Avoca Beach Friendly Grocer

01/09/2026

🍊 MARKET UPDATE 🍊

Funny how a trip to the markets for ONE thing never quite works out that way…

One of our regulars asked us to grab him a whole tray (or two!) of Sumo mandarins and we’d completely sold out, so back to the markets we went. He’s already been in to collect his stash, but as it turns out, it was a very good day for us to go 👀

We managed to get our hands on some seriously hard-to-get premium berries that very nearly didn’t make it from the car to the shelf 😂

The big Burst Passionfruit are BACK too.

We picked up our usual OPA12 Burst Passionfruit, plus a small batch of a different new-season passionfruit out of Lakeland from the same supplier, J.E. Tipper. This one is quite different to the Burst we’ve all become obsessed with. It’s more delicate and sweet, with a beautiful floral note. If you’re a passionfruit person, grab one of each and compare them because they’re genuinely interesting side by side.

And this is what we love about finding these newer varieties. If you’ve been telling us you “haven’t had passionfruit like this in years”… there’s a pretty good reason some of these fruits feel different to what you remember. The newer genetics coming through are producing some incredible fruit.

🍊 Cara Cara oranges are BACK.

🍐 Piqa Boo pears are… not.
We tried AGAIN. Still couldn’t get them. At this point we might have to make another market run later this week because apparently we’re not very good at accepting defeat 😂

🍎 MISSILE APPLE WARNING:
They’re coming to the end of their season. We have warned you. Repeatedly. When they disappear, don’t say we didn’t tell you.

🥕 We’ve also brought in Dutch carrots to try. Our suggestion: roast them whole until they start to caramelise, then toss through butter, a little Australian honey, cracked pepper and sea salt. Simple and SO good.

🥦 And genuine Perfection Fresh Broccolini® is still here. A little fun fact: Broccolini® isn’t just another name for baby broccoli. It’s its own variety, a cross between broccoli and Chinese kale, with sweeter flavour, tender stems and those more delicate florets. If it doesn’t actually say Broccolini® on the tag, it’s baby broccoli.

And while you’re here, have a wander beyond the fruit & veg because lots of new things have quietly been popping up around the store lately 👀

🥣 Eclipse Organics muesli & granola
🍯 Wild Nectar 100% Australian raw, cold-extracted honey
🥔 DK’s Potato Chips in Purple, Pink & Classic, made from Otway-grown potatoes
🥜 New nuts & dried fruit
☕ New coffee

* plenty more from our new Market Grocer range.

Basically, come in hungry and have a look around.

And if anyone sees a box of Piqa Boo pears hiding at the markets… apparently we’re looking for those too. 😂

30/08/2026

🥹 A very special farewell to one of our longest-standing Friendly Grocer faces… Tash!

If you’re an Avoca local, there’s a pretty good chance you recognise this face from the past SIX years

Friday was Natasha’s final shift with us, ending a chapter that actually started three months before Amelia even owned the Friendly Grocer!

Tash was hired by Eric when she was around 14 years old and stayed on when Amelia took over the shop in September 2020. Since then, we’ve had the privilege of watching her grow up right here alongside the store.

We’ve seen her make her way through high school, celebrate sporting achievements, battle a few injuries, head off to uni, and grow from a shy 14-year-old into the confident, capable young woman and leader she is today.

Over the years, Tash became someone we could trust with absolutely anything. She had keys to the shop, opened and closed, ran shifts, helped other staff, solved problems, looked after customers and was always someone who could see what needed to be done and just get on with it.

Tash is also the perfect example of something we really love about having a little local grocery store.

For so many of our team, this is their very first job. We take them on when they’re 14 or 15 and, as they grow, their role grows with them. Along the way we juggle shifts around school, sport, friends, exams and the HSC, and eventually watch them become the older, experienced ones showing the next lot of kids the ropes.

In fact, quite a few of the familiar faces you see behind our counter have grown up together through the shop in much the same way. Now that little cohort is reaching the age where uni, travel and careers are calling, and we know we’re going to have to start saying a few more goodbyes. 🥹

That’s the bittersweet part. We’re always sad to lose great staff, but seeing a 14-year-old come in for their first ever job and eventually leave us as a confident young adult heading off into the world is exactly how it’s supposed to go.

