversity of the Victorian climate, matched with passionate, skilled and innovative producers has resulted in the State being home to some of the best food and drinks in the world.

Ticketholders will enjoy a self-guided degustation tour of the Market, taking them on a culinary journey to visit 12 Market traders in any order they please. The menu has been designed to showcase a wide variety of ingredients from across the state, with an emphasis on quality producers and seasonal produce.

Agathe Patisserie - Genmaicha Danish (green tea custard and jelly) 

Featuring Two Rivers Green Tea
Region: Acheron Victoria

Grown and produced on the family farm in the Acheron Valley on the Goulburn River, Two Rivers Green Tea has been growing for the Japanese Tea Market for more than 20 years. They have taken the finest green tea plants from Japan and nurtured them from small cuttings to create the established thirty-acre tea plantation that is there today.

Bambu - Crispy Zucchini with Lime and Chilli Caramel 

Featuring Velisha Farms Zucchini
Region: Werribee Victoria
 
The Velisha family has been farming in Werribee South for over 70 years. With generations of experience, they have learnt the importance of nurturing our land through sustainable farming practices to ensure they consistently grow and deliver exceptional fresh vegetables.

Their ever-expanding range includes brassicas, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and kale, as well as lettuce, celery, spring onions, zucchini, cucumbers, and ginger.

Claypots Evening Star - Mussels with Sambal Ginger 

Featuring: Portarlington Mussels

Portarlington is known as the Mussel Capital of Victoria and for good reason. Not only does this picturesque town harvest 60% of Australia's mussels, the quality is exceptional thanks to the cool depths of Port Phillip Bay.

Cobb Lane Bakery - Pain au Chocoluxe 

Featuring Cuvee Chocolate
Region: Mornington Peninsula

In 2015 pastry chef and chocolatier Deniz Karaca and his wife Kylie founded Cuvee Chocolate from their kitchen base, right at the fringe of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

Since their humble beginnings, Kylie, Deniz and their team of passionate chocolate makers dedicate themselves every day to continue to make Cuvee Chocolate the home of Australia’s most exclusive and iconic range of chocolate.

Fritz Gelato - Walnut and Honey Gelato  

Featuring: Gapsted Walnuts
Region: Ovens Valley

Owned by John James and his son Stephen, the Gaptsed Walnut Farm is home to approximately 5000 trees, mainly of the Franquette and Chandler walnut varieties, which thrive in the rich alluvial floodplains of the Ovens River, in the shadows of the Great Dividing Range. 

Featuring: Beechworth Honey
Region: Beechworth

For over 140 years, Beechworth Honey have been keeping bees around Beechworth, producing pure and natural Australian honey. Traditions, techniques and tales are now being passed from the 4th to the 5th generation. The practice of keeping bees is 100% dependent on a healthy and sustainable environment. Founders, Jodie and Steven Goldsworthy’s life’s work is to make a real and tangible impact in the way people understand, purchase and value their honey.

Featuring: Great Ocean Road Dairy (Saputo Dairy)
Region: Allansford

Born on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Great Ocean Road Dairy products are made with 100% Australian milk sourced predominately from farmers in South-West Victoria.

Greek'n Out – Lamb cutlet with Roasted Lemon Potatoes and Tomato Relish 

Featuring Indigo Valley Lamb 
Region: Indigo Valley Victoria

Paul and Suse’s story began back in 2006 when they met by chance in the quaint little town of Rutherglen in North East Victoria.

They both shared a love of wine and living in the North East with a strong connection to the land and a genuine love for animals. In 2019 they decided it was time to take on a new challenge together and this is when Indigo Valley Lamb was created.

K-Sein Fromagerie - Curdsy Cheese

Region: Castlemaine

Originally from Cyprus, Alexandra Cleanthous’ passion has always been in food, including restaurants, events, and catering services. Her culinary journey has taken her from France to Melbourne, where she has been based since 2018. During the pandemic, Alexandra re-discovered her love for cheese, a skill she started exploring whilst working in restaurants. After completing her training at “The Cheese School” in Castlemaine followed by months of trial and error, she created a cheese that she is really proud of, which represents who she is and where she comes from…. the grilled cheese.

