7 May 2020

Contactless drive-thru supermarket with the delicious market fare we miss

| Sharon Kelley
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Pialligo Estate Grocer has announced customers will receive a free Wagyu pepper beef and steamed rice dinner for two with every purchase over $80, using the code BEEFRIOT.

The popular Canberra grocer has recently expanded to support more than 55 regional family farmgate producers with more than 500 products to choose from in their range. They will also be holding weekly promotions showcasing restaurant-quality ready-to-eat meal giveaways.

Pialligo Estate Grocer features an extensive range of gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and organic products, plus lots of yummy lunchbox goodies for kids.

For those of you who are pining for a return to the fresh bread, jams, olives, fruit, deli meats and freshly squeezed juices of the Old Bus Depot Markets, and the organic fare of the Capital Region Farmers Market at EPIC, the grocer’s new click’n’collect service might be the answer to your prayers.

At the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions, Pialligo Estate Grocer moved quickly to establish a drive-thru facility as an outlet for customers to purchase their homegrown produce and restaurant-quality ready-to-eat meals. However, the online store now includes cleaning and home supplies such as hand sanitiser, tissues and toilet paper; dairy, including milk, butter and cheese; and essential groceries such as flour, pasta, sauces, sugar, delightful bread freshly baked onsite daily, fresh meat, seafood, and fruit and vegetables from the Pialligo farm.

They also offer cruelty-free pet treats for dogs, and the providore includes coffee, olive oils, homemade pasta sauce, sausages from their smokehouse, fresh seasonal vegies grown onsite – including avocados – plus BentSpoke Brewery craft beer and Pialligo Estate wine.

There are even vouchers available for purchase for a loved one.

Selection of grocery items from Pialligo Estate Grocer.

A selection of items available from Pialligo Estate Grocer’s click’n’collect service. Photo: Supplied.

To shop at Pialligo Estate Grocer you need to place your order online. Then it’s simply a matter of entering your number plate, paying by credit card and when you arrive at their location, your registration plate will be matched with your order and your groceries loaded into your car boot as part of their contactless pickup. All you need to do is sit in your car and wait for delicious food and wine to be brought to you.

The Canberra community has overwhelmingly embraced the service, says Pialligo Estate general manager Scott Taylor. Because of this response, they have expanded their support of countless regional producers who are unable to sell their products under the current COVID-19 restrictions, making the grocer a one-stop-shop for local gourmet goodies you have recently been missing. More products are set to be added online every week.

“We’ve got more than 50 family producers now selling through the market grocer,” says Scott. “The expanded range has given people the opportunity to support family producers in the region who have lost their capacity to supply customers in local and regional markets.”

Woman holding basket of products from Pialligo Estate Grocer.

A basket of delicious goodies available online from the Pialligo Estate Grocer. Photo: Supplied.

As you approached the Pialligo Estate drive-thru, don’t be surprised by the appearance of staff dressed head-to-toe in protective masks, gloves, hairnets, and armed with disinfectant for your car boot. It may resemble a scene from TV series Breaking Bad, but it’s all part of COVID-19 precautions to ensure the health and safety of both customers and the Pialligo Estate team.

It’s not just Pialligo Estate you’ll be supporting when you purchase your weekly groceries from their contactless online market grocer. Here’s a list of some of the family businesses they are supporting and helping to stay in business during COVID-19 restrictions:

Alpine Nuts, Batemans Bay Nut Roasting Company, Figtree Food Company, Billson’s Beechworth, Tilba Milk, Kurandah Wholefoods, Maxwells Treats, Lynwood – Collector, David Bitton, Yandilla, Lirah, Bertolda French Nougat, Bermagui – il Passaggio Provedore, Bredbo Black Garlic, Disaster Bay Chillies, Pepe Saya Butter, Vanella, Hunter Belle, Nowra Farmhouse, Binnorie Dairy, Newcastle’s Pudding Lady, Fresh Fodder, Three Chives Creative Food, Bacco Leaves, Julianne’s Kitchen, Jasper and Myrtle, King Valley Spices, Majura Valley Honey, Maya Honey, Mandole Orchard, Fancy Hanks, Drunken Sailor, Maffra, Dairy Free Down Under, Meredith Dairy, Symons Organic Dairy Co., Milawa Cheese, Coyo, and Asterisk Kitchen.

According to Scott, more suppliers are to come, with home delivery also coming soon.

I know when I place my order, I’ll be making sure it includes a half baguette, bacon jam and blue cheese!

You can place an online order for click’n’collect at the Pialligo Market Grocer website, and pick up from 18 Kallaroo Road, Pialligo, ACT 2609, between 12 pm and 6 pm, seven days a week.

Stay up to date with all the latest developments by following Pialligo Market Grocer on Facebook and Instagram.

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