And after more than six years behind this counter, we thought Tash deserved a special farewell of her own. ❤️

Now she’s looking towards graduating uni and beginning her career, and we couldn’t be happier for her.

So Avoca, help us send Tash off with some love! If she’s served you over the years, had a chat with you at the counter, helped you out, or you’ve simply watched this familiar face grow up behind the register, leave her a little message below. We’re sure plenty of you will recognise her. 🥰

Thank you for everything, Tash. We’ll miss you around here, but we can’t wait to see where you go next. 💚💛

26/08/2026

You ask, we go looking 👀🥝

Del found us through our videos, came into the store and asked if we could get gold kiwifruit. They’ve been expensive at the markets the last few weeks, but they finally came down a little this morning, so Del… we got them!

And of course we went for Zespri SunGold™. The lovely Zespri team even gave us some little plush kiwi mascots, so Del, when you see this, pop down for your gold kiwi because there’s a little friend waiting to go home with you too. 🥹🥝

🥦 The real Broccolini® is in

We went for genuine Perfection Fresh Broccolini® this week, and there IS a difference. Broccolini® is a specific cross between broccoli and Chinese kale, grown in Australia exclusively by Perfection Fresh and their supply partners. It’s sweeter and more delicate, with long tender stems. The similar-looking bunches sold as “baby broccoli” are not actually Broccolini®.

🍊 We found Imperials! These elusive little mandarins are in such short supply that they’re usually gone before us small guys even get into the sheds in the morning. We got very lucky with one box this week.

💐 You can pre-order your market flowers too!

If you know you’re coming in for a bunch after our market run, let us know beforehand. We’d much rather choose one for you that morning and put it aside as soon as we get back so you don’t miss out.

You can even give us a preferred colour palette and we’ll do our best with what’s available on the morning.

Alanna did exactly that this week and asked for something traditional in soft pinks. Her beautiful bouquet is safely tucked away waiting for her to collect this afternoon. 🌸🤍

And the rest of this week’s haul…

🍈 Passionfruit are still incredibly full and juicy.

🍊 Sumos are EXTRA Sumo this week. Big, beautiful and LARGE.

🍎 Missile apples are finishing up. This was the final batch sent to the markets for the season, so once ours are gone, we’re calling it. We’d rather finish them while they’re great than keep buying late-season fruit that isn’t up to scratch.

🫐 Beautiful Betty Blue blueberries are back, and we have a feeling these are going to disappear quickly… so we doubled our order this week.

Now tell us… what should we go looking for next week? 👀

22/08/2026

This is what supporting local looks like ❤️

A very big thank you to our Local Councillor Jared Wright, who not only genuinely shops small, but takes the time to talk to local business owners, ask what we need and then, apparently, uses an impromptu radio interview about his pavlova to give us a shoutout 😂

That kind of support for a little local business means more than you probably realise, Jared.

We’ll keep supplying the fruit if you keep making the pavlovas… although after all this publicity, are we at the point where you need to start selling them by the slice? 👀😂

😂 Matty rates a Central Coast councillor’s homemade pavlova!

Councillor Jared Wright was VERY proud of his creation… but what does Matty think?

🎧 https://bit.ly/4bZIaYR

21/08/2026

Okay Avoca… we heard you. 😂🍓🥭

We managed to sell out of Piqa® Boo® pears, Passion Burst passionfruit AND Sumos last time, so we’ve gone back for more and stocked ourselves as heavily as we can for the weekend!

🍐 Piqa® Boo® pears are BACK and we’ve doubled up.
If you haven’t tried one yet, now is the time. Crisp, ridiculously juicy and refreshingly sweet, these have very quickly become one of your favourites.

🥖 INFINITY BAKERY HAS LANDED!
And yes… TURKISH BREAD HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! You’ve been asking us for it, so we listened.

We’re trialling Infinity Bakery this weekend and we’ve gone for a pretty serious first line-up:

🥖 Turkish bread
🍞 Country White Sourdough
🌾 Country Grain Sourdough
🌻 Soy & Linseed Sourdough
🥖 Pane di Casa
☁️ Soft milk buns
🍪 And some seriously good cookies

But whether it stays is up to you! Locals and regulars, come down, grab a loaf this weekend and tell us what you think. If you love it and want to see Infinity become a permanent part of the shelves, we want to know. 👇🏼

🍓 Tramacchi boutique strawberries are back!
We managed to get our hands on another small drop from this elusive QLD grower. Big, beautiful strawberries and absolutely perfect for dipping in chocolate.