Pickadeli - Pork and Pistachio Terrine with Cornichons and Bread 

Featuring City Larder Terrine
Region: Melbourne

City Larder was born after seeing a gap in the market for high-end, traditional French-style, restaurant quality Charcuterie {shar-ku-tuh-ree}. Handcrafted in Melbourne using premium, free-range pork and chicken and utilising local ingredients in its recipes. City Larder Charcuterie is known for its delicious terrines, pâté, rillettes and pickles. They are served and sold at more than 250 locations around Australia including some of the nation’s finest restaurants and also through independent grocers and delis

Proper & Son - Beetroot Cured Trout with Horseradish on Rye  

Featuring Yarra Valley Trout and Bromley Bakery Bread

Regions: Yarra Valley & Cheltenham 

Born in Melbourne, Bromley’s bread (owned and run by Scott and Jenny Bromley) started out as a small, weekend farmers’ market stall, selling directly to the public with their young family in tow. After such positive feedback, they wanted to share their incredible breads with more people through supplying to some of Melbourne’s best cafes, restaurants, gourmet supermarkets and delicatessens.

Ugo Burrata Bar - Asparagus, Burrata and Caviar with Prosecco Sauce 

Featuring Koo Wee Rup Asparagus
Region: Koo Wee Rup

Featuring That’s Amore Burrata Cheese
Region: Williamstown

In 2004 Giorgio Linguanti arrived on the shores of Port Phillip Bay. In only four years, this young Sicilian went from not speaking a word of English to opening his own cheese company, winning an award at the Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards and since then he has won numerous awards.

Giorgio’s business grew rapidly, and in 2010 That’s Amore Cheese took over Donnybrook’s cheese factory. In April 2015, That’s Amore Cheese moved into a larger facility in Thomastown, accommodating a beautiful Cheesery with a Deli & Cafè. In 2016 the company approached the export market and is now supplying cheese to more than 10 countries.

Featuring Yarra Valley Caviar
Region: Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley Caviar is an export approved boutique fresh water aquaculture farm located at the base of the Rubicon River in the Yarra Valley region of rural Victoria.

Yarra Valley Caviar is an industry leader – not only is it Australia’s only producer of fresh water Atlantic Salmon, it pioneers a natural approach to rearing and roe extraction, demonstrating a staunch belief in humane practices. In addition to Salmon, Yarra Valley Caviar also produces and harvests Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout roe for their caviar range.

Featuring Pizzini Prosecco
Region: Whitfield
 
The Pizzini story is the culmination of several journeys and two significant destinations. From Trentino in the far northern reaches of Italy, to Victoria , amongst the fertile undulations of the King Valley. This is where, for over 30 years, The Pizzini family’s love of food, wine, and craft has manifested and been brought to life. Pizzini wines are a reflection of their land, heritage, and tenacity. Italian in style, King Valley in character.

Simply Spanish - Twice Cooked Pork Belly with Quince and Apple Puree 

Featuring Otway Pork 
Region: Newtown

For more than three decades, Otway Pork has been dedicated to raising pigs outdoors. They recognise the value of an outdoor approach, allowing the animals to thrive in a natural habitat while minimising the impact on the environment.

Today, they remain dedicated to this commitment. Through consistently upholding ethical and sustainable practices across all operations – from their farms to their supply chain – they have grown into one of the nation’s largest outdoor pork producers.

Smithburg – Apple Pie Shine Cocktail (or Mocktail) 

Featuring Melbourne Moonshine 
Region: South Melbourne

Owners, Ben Bowles and Andrew Fitzgerald opened their urban distillery in 2015. Secreted away in an unassuming warehouse in the heart of South Melbourne, Melbourne Moonshine Distillery make their Apple Pie Moonshine using apple suppliers from the Mornington Peninsular.

Featuring Nightingale Bros Apples
Region: Wandiligong Valley and Buckland Valley

The Nightingale family has been growing crisp, juicy apples in the Wandiligong Valley and Victorian alpine surrounds for over 60 years.

Now 60 years and four generations on, the Nightingale family have five orchards: two at Wandiligong located 5 kilometres from Bright, one in the Buckland Valley just below Mount Buffalo, one at Stanley, and one in Batlow in southern New South Wales.

The cool, elevated conditions in these regions concentrate the flavours to produce sweet, juicy apples.