Thanks to our ongoing partnership with VicHealth, we were able to relaunch the Pakenham market this month! It was devastating to have to suspend the market at the beginning of the pandemic, but we’re so glad to be back!

Full of excitement, the whole Community Grocer team drove down to the Outlook Community Centre in Pakenham for our first week back. We had not even finished setting up when our eager first customer arrived, which kicked-off a very busy day down in Pakenham. We were so surprised at how quickly word had spread around Pakenham about the market reopening - such a testament to how connected the people are in Pakenham and how important fresh produce is to the locals. We can’t wait to welcome even more customers once the 5km shopping radius limit eases and more people begin to hear about the market.

It felt odd to be relaunching a market during a pandemic, particularly when we’re used to launching markets to large crowds, with cakes, live music and speeches. But despite the masks and social distancing, we could already feel a sense of community at the market. We can’t wait to do our ceremonial watermelon-cutting and properly welcome everyone to our market when restrictions ease.

Nadhirah, our wonderful Heidelberg West Market Manager, will be running the Pakenham market for the first few months before we start the process of looking for a new manager local to the area. Over the next couple of weeks, Bella and Tess will join her to help pack 125 fruit and vegetable boxes that are being distributed to local food relief agencies, thanks to funding from Moving Feast.

You can pre-order a box online through Open Food Network: Click here, or shop directly from the market at the Community Outlook Centre, 24 Toomuc Valley Rd, from 9 am-1 pm on Thursdays.

We are always on the lookout for volunteers, so if you can commit to a four hour shift for at least two months, please fill out a form: Click here.

Thank you to everyone who came down or spread the word. It is so great to be back! We’d love to reconnect with old customers and welcome new ones, so come on down if you’re in the area.