🤍🍓 NEW: WHITE STRAWBERRIES!
Yes, they’re ripe. 😂 These incredibly rare white and blush strawberries are only just beginning to be grown commercially in Australia, with very limited fruit available this year. They’re naturally lower in acidity than a traditional red strawberry, beautifully fragrant and sweet, with tropical flavour notes that can lean towards pineapple, vanilla and pear. Something completely different and VERY fun to try.

💜 PASSION BURST™ PASSIONFRUIT
We know, we know… we sold out. Sorry! 😅 This time we’ve squeezed in as many as we can hold.

These aren’t just your everyday passionfruit. Passion Burst™ is a premium passionfruit line developed by Jetbest Group in partnership with Oz Pash, selected for exactly what we’ve been loving about them: loads of pulp, heaps of juice and that beautiful sweet, tropical flavour. If you’re used to cutting open passionfruit and finding mostly empty shell, these are a whole different experience.

🥭 Northern Territory mangoes are in and eating beautifully. A little taste of summer while we’re still technically in winter.

💐 Fresh flowers are topped up too, with a beautiful mix of feature colours this week.

🫒 And one VERY fancy little trial…

We’ve brought in a limited number of Olivegrove Fruits award-winning Extra Virgin Olive Oils from a family-run farm near Robinvale, Victoria.

Their family has farmed the property since 1983, with olive trees on the farm now more than 70 years old. Their Australian-grown EVOO is cold pressed, and their Koroneiki/Corregiola oil scored 85 points at the 2025 Australian Golden Olive Awards.

And LOOK at the limited-edition 1L bottle. 😍 It may be the prettiest bottle of olive oil we’ve ever put on a grocery shelf.

We’ve only brought in a small amount to gauge interest, so if this is the sort of special Australian pantry product you’d like to see more of at Avoca, tell us.

Plenty more fresh market finds packed in around all of that too. 🍊🍓🍐🥭

See you this weekend at Avoca Beach Friendly Grocer 💚

17/08/2026

Well… we weren’t expecting to be back at the markets this soon 😅

After our last market haul, you absolutely cleaned us out of some of our favourite finds, so we made an early return to restock and found a few VERY good things while we were there 👀

🍓 Our most elusive strawberry find yet
We managed to get our hands on TWO trays of strawberries from Tramacchi, a Queensland grower we’ve only managed to secure once before.

Only a few pallets arrive at the Sydney Markets once or twice a week for the whole of Sydney. You literally put your name down for them and have to be there when they land, so having even two trays make their way to our little village is pretty special.

Big, deep red, firm, juicy and seriously good eating. They’re also just about the perfect chocolate-dipping strawberry. 🍓🍫

And don’t worry, our beautiful Ashbern Farm strawberries are still here alongside them as our everyday favourite.

🍐 NEW Piqa Boo pears | PEAK SEASON
Yes, that’s actually their name 😂 These are at their peak now and they are SO good. Crisp and crunchy like a Nashi, incredibly juicy and sweet, with a proper pear flavour that develops as the fruit matures. If you’re someone who doesn’t love a soft pear, you need to try one of these.

💥 PassionBurst passionfruit
After you flew through our last delivery, these were straight back on the list. Big, heavy passionfruit absolutely loaded with juice and pulp. They’ve completely changed what we expect when we cut open a passionfruit.

🍊 Dekopon / Sumo mandarins
Still going strong and still ridiculously good. Huge, easy to peel, super juicy and beautifully sweet.

🥭 Mangoes are here!
IA little taste of warmer weather starting to sneak into the markets.

🍊 Cara Cara oranges are back in
Our beautiful pink-fleshed winter favourite has been restocked too.
Sweet, seedless and beautiful blush pink!

Two market hauls in a few days wasn’t the plan… but selling out definitely was 😅

Come and try the good stuff while we’ve got it! 🍓🍐🍊

Thank you for supporting Local

12/08/2026

We really have to apologise… 😅

If you came in over the last couple of days and found a few empty spots in our fruit & veg section, we’re sorry! The response to what we’ve been bringing back from the Sydney Markets has been incredible and quite simply, you cleaned us out faster than we expected 😂

It’s a pretty good problem for a little local grocer to have, and we’re adapting to the increasing demand and bringing even more home for you to enjoy.

