Root Cellar celebrates a decade of dishing up fresh food

The Root Cellar celebrates its 10th year in the community with official celebrations kicking off this week with savings on their Dirt Cheap This Week eight-day sale. The customer appreciation week includes demos from local producers including Babe’s Kombucha, Phillip’s Soda and Fatso Hybrid Peanut Butter, as well as an afternoon of cheese wheel cracking and sampling on Saturday June 9, loads of live music performances, the launch of a limited edition 10th birthday jute tote (with all proceeds going to their long time community partner, The Rainbow Kitchen), and giveaways.

Saturday also sees Root Cellar owners, Daisy and Adam Orser, along with owner and manager Phil Lafreniere host a ‘fruit tent’ from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free watermelon and jackfruit, and a few other surprises on hand to thank customers for their 10 years of loyalty.

“Our journey thus far has been one of pure joy. We could not have dreamed of a more welcoming community, of more enthusiastic and loyal customers, of more dedicated and hard working team members, or of more committed growers and makers of the amazing food we have the pleasure of stocking our shelves with. We are celebrating a decade touched by each and every one of them, and are so very grateful for everyone’s contribution to our success,” said Daisy Orser.

Opening in 2008, The Root Cellar is much loved in the community for its farm fresh, dirt cheap and delicious approach to fresh food sourced with a local focus, and its championing of local farmers and producers throughout the years. Additional departments were added which has seen an expansion of the original 5,600 square feet to over 12,000 square feet – The Potting Shed florist and garden centre in May of 2013, The Chop Shop full service butcher and deli followed later that year, and most recently The Coffee Project in March of 2008.

The last decade has seen The Root Cellar ‘family’ grow from eight team members to over 100, and the Orser’s three sons, who were three months, three years and nine years at the time The Root Cellar opened are now working at the market, and off to university.

Food waste reduction and sustainability initiatives, ongoing community support and involvement, and the ceaseless efforts to give more people the opportunity to access good, local, healthy food has made The Root Cellar experience, one that the people of Victoria have grown to treasure as much as The Root Cellar treasures them.