Melba Fresh Providing Essential Link to Hospitality in COVID

Time and again, lockdown and restrictions in Victoria and elsewhere have had a vastly negative impact on the hospitality industry.

After what was already a tough year in 2020, and through the uncertainty of the future, the hospitality industry continues to find ways to stay afloat while navigating the ‘new COVID normal’. Many restaurants have had to go into survival mode, while thinking of creative ways to distribute meals to customers in order to see a future for the industry post-lockdown. The Melbourne Market’s own Melba Fresh has seen the opportunity to help provide solutions for restaurants who have been struggling, by working with celebrity chef Shane Delia to distribute meals through his new business Providoor, a food delivery service bringing chef-prepared meals from some of Melbourne’s top restaurants. Delia needed a partner to help him get to market and Melba Fresh owner, Lou Ponte was that person he was looking for. Mr Ponte said as Melba is a fourth-generation fruit and vegetable wholesale business, they were proud to play a part in creating a solution for struggling restaurants. “At the time we identified the community was struggling to have access to food. So, we set up Melba & Me and for the first time supplied directly to the public,” Mr Ponte said. “Shane’s been a friend for a long time and we had a fleet of 12-13 trucks so when he asked if we would support him setting up Maha Go to initially just deliver from his restaurant, we were more than happy to. “He in turn supported us by advertising through his website. Then he went on to set up Providoor.” Lou Ponte set up Melba & Me to bring the best quality produce direct to the consumer’s door. “Melba & Me is a family run business, born out of the desire to deliver the best quality fresh produce and groceries to your home or workplace. With no shopping queue & the added convenience of having the highest quality produce delivered to your door free of charge, Melba & Me offers a seamless service.” It could be said that a positive coming out of the pandemic, is the push for many businesses to support each other and work together on a solution to continue doing business in a ‘Covid normal’ way. Both Providoor and Melba & Me plan to expand their business model beyond Victoria. Melba Fresh, Store 66 and 68 at the Melbourne Market, are fresh produce wholesalers established for four generations. Having evolved as a leader in wholesale fresh produce, today Melba Fresh offers a total fresh produce solution through three divisions. Melba Fresh represents some of Australia's premier growers and provides to greengrocers, independent supermarkets, providores, and exports a vast range of fresh produce and value-added lines.