Now, let’s talk PASSIONFRUIT because these deserve the attention.

We are getting people coming back telling us they haven’t had a passionfruit that good in YEARS! Look at how much pulp is inside them. You can actually feel the weight when you pick one up.

They’re a premium variety and my advice is to cut them open over a cup or bowl because there is a LOT going on in there 😅😂

🍊 Citrus this week

Dolci navels are back, Cara Cara navels are still going strong and we’ve brought home Sumo mandarins in both large and EXTRA large.

Imperial mandarins were nowhere to be found at the markets this week, so it looks like we’ve officially reached the end of their season. We’ve moved across to Red Imperials as the next best thing and honestly, they are eating really well. Sweet, juicy and a lovely variety to move into as the Imperial season comes to a close for another year.

🥭 Northern Territory mangoes are back!

Those of you who tried them last week have already been coming back with great feedback, so of course we went for them again.

And lastly, thank you. Seeing those shelves getting cleared out tells us you’re enjoying what we’re bringing back from the markets, and it means we can keep buying more, trying different varieties and bringing better fruit & veg into Avoca.

Don’t forget, you’ve got your butcher, your baker and your Friendly Grocer all right here in the village. You can get what you need, save on petrol, grab a coffee at one of our amazing cafes or lunch at hi-tide or all Malay and support a few local small businesses at the same time.

And yes, making a small business owner do a happy dance when you choose to shop local is an added bonus 😂💛

05/08/2026

🍓🍊 This week’s Sydney Markets update is here… and what a market run it was!

There was some incredible quality around this morning and we’ve come home with some exciting new lines that we can’t wait for you to try.

💜 NEW – PassionBurst Panama Passionfruit! These are a premium Panama variety with exceptional sweetness, loads of juice and a beautiful tropical aroma. They’re larger than your average passionfruit and packed full of pulp. If you’re a passionfruit fan, these are definitely worth trying while they’re around.

🍊 It’s a great week to be a citrus lover!

Cara Cara oranges are back! These seedless navel oranges have beautiful natural pink flesh, are low in acidity and have a sweet flavour with subtle berry-like notes. They’re one of the most unique oranges you’ll try this winter.

🟢 Dolci oranges are back too! We noticed a lot of people were a little unsure about these at first because they stay green on the outside, even when they’re perfectly ripe. Once we started keeping one cut open on display so everyone could see the beautiful bright orange flesh inside, they quickly became a favourite. They’re seedless, incredibly sweet, super juicy and easy to peel—proof that you really can’t judge an orange by its skin!

❤️ We’ve also cut open a Blood Orange in store so you can compare it alongside the Dolci and the Cara Cara. Blood oranges have deep crimson flesh and a richer flavour with hints of raspberry and a gentle tartness. Three oranges, three completely different eating experiences! If you’d like us to stock Blood Oranges next week, let myself or one of the team know—we’d love to hear what you’d like to see in store.

🍌 We also had a bit of luck at the markets this week. Mark from BTA Fresh put aside premium display-quality bananas from four different growers for us. These are genuinely the sort of bananas you’d expect to see on display at an industry showcase. Our bananas are always good… but these are on another level. Enjoy them while they’re here because I don’t think we’ll have access to fruit of this calibre again any time soon.

🍋 Our seedless lemons are absolutely beautiful this week too. Fantastic size, amazing quality and full of juice.

🍊 Sumo Mandarins are edging closer to the end of their short season, so if you’ve been enjoying them, now’s the time to grab a few more before they’re gone until next winter.

🍎 The same goes for our Missile apples. They’re still eating beautifully, but as the season winds down they’ll become harder to source and prices will start to climb.

🥭 Northern Territory Kensington Pride mangoes are back! We purposely chose a slightly smaller fruit this week to keep the price down and make them more affordable for everyone. They’ll continue ripening over the next day or two and develop that beautiful golden blush and classic KP flavour.

