Congratulations to the 2008 Green grocer of the month award recipient.

Monthly Winners 2008

• November
• October
• September
• August
• July
• June
• May
• April
• March
• February
• January

 

November 2008 –Manly Fresh Fruit Market

Located a short stroll from the popular Manly Beach, Manly Fresh Fruit Market is a busy greengrocer offering quality fruit and vegetables and first rate customer service.

Catering to many locals and the countless tourists who frequent this seaside area, Manly Fresh Fruit Market offers a wide range of market fresh quality fruit and vegetables. The displays are neat and creative; the store is airy and well lit and easy to move around.

Like many other stores of this kind, Manly Fresh Fruit Market also incorporates a juice and salad bar and offers a superb selection of seasonal fresh cut flowers that can be gift wrapped on request.

Owners Joe Kazzi and his bubbly and enthusiastic wife Alba have operated this business since August 2006. You don’t come across many women who do the fruit and vegetable buying at the market; (maybe it’s the very early starts), but Alba Kazzi by necessity has taken up this arduous task and is doing a remarkable job. Her day doesn’t finish when the buying is done as she then heads back to the store and can often be found serving on the checkout late in the day, having a chat and a laugh with a customer or two.

Alba’s enthusiasm and passion to succeed are clearly the driving force behind the success of this Manly business and Joe is there backing her up all the way.

Manly Fresh Fruit Market operates 7 days a week.

Details: Manly Fresh Fruit Market - Shop 1, 2/8 Darley Street, MANLY, Tel: (02) 9977 1794

 

October 2008 – Sydney’s Best, Engadine

In April this year, Paul Saad, who also operates businesses in Cronulla and Roselands took over this successful Sutherland shire business previously known as Engadine Best Fresh. With 15 years retailing experience including time spent with a large supermarket chain, Paul has developed a signature style and a reputation for offering quality, range and service with a smile.

In the last six months Sydney’s Best, Engadine has undergone a range of aesthetic and operational enhancements to ensure that its meets the communities needs and expectation.

Paul’s signature displays are garnished with palm leaves and freshness is maintained by displaying fruit and veg in small stacks and topping up regularly. There a nice sense of abundance and freshness, a friendly relax vibe and the customer service from the checkout and floor staff is attentive and efficient.

The store offers an attractive loyalty program to its customers and has also introduced a smart gift voucher.

Sydney’s Best, Engadine has two entrances, if you enter via the street front you can weave your way through the produce and then onto the serviced deli counter and grocery section. This store has a walk through with loads of parking at the rear.

Details: Sydney’s Best Engadine - 1077 Old Princes Highway, ENGADINE, 2233, Tel: (02) 9520 386

 

September 2008 – Country Fruit, Bathurst

From the moment you walk through the glass sliding doors, Country Fruit has appeal. The décor is tasteful, the presentation spotless, the aromas enticing and the banter of friendly chatter between staff and customers is welcoming.

The fresh fruit and veg displays are smartly presented, the colours of the produce are used effectively to add contrast, the occasional filled wicker basket creates focal points and there is a pleasing sense of abundance and freshness. Plump red truss tomatoes are ripe for the picking and the mushrooms are snow white. Purple tissue paper is used to hold the grapes and is wrapped around the fruits like oranges, apples and pears in the stacks to add a finishing touch.

The broccoli, corn and asparagus are presented on freestanding refrigerated cabinets and packed attractively in shaved ice. There is a superb selection of quality lettuce and Asian vegetables all immaculately laid out in the refrigerated shelving. Overall the variety and quality is first rate.

At the back of the store under the boldly painted black lettering that spells out “GOURMET”, there is a creative three tiered display of cheeses which includes platters of glace fruit and fresh dates. This area is surrounded by a food connoisseur’s range of groceries, produced locally and imported. Country Fruit has also set up an area for sampling a selection of these goodies.

Returning to the front of the store, there are two large stainless steel tables positioned near the deli and a seafood counter, where customers can linger with a coffee, enjoy lunch from the deli, or sit and decide what to gather for dinner. 

Owner Craig Sharah is a forth generation fruiterer who learnt his trade from his father. What started out as a wholesaling and providoring business has blossomed into a one stop shop for quality fruit and veg and ingredients. Craig obviously has a good eye for detail and a desire to share his appreciation for quality food and service with the Bathurst community.

