Here's what's in store:
- Fuel up with a Campfire Hot Chocolate at Mörk and a gourmet toastie at RIPE
- A recipe scavenger hunt at Queen Victoria Market to pick up a delicious haul of ingredients
- Head home to make your toasties together
Welcome to The Queen Victoria Market!
Trading since 1878, Queen Vic is the largest open-air market in the Southern Hemisphere and one of Melbourne's most loved landmarks. It actually started out as the city's first cemetery and thousands of early settlers are still buried beneath the car park.
Today it's home to generations of traders, fresh produce and delis packed with flavours from around the world. Enjoy it!
Meet Darren, your Recipe Trail co-curator
Pastry chef, Great Australian Bake Off & MasterChef judge and cookbook author
Getting started
Head to the Dairy Produce Hall, entering via the Therry Street entrance.
Follow the stops below to collect everything on Darren's list.
At each stop, let the team know your name and that you’re with AmazingCo. Double-check what to collect and ask the team for anything that's missing.
💡 If you'd like a market map, pick one up at the Information Hub at the corner of F Shed and Queen Street.
📍 Stop 1
Mörk Chocolate
Dairy Produce Hall, Shop 51–54
Start your day with a decadent Campfire Hot Chocolate each! Let the team know you have an order under your name with AmazingCo.
Mörk Chocolate is a Melbourne-born luxury chocolate brand and the home of specialty, ethically sourced hot chocolate.
📍 Stop 2
RIPE
Dairy Produce Hall, next door to Mörk
Next, head two doors down and choose a gourmet toastie each to fuel up. Let the team know you have an order under your name with AmazingCo.
Singapore-born cheesemonger Hakim started at a market deli, where he noticed no one was showcasing Australian cheese. So in 2019, he opened RIPE, the world’s first and only all-Australian cheese shop.
📍 Stop 3
The Corner Larder
Heart of Dairy Produce Hall, Shop 33–35
A long-time local and market lover, Kev was such a regular here that he was offered a job as a cheese expert at The French Shop. So when the chance came to open The Corner Larder deli with his family in 2016, it was the obvious next step.
Darren's recommendation
While you're here, taste some of Kev's favourite cheeses at the front of the shop. It's the perfect spot to grab a few extras for a charcuterie board at home.
📍 Stop 4
Bill's Farm
Facing The Corner Larder, shop 17–20 in the Dairy Produce Hall.
Bill's Farm owner Malcolm was once the CEO of Queen Vic Market. In 2017, he traded 30 years of corporate retail for the deli counter, and together with Anna, took over this market favourite. Talk about a career change!
📍 Stop 5
Andrew's Bread Shop
Dairy Produce Hall, Shop 29–30
Home to some of the finest artisan breads, bagels and pastries at the market.
Dairy Hall recommendations
Before heading outside to the market sheds, stop by a few more of our favourites.
Swords Wines
Dairy Produce Hall, Shop 47–50
Pick up local and independent drops from organic and low-intervention makers, plus craft beer, cider and Aussie gin.
Gewürzhaus Herb & Spice Merchants
Dairy Produce Hall, Shop 7–9
Browse over 350 single-origin spices, herbs, salts and unique curry blends. Don't forget to ask the team for recipe cards to go with your spices!
🚶 Head to the market sheds
Exit the Dairy Hall the way you entered and walk right up Therry Street.
The sheds are labelled alphabetically from right to left, and you'll find stall numbers marked up in the rafters.
1Find the shed letter
Each shed’s letter is on its front gable, above the entrance.
2Look up
Once inside, stall numbers are marked in the rafters above each stall.
📍 Stop 6
Orchard Wholefoods
A Shed, Stall 109–112
Inspired by traditional Turkish traders, owner Lokman and his wife bring a touch of Turkey to the market with freshly roasted and raw nuts, dried fruits, nougat and hard-to-find Australian spices.
Darren's recommendation
Check out all the native cooking ingredients like Strawberry Gum and Tasmanian Pepperberry (Bush Pepper), some can be hard to come by.
📍 Stop 7
Queen's Harvest
D Shed, Stalls 5–12
Over 60 years ago, shortly after arriving from Calabria, Italy, the family behind Queen's Harvest started selling fruit and veg here. Today, you'll often spot three generations behind the counter, serving up the market's widest range of fresh produce and specialty groceries. Now that's a market family!
Darren's recommendation
While stocks last, grab the perfect shopping companion: a Queen's Harvest signature tote for a special discounted AmazingCo rate.
📍 Stop 8
The Eggporium
D Shed, Stalls 1–4
Known as the market's original "birds and bees" stall, The Eggporium has been serving Melbourne for over 20 years. Expect one of the biggest egg selections around, from free-range to duck and quail, all from Australian farms.
Recommendations before you leave
String Bean Alley
Alongside M Shed
26 independent shops in converted shipping containers, selling everything from vintage and jewellery to art, skincare and books.