🥑 The $1 mini Hass avocados are back! Unfortunately we found these a little too late. They’re a Queensland-only line and this will be our last week with them, so if you’ve been loving the perfect lunch-sized avocados, now’s your chance to grab a few.

❤️ Thank you for continuing to support local. Every week we’re building stronger relationships with growers and agents at Sydney Markets, and those relationships are helping us bring unique varieties and exceptional quality back to our little corner of Avoca Beach.

The more you support local, the more we can keep bringing exciting new produce home for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to see you in store this week! 🍎🌿

30/07/2026

🍊 Winter produce is absolutely peaking right now and this week’s market run is one of our favourites yet!

We’ve got a beautiful new variety in store; Cara Cara oranges. 🩷Right now is their peak season, and they’re something a little bit special. They look just like a regular navel orange on the outside, but inside you’ll find stunning natural pink flesh. They’re seedless, incredibly sweet, lower in acidity than a standard orange and have subtle 🍓🫐berry-like flavours. If you’ve never tried one, this is the perfect time of year.

🥑 Mini Hass avocados are here for just $1 each! We couldn’t resist these little beauties. Think of them as the perfect “Avoca Beach avocado” – just enough for one lunch, smashed on toast or sliced into a salad, with no leftover half wrapped in the fridge for later.

🍊 Sumo Mandarins are back! Their Australian season is only a short one and we’re already getting towards the BACK HALF of it😩, so if you’ve been waiting to grab some, don’t leave it too long. Their sweet flavour, easy peeling and huge size make them one of the most anticipated citrus varieties every winter.

🍎 Missile apples are still eating beautifully too, but they won’t be around forever either 😱 As we move out of their season, supply starts to tighten, prices generally rise and they slowly lose that fresh-picked quality. If they’re your favourite apple, now’s the time to enjoy them.

🍓 Ashbern Farm strawberries are back! The market price dropped a little this week, so we’ve passed that saving straight on to you. The current variety is Red Rhapsody, and in our opinion it’s one of the nicest eating strawberries around. There are plenty of varieties that look dark red but don’t have the same flavour. Our tip? If you can smell the strawberries through the punnet, you’re in for a treat.

You’ll also notice we’ve built some new produce shelving from reclaimed timber pallets! ♻️ It’s giving us room to showcase even more fresh seasonal produce as we get ready for spring and summer… 🍑stone fruit, 🥭mangoes, 🍉watermelon and 🫐🍓berries galore are just around the corner!

We’re also working hard to make sure shopping local is genuinely good value. This week we’ve sharpened prices across the store, with some lines even coming in below the big supermarkets. Our goal is simple – to make sure our community has access to affordable, market-fresh seasonal produce without having to compromise on quality.

❤️ Thank you for continuing to support local. It’s not the tourists who keep businesses in this village ticking over – it’s the people who call Avoca home. 🏡Every time you choose to shop with us, you’re helping keep a truly local, independent grocer thriving, and we couldn’t be more grateful.🩷🙏

16/07/2026

🍓 The strawberries are stealing the show this week.

So many of you have been telling us the Ashbern Farm strawberries are the best you’ve had in a long time. Well… we’ve managed to get our hands on something pretty special.

This week we’ve secured a small allocation of Nature’s Sweet strawberries from a grower in Pie Creek, Queensland. Only a few trays make it to the Sydney Markets each week, so they’re usually reserved for boutique fruit and veg stores.

We’ll have both Ashbern Farm and Nature’s Sweet available, but if you’re happy to spend a couple of extra dollars, we’d definitely recommend treating yourself to the Nature’s Sweet. They’re something else.

🍊 Sumo (Dekopon) mandarins are back. They sold out quickly last week, so if you were lucky enough to grab some, we hope you enjoyed them. Their season is only a short one, so if you’ve been wanting to try them, don’t leave it too long.

🍊 We’ve also welcomed a new line this week; Dolci Navel oranges. They’re one of the sweetest navel varieties around, with loads of juice, low acidity and beautiful flavour. If you love a good orange, these are definitely worth trying while they’re in season.

As always, thank you for continuing to support our little family business. Every shop with us helps us keep bringing unique produce like this back to Avoca Beach. At this rate, we might have to upgrade from the Forester to a van just to fit all the market finds in! 🚐🍓

We genuinely appreciate every one of you and can’t wait to see you in store this week. ❤️