Details: Country, Fruit, Bathurst – 165 George St, Bathurst, Tel: (02) 6331 1742

 

August 2008 –Martelli’s Market, Rouse Hill

The Martelli’s have created another award winning store with their successful formula of quality, range and service to wow the residents of Sydney's North West.

Opened in September last year in the new Rouse Hill Town Centre a combined residential and retail development off Windsor road, Martelli’s Market, is more than just a fruit shop, as it names suggests this store is a Market, offering a diverse range of quality fresh fruit and vegetable and fresh cut flowers which is embellished by gourmet grocers, cheeses galore, breads, eggs, a serviced deli counter, frozen fruit and gelato and Asian noodle, dumplings and buns.

The store incorporates a professional kitchen that churns out ready to bake stuffed mushrooms and pumpkins, take home or lunch salads and a range of seasonal chopped vegetables packs, home-made style vegetable soups during autumn and winter.

Martelli’s Market, Rouse Hill is operated by the unassuming 30 year old Vincent Martelli, who has worked along side his parents Frank and Maria Martelli, in their businesses in Cherrybrook and Epping for 20 years.  Retailing is in Vincent’s blood and according to Vincent he has never been happier than is he is now steering this new business and sharing his passion for good food with his new customers.

Details: Martelli’s Market, Rouse Hill, Tel:(02) 9836 5500.

 

July 2008 –R & R Daily Fresh - Randwick

This Frenchman Road store owned by Nick and Tony Sofia opens onto the street and entices customers with a colourful display of packed fruits and fresh cut flowers. The store maintains quality by displaying fresh produce in small quantities and utilising the four tiered refrigerated display cabinets.

After a spate of growing kiwifruit and oranges on the Hawkesbury River in the 90’s Nick Sofia returned to what he says “he knows best – retailing”.  Thirteen and a half years after returning to retail  Nick’s once traditional fruit and veg store has evolved into a comprehensive one stop shop stocking a fabulous range of quality fruit and veg and an impressive range of gourmet grocerie, meats, cheeses, dips and chocolates.

R & R Daily Fresh are constantly looking at better ways of doing things and offering new products and services to their customers. A  lot of their customers do not want to shop at supermarkets so they haveadded to their range to cater for their customers. 

"We place significant emphasis on the personal service,from a warm welcome  through to the stock, we want our customers to feel like they are getting the best service and quality possible,” claims Nick.

Details: R & R Daily Fresh, 105 Frenchmans Rd, Randwick, Tel:(02) 93997226.

 

June 2008 –Minchinbury Fruit Market

For the last 48 years three generations of the Guaci family has operated this fruit and vegetable business on the Great Western Highway, Minchinbury. That was once also the site of their farm market.

Today Minchinbury Fruit Market is one of the largest fruit and vegetables retailing premises stores in Sydney. Renovated from fall to ceiling in 2006, this store is modern anf fresh. The interior is painted in vibrant colours, the aisles are extra wide and long, and the fruit and vegetable displays stretch the length of the store. The quality is impressive and the prices very reasonable.

All the aisles lead to a large refrigerated cabinet where you will find the delicate produce (mushrooms, asparagus, bean and alfalfa sprouts, packaged baby spinach and rocket and their impressive range of deli lines, milk and cheeses.

Minchinbury Fruit Market offers customers easy, at the door parking, they are open 7 day a week and the gourmet groceries items and in-house butchery make this store a one stop shop that has hospitable vibe.

Details: Minchinbury Fruit Market, 1039 Great Western Hwy, Minchinbury, 2770. Tel: (02) 9625-8021.

 

May 2008 –Metro Grocer , Marrickville Metro shopping centre

Since opening their doors in April 2002 Metro Grocer located in the Marrickville Metro shopping centre has won the hearts of locals as the place to shop for quality fresh fruit and vegetables.

Metro Grocer is a food lover’s paradise overflowing with exceptional fruits and vegetables and mouth-watering gourmet groceries.

They buy daily from Sydney Markets, Flemington, to ensures their customers have access to the widest possible choice of farm fresh produce throughout the seasons.

Metro Grocer's juice and salad bar offers shoppers refreshing freshly squeezed juices and the convenience of readymade salads to take home.

