In what we aim to be a more regular occurrence, we’ll be featuring our legendary retailers on the blog! These are those local stores that provide their community a hub for food and groceries, and in turn support small businesses like ourselves and other Australian independent food producers.

Today we’re kicking off with one of south-of-the-river’s most enduring independent grocers and iconic fine food stores, The Leaf Store in Elwood. “Leaf” is a genuine 'community food hub' - we wish it was our local! We love this store not only because it's gourmet heaven, but also because they have been stocking Eighteen Thousand Islands products right from beginning :).

I still remember the day back in 2015 when I walked into the store with our brand new range of sauces. We were barely on the shelves of any store yet but I thought if we could get on the shelves at Leaf early, we’d gain instant credibility. Asking to speak to the manager, I was hoping at best to drop off some samples and, fingers crossed, they would like the sauces and call me back in a couple of weeks. Instead the manager, Lynne, says "the products look great and your story sounds great, but do they taste great? So let's do a taste test". She gathers a group of staff members in her tiny office for a tasting, and we get the thumbs up! However, we’re not done yet… Lynne says "these are Indonesian right? We have a staff member who is from Indonesia, let's get them to taste them".

We wait and wait and then a young Indonesian guy squeezes in the office and tastes our products. Silence. And then he says "where can I buy these from? These are great, they remind me of home!" And that's how we got on the shelf at The Leaf Store, one of Melbourne's fine food institutions!

Leaf Elwood, 111 Ormond Rd, Elwood VIC 3184
Leaf Hawthorn, now open at 728 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn VIC 3122

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With us from the start... The Leaf Store Elwood