It's named after the lane where green beans were once sold! Open Friday to Sunday.
Books for Cooks
115 Victoria St, right of A Shed
One of Darren's favourite sources of culinary inspiration, with over 40,000 books on food, cooking and wine.
ReWine
456 Queen St, Cnr of Queen & Therry St
Australian wine by the bottle or straight from the barrel. Bring your bottle back for a refill discount. Some regulars have refilled theirs over 500 times!
Mintstone Candles
K Shed, Stall 101–102
Hand-poured soy candles and reed diffusers, made in Melbourne by founder Saemyi, whose candle-making hobby grew into a business.
Got everything? Let's head home
Double-check you've collected all the ingredients listed above before heading home to cook!
Darren’s Gourmet Sandwiches
Follow Darren’s step-by-step cooking tutorial to turn your Queen Victoria Market haul into some seriously delicious sandwiches.
First things first, set the mood
Before you start chopping, pop on a playlist to cook along to.
Upbeat Cooking Hits
Open in Spotify
Jazz in the Kitchen
Open in Spotify
Chill Cooking Sessions
Open in Spotify
Bulgarian Feta, Caramelised Onion, Lemon & Mint Toastie
The main event! Cook it for lunch or dinner, and serve it up with a fresh salad.
- 1Red onion, finely sliced
- ½Chilli, finely chopped
- Salt flakes
- Olive oil, mild
- Brioche or sourdough loaf, cut into thick slices
- 100 gBulgarian feta
- 100 gCheddar, grated
- 75 gParmesan, grated
- 5Mint leaves, finely chopped
- ½Lemon, zest only
- Black pepper
- 90 gUnsalted butter
- 2Eggs
- 75 mlMilk
- ½ bunchChives, finely chopped
- 2Red onions, finely sliced
- 1Chilli, finely chopped
- Salt flakes
- Olive oil, mild
- Brioche or sourdough loaf, cut into thick slices
- 200 gBulgarian feta
- 200 gCheddar, grated
- 150 gParmesan, grated
- 10Mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1Lemon, zest only
- Black pepper
- 180 gUnsalted butter
- 4Eggs
- 150 mlMilk
- 1 bunchChives, finely chopped
- 1
Caramelised onions: Place the sliced onion in a microwave-safe dish. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and the chilli. Cover with a lid, keeping the steam escape closed to retain the moisture. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Remove and stir, then continue cooking in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until the onions are dark, jammy, and sticky. Set aside until needed.
- 2
Preheat oven to 180°C.
- 3
Chive egg batter: Whisk together the eggs, milk, chives, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and a little parmesan until combined.
- 4
Assemble: Lay out your bread slices. Layer the feta, cheddar, and parmesan evenly across half the slices, spreading to the edges. Top with the caramelised onion, mint leaves, lemon zest, and a pinch of black pepper. Close with the remaining bread slices and press down gently.
- 5
Cook: Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and melt half the butter. Briefly dip each sandwich in the egg batter on both sides. Cook for a few minutes until the outside is caramelised, then carefully flip and cook for another few minutes. Transfer to a baking paper-lined tray. Wipe the pan, melt the remaining butter, and repeat with the remaining sandwiches. Bake in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Rest for 1 minute, cut in half, and serve immediately with salad. Finish with a sprinkle of salt flakes and extra lemon zest.
Chocolate Hazelnut Toastie with Orange Blossom
Save it for breakfast, brunch, or whenever it suits you.
- 2Croissants, sliced in half
- 80 gUnsalted butter, softened
- PinchSalt flakes
- 1Vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 80 gIcing sugar
- 80 gGround hazelnuts
- 1Egg
- 1 tbspOrange blossom water
- 50 gDark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 20 gHazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 4Croissants, sliced in half
- 160 gUnsalted butter, softened
- PinchSalt flakes
- 1Vanilla bean, seeds scraped
- 160 gIcing sugar
- 160 gGround hazelnuts
- 2Eggs
- 2 tbspOrange blossom water
- 100 gDark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 40 gHazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1
Hazelnut cream: Place the butter, salt flakes, vanilla seeds, and icing sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low for 5 minutes, then scrape down the bowl. Add the ground hazelnuts and mix on low for a further 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl again and mix for 1 minute. Add the egg and mix for a couple of minutes, then add the orange blossom water and mix until combined.
- 2
Preheat oven to 180°C.
- 3
Fill the croissants: Place the dark chocolate pieces on the bottom half of each croissant. Use a palette knife to spread the hazelnut cream evenly over the chocolate, right to the edges. Close the croissants.
- 4
Toast: Heat a sandwich press and cook the croissants for 3 to 4 minutes until crispy on the outside.
- 5
Finish: Transfer to a baking tray and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with the toasted hazelnuts, and serve immediately.