Brothers Richard and Louis Sellaro operated Metro Grocer on a day to day basis in partnership with Norton St Grocer’s George Angelidis and Claudio Guerrera.

Details: Metro Grocer , Shop M3, Marrickville Metro shopping centre, 34 Victoria Road, Marrickville. Tel: (02) 9550-3185.

 

April 2008 –Mountain Fresh Growers, Winmalee

Mountain Fresh Growers in the lower blue mountains suburb of Winmalee offers a superb range of quality fresh fruit and vegetables, is smartly presented and has top customer service.

Proprietors Frank, Charlie and Maria Iaris together with a loyal band of motivated and friendly staff have operated this business since December 2005 and built a sound reputation within the community.

The premises are spacious and inviting and the shelves are stacked with a marvelous selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. The stores fresh salad and juice bar offers delicious range of salads and freshly squeezed and blended juices are healthy and convenient.

Mountain Fresh Growers also have a wonder selection of deli items and continental groceries.

Details: Mountain Fresh Growers, Shop 20 Winmalee Village Centre, Whitecross Rd, WINMALEE. Tel: (02) 4754-4880.

 

March 2008 –Mitchell’s Fruit, Dapto

Illawarra based Mitchell’s Fruit of Dapto run by experienced Chris Kambouris and his enthusiastic son Mitchell (whom the store is named after) opened their second store, in Dapto Mall in September 2007 and they have certainly done it with flair.

The new premise in the food court is well layout and presented. The olive green walls, large produce graphics and stainless steel and highly varnished timber finishes and bright lighting make this store inviting.

Mitchell’s Fruit offer a superb range of quality fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs and they cater to busy shoppers by stocking an vast choice of pre–packaged produce such corn, beans, celery sticks, tomatoes, cut pumpkin, stir-fry medleys and cauliflower and broccoli florets. The more perishable and delicate lines are attractive displayed in the refrigerated shelving along side the cheese and dips.

Mitchell’s Fruits also has a fresh salad and juice bar and stocks a range of drinks, groceries and basics like milk and bread.

Details: Mitchell's Fruit -Shop G140, Dapto Mall, Cnr Princess Hwy & Moombara St, DAPTO, 2530 Tel: (02) 42613622

 

February 2008 – Gymea Fresh Fruit Market, Gymea

Vince Pagano and his cousin Mark Formica have operated their charming Gymea fruit and vegetable business for almost two years. Their long and narrow store has a dazzling sense of abundance, is extremely well presented and brightly lit.

The displays are kept small and topped up regularly. To maximise freshness the cut herbs are wrapped in cellophane and displayed in water as are some of leafy greens. Delicate fruits are attractively wrapped in tissue paper and displayed in baskets which add to the overall appeal of the stores presentation and quality.

Along with the traditional seasonal lines of produce Gymea Fresh Fruit Market offers an extensive range of smartly presented semi-prepared fruits and vegetables, including freshly shelled peas, top and tailed beans, julienne carrot and celery sticks, peeled baby potatoes, fresh fruit salad, salad mixes, stir fry mixes, peeled and chopped pumpkin and sliced mushrooms.

Sydney Markets anonymous shoppers found the team at Gymea Fresh Fruit Market were smartly attired and offered friendly informative service at all times.

Details: Gymea Fresh Fruit Market – 77 Gymea Bay Road, Gymea. Tel: (02) 95251968

 

January 2008 –Minto Fruit Orchard, Minto

Established in 1997 by brothers Frank and Sam Murdocca Minto Fruit Orchard is a spacious and inviting store. The wide aisles, simple layout and atmosphere controlled environment makes shopping comfortable and effortless. The large colourful mural that wraps the walls is as smart as the store is clean.

Their customer service is skilled and thoughtful. Store personnel are product savvy and the car service delivery is offered enthusiastically.

Catering to the diverse needs of a multicultural community means that Minto Fruit Orchard stocks an impressive range of qulaity fresh produce at reasonable prices and whilst 70% of the store space is fresh produce the remainder is filled with a serviced deli, fresh meat cabinets, dairy lines and groceies making this store a one stop shop.

Minto Fruit Orchard is located at 42 Ben Lomond Rd, Minto, Tel: (02) 9603 9458 and is open 7 days a week