Hi all,
I know this topic comes up now and then and a similar question was asked back in 2011 but as its now 4 years later and I'm getting desperate I thought I'd see if I can get some help..
I've recently returned to Melbourne, Australia after a stint in the UK. Access to affordable, quality, bulk organic flours over there was great and lulled me into a belief that this was normal. Having now returned to Melbourne I was shocked to find the prevalence of lower quality flours at most supermarkets and have since spent 2 months trying to hunt down the best quality flours available here. I've now seen and tried most of the big ones; kialla, Eden, powlett hill, etc. but the largest size I am able to find is 1kg bags at fairly unaffordable prices. Ideally I need to find a supplier of at least 5kg bags (preferably larger) of organic flour, ideally stoneground but not essential..
Can anyone suggest a supplier / store / farm accessible to me in Melbourne where I may be able to obtain these bulk flours and relatively affordable prices?
thanks in advance.
Replies
Hi theres a great mill in SA called Four Leaf Farms they do most things organic and they have distributers in most states :)
http://www.fourleafmilling.com.au/, or these folks http://www.wholegrain.com.au/wholegrain-milling-products.html
Hope that helps
Hi StretchNFold - I've just moved to Melbourne too, and am trying to source the cheapest flour I can that will make my sourdough happy and delicious. I'm loyal to organic products and think local, freshly ground flour just works better for the doughs I prefer, but I'm also of a mind to make bread that's cheaper than I can buy at my local bakery. Otherwise, I like supporting the bakeries that make bread I admire and I'll just do that.
So here's what I've found - the Dandenong grocer Hindustan sells 25kg bags of Laucke Wallaby Flour (non organic as far as I can tell) through their website for $31.40, and they do free delivery in the Melbourne region on orders over $90. I wonder if they might stock organic for us if we asked. I've read online that in store they sometimes have a wider selection, but I've never been to the shop.
With respect to Eden Valley and Powlett Hill, this website (http://www.biodynamic.com.au/) has a product finder that will let you search for suppliers of Eden Valley and Powlett Hill near you - then you can let your fingers do the walking (as the phonebook ads in the US used to say) and see which of those suppliers will order and sell you a big bag at a discount.
I'm getting Powlett Hill through Ceres Fair Food delivery, which you can read about here: http://www.ceresfairfood.org.au/. It's priced at $2.70/kg through them.
Do please let me know what you've found - I'd be eager for more tips on this issue.
I've been buying from Hindustan for years. A bakers paradise and they do carry Laucke Organic Wallaby flour.
Because it can be a bit of a hike to get to, 50 Greens Rd, Dandenong Sth, give them a call (9794 6640) first to make sure they have the organic flour instore.
http://www.hindustan.com.au