News
GOURMET TRAVELLER 17PHOTOGRAPHY PETE DILLON (PROVIDOOR), GETTY IMAGES (AVOCADO), MARTY O’DONNELL (MOONACRES).
PROVIDOOR
When chef and restaurateur Shane
Delia looked into delivery platform
options for Maha he didn’t like what
he found. The quality and financial
cuts that established vendors were
taking was disconcerting. But rather
than giving up, he decided to create
his own delivery platform: Providoor.
“This is an industry-led, long-term
solution to a problem we’ve had for
a while now, that has really just been
brought to light by Covid-19,” says Delia.
The newly established system focuses
on delivering premium restaurant
experiences to your door. Melbourne
partners already include Supernormal,
Sunda, Maha, Flower Drum and Tipo 00,
with Sydney restaurants set to jump
on board in mid-July.
Rather than risk the quality of the
food diminishing by being delivered
hot, all Providoor meals are cooked
by chefs, then safely cold-freighted.
The finishing touches are then added
by customers at home. The advantage
of the cold-chain delivery method is that
Sydneysiders will be able to sample
menus from Melbourne and vice versa.
Providoor takes just 15 per cent
in commission, unlike other food
delivery platforms, some of which
take more than a third of the total
order value.
The service also uses kitchens in
off-peak times, creating an additional
income stream for restaurants, while
preserving brand integrity.
“We’re talking about premium
restaurants here,” says Delia. “They
don’t just want to put their food in
a takeaway container, which is then
put in someone’s backpack to get all
sweaty and disgusting by the time it
arrives. We’re here to maintain what
the chef’s brands are about.” Providoor
takes orders by 5pm for next-day
delivery within a 35km radius of
Melbourne’s CBD. providoor.com.auThe Avo Club is a new subscription service that delivers the buttery, nutrient-packed fruit
straight to your door each month. Avocado farmer Katrina Myers launched the initiative in
Melbourne and Sydney, and sources green and yellow gold from different farmers across
the country, depending on the season and varietal. theavoclub.com.auOld-school new school
After making its name in NSW’s Southern
Highlands as a small-scale, regenerative farm
and organic kitchen, Moonacres is starting a
new chapter. Moonacres School will offer regular
workshops and classes, including fermenting,
pickling and breadmaking, in its purpose-built
farmhouse kitchen. Kristen Allan will host regular
cheesemaking workshops, and chefs such as
O Tama Carey and Danielle Alvarez will run
hands-on masterclasses, which will involve
harvesting produce then enjoying a meal
together. moonacres.com.au/schoolShane Delia.