At Salamanca Fresh, we’re not just any grocer: we like choice – we choose to buy Tasmanian produce first to support our island economy! For the best grocer offering local fruit and vegetables in Hobart, Salamanca Fresh is the place to shop.

Tasmania has built its reputation as the “Food Capital” of Australia – because it has always been about providing the best produce and at Salamanca Fresh, we’d like it to stay that way.  That’s why we support our local growers – direct. Click here to meet some of our local growers and suppliers.

If we cannot source it locally, only then will we go interstate. When sourcing from the mainland, our very own transport company picks up the produce, locks it in the container and it isn’t opened again until it has arrived at our SHV Warehouse in North Hobart, ready to be delivered to your local Salamanca Fresh store.

How did we begin?

We started life in 1979 as a wholesale fresh produce business, selling to restaurants, hotels and corner stores.  Sometimes we over purchased and had an excess of food and seconds for sale that we sadly had to throw out.  Around 1981 we thought it would be a good idea to find retail premises to sell the fresh produce that our wholesale customers did not buy.  So we purchased the old “Clements and Marshalls” apple outlet in Salamanca Place.  The people of Hobart soon let us know that they too wanted access to the quality produce that was going to restaurants, hotels and cornerstores and so our wholesale/retail concept took on the challenge.

We focused, learned and devoted our time to finding the best ways to get a wider range of fresh produce to Hobart consumers in the fastest time possible.  At first we slept in the back seat of a car at the Melbourne markets so we could be the first to buy the freshest food as the trucks pulled in from the farms.  Then we got to know both local and mainland farmers well (we’ve employed some of their children over the years – we’ve been to their weddings, birthdays, travelled together to banana conferences – Yes! banana conferences). And lastly, the idea came to us that we could start our own transport company to buy direct from these farmers we were forging relationships with.

Now we have seven Salamanca Fresh stores around Southern Tasmania and are a green grocer, deli, butcher, fishmonger and grocery store, all in one.

Some facts about Salamanca Fresh

• We are a Tasmanian family owned company entirely dedicated to sourcing our fresh produce direct from the grower.
• Through our very own wholesale distribution company SHV in Hobart, your fresh produce really has been delivered directly from ‘us to you.’ We have the most direct supply from the mainland.
• Our 6 Salamanca Fresh stores across Hobart offer a fantastic range of fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, delicious smallgoods and gourmet groceries and grocery essentials.  To see our store locations, please visit the Contact Us page.
• Each store’s gourmet deli is also filled with homemade lunch options, sweets and treats.
• Salamanca Fresh was the first grocery store in Hobart to offer a Hessian reusable shopping bag, all the way back in the early 90’s.

We could not have continued to grow for over 40 years if it weren’t for two major reasons:

• The quality of our produce; and
• The belief that we are only as good as our people.  With more than 200 happy team members across our stores, they let us know every day what our customers want and need. Some of our team members have been with Salamanca Fresh from the very beginning – the wealth of experience we have in our stores is second to none and we reward and appreciate that loyalty.