Celebrating The Woman Of The Market - International Woman's Day
Anna from The Little Wine Shop
Anna from The Little Wine Shop
Anna and her husband had a wine store in St Kilda for 27 years prior to his health taking a turn and Anna spending 5 years nursing him. During this time she sold beautiful tablecloths at the Market on and off before deciding in 2013 to set up a permanent shop in South Melbourne Market.
Anna is very active in her store and loves the community atmosphere of being part of the Market. Her stall sells imported European and local wines, spirits and beers.
You’ll find Anna’s smiling face in Aisle B, Stall 65
Rita from Rita’s Coffee & Nuts
Rita is an iconic face in the Market and has spent 42 years, since 1981 selling her gourmet nuts, coffee and condiments.
Rita told us that during the ‘80’s South Melbourne didn’t look like it does now. It was full of factories and a lot of young families worked and lived in the area. She saw an opportunity to become part of the Market and jumped at it. Her children have quite literally grown up here and still have a strong presence helping her out to this day.
A Melbourne family-run icon, go nuts amongst the nuts, gourmet chocolate, homemade rocky road, dried fruit, grains, preserves, coffee and Turkish delight. It’s almost impossible to leave without buying more than you came for.
You’ll find Rita’s Coffee & Nuts in the Deli Aisle, Stall 18
Rita from Rita's Coffee & Nuts
Lara from Lara's Women's Clothing
Lara from Lara's Women's Clothing
Lara’s Grandmother started her stall in the Market in 1957. Lara has fond memories of growing up surrounded by the exciting hum of the Market from the age of 3. She always had a passion for beautiful fabrics and garments and during her late teens worked for other retailers in the CBD.
It wasn’t until her Grandmother wanted to retire that Lara took a leap of faith and took over the family-owned stall to continue her Grandmother’s legacy. Lara takes great pleasure in the multicultural aspect of serving people from all over the world and loves meeting new customers. She says the Market is like a family and there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.
Lara has everything a woman needs to build her wardrobe: dresses, pants, tops, shoes, coats and accessories. Her customers love visiting her for her gorgeous Caroline Morgan clothing, one of the biggest fashion ranges in Melbourne. She also stocks Ajoy parkas and vegan leather pants.
You’ll find Lara’s Women’s Clothing in Aisle G, Stall 104
Grace , a stalwart for environmental sustainability at South Melbourne Market, emphasises her mother's belief that nature provides everything necessary for human survival.
“My mother always told me that everything we need to survive as a species on this planet is already provided for us, whether it is food, clothing or medicine. It’s already here. Otherwise, why would we’ve been put here”.
With two decades of dedication at The Soap Shop in South Melbourne Market, Grace offers a diverse range of chemical-free soaps and eco-friendly cleaning products.
You'll find The Soap Shop in Aisle G, Stall 111
Grace from The Soap Shop
Maria from Emerald Deli
Maria from Emerald Deli
Maria’s gorgeous Deli has been trading for 38 years. She started at the Market as a young Mother and her sons have grown up at the Market - one of them even now having their own stall!
She’s always had a passion for food and this coupled with the sense of community inspired her to set up shop at the Market. Her love of family and cooking, combined with hard work and determination, has seen her business thrive. The beautifully curated cheese room and extensive range of deli favourites like homemade dips, pasta and biscuits make it well worth visiting next time you're at the Market.
You’ll find Emerald Deli in the Deli Aisle, Stall 23
Georgie from Georgie's Harvest
12 years ago Georgie was working in the corporate world as litigation support to law firms. She frequented the Market and suddenly decided she wanted a change in her life.
An older gentleman used to own Georgie's store, then and still now, affectionately known as "the potato shop" and after an offer to buy the business and a handshake, Georgie's Harvest was born.
Georgie has many fond memories of the Market, she loves how everyone shares their stories with one another and how each trader, their parents and their children have grown up with one another.
Georgie's Harvest is the finest purveyor of potatoes in Australia. She also sells seasonal garlic, mushrooms and truffles along with a beautifully curated range of condiments, oils and sauces.
You'll find the lovely Georgie and her Mother Coventry Street in stall 50
Georgie from Georgie's Harvest