Wholesale Fruit and Veg Supplier Guide for Melbourne Chefs and Procurement Managers
Looking for a smarter way to source wholesale fruit and vegetables in Melbourne?
This guide is designed for Melbourne chefs, foodservice operators, and commercial kitchens who want to buy better — and maybe sound a little smarter while they’re at it. You’ll find seasonal insights, smart buying tips, and detailed produce calendars covering over 25 fruit and vegetable categories. Whether you run a café, restaurant, pub, hotel, catering business or healthcare kitchen, this is your go-to resource for sourcing wholesale fruit and vegetables in Victoria.
Need Help Navigating Seasonal Produce? We’ve Got You.
Our team knows what’s in season, what’s great value, and what works best for your kitchen. Whether you’re ordering for a café, fine dining restaurant, catering company, or hospital kitchen — we’ll help you get it right.
Or if you’d prefer to dive into our smart buying tips and seasonal produce guides, just keep scrolling.
What is Smart Buying?
At Virgona Provedoring, we know smart buying is about more than just price. It’s about choosing wholesale fruit and vegetables that work for your kitchen — reducing waste, saving prep time, and delivering the flavour, yield and shelf life you actually need.
Why Foodservice Needs a Different Approach
Unlike retail, where produce is grown to look perfect on a shelf, foodservice demands a different approach — and a different kind of buying. What looks good under supermarket lights often lacks flavour because it’s picked too early and bred for longevity, not taste.
That’s why our family-run team has spent more than 50 years sourcing wholesale fruit and veg specifically for cafés, restaurants, pubs, caterers and healthcare kitchens — not for supermarket aisles.
Chasing the cheapest option often becomes a false economy. Once you’ve trimmed, peeled or binned poor-quality stock, the labour cost and wastage usually outweigh the savings.
That said, if you’re smashing, blending, slicing or dicing, let us know — we may be able to source visually imperfect produce like twisted cucumbers, smaller avocados or off-size capsicums that taste just as good, sometimes even better. Your customers won’t know the difference, but your margins definitely will.
We’re not here to sell you what looks best in a display — we’re here to help you buy smarter for your kitchen. That’s why chefs and foodservice teams across Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula and regional Victoria trust Virgona Provedoring as their wholesale fruit and veg supplier.
The Freshest Seasonal Produce
Backed by Market Intelligence.
At Virgona Provedoring, we don’t just deliver produce — we deliver intel. While most chefs are wrapping up their knock-off, we’re peeling ourselves out of bed and heading to the Melbourne Wholesale Market. It's not glamorous, but it’s how we stay ahead — so you can, too.
As a Melbourne-based wholesale fruit and veg supplier, we bring decades of buying experience and daily market updates to your kitchen — helping you plan better, spend smarter, and stay in front of seasonal price swings.
Want to know what’s in short supply, what’s peaking, or what’s suddenly worth its weight in gold?
Check out our weekly market updates, or follow us on socials for live intel from the floor.
Or just keep scrolling for season-by-season advice, followed by detailed month-by-month guides by produce category — all backed by real market data and years of boots-on-the-ground experience.
From last-minute movements to long-range planning, Virgona is the wholesale fruit and vegetable supplier Melbourne kitchens trust for seasonal sourcing and market insights.
What’s in Season: Spring in Victoria
September through November signals a shift into lighter, fresher produce. The first of the berries return, leafy greens bounce back with crispness and colour, and local asparagus and artichokes hit their stride. This is a transitional season — with some winter crops still holding strong, and early summer varieties starting to come through.
At Its Best in Spring
🍓 Fruit
Strawberries – Local season begins mid-spring; excellent value and flavour
Lemons & Limes – Strong supply continues
Oranges – Late Navels and early Valencias available
Pears & Apples (cold-stored) – Still holding up well for most applications
Avocados (Hass & Shepard) – Good quality Victorian and NSW fruit in early spring
🥬 Vegetables
Asparagus – Peak season; local and excellent quality
Globe Artichokes – Limited season; best availability in early spring
Snow Peas & Sugar Snap Peas – Crisp, local, consistent
Baby Spinach, Rocket, Mesclun – Fresh, vibrant, minimal spoilage
Broccoli & Cauliflower – Still performing well early in the season
Zucchini – Local season begins again mid-spring
Leeks, Spring Onions & Shallots – Great condition and value
Cos, Oakleaf, Butterhead Lettuce – Full swing by late October
Tightening Supply or Increased Pricing
🍇 Fruit
Apples & Pears (cold-stored) – Stocks begin to deplete by late spring
Mandarins & Oranges – Victorian citrus winds down; supply shifts to QLD
Pomegranates – End of local season
Grapes & Melons – Typically not available until summer
🫑 Vegetables
Brussels Sprouts – Quality drops off by October
Pumpkins (Grey & Butternut) – Local harvest ends; prices may climb
Kale & Silverbeet – Less consistent toward end of spring
Imported Tomatoes & Capsicum – Local season still ramping up; northern fruit may dominate early in season
Cabbages – Quality and yield taper off by November
What’s in Season: Summer in Victoria
December through February is peak season for colour, flavour, and variety. Stone fruit, berries, tomatoes and melons all come into their own, and high-summer produce drives fresh, vibrant menus across restaurants, cafés, caterers and healthcare. Local supply is strong early, but high demand and hot weather can impact availability and shelf life.
At Its Best in Summer
🍑 Fruit
Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, Plums – Victorian-grown and at peak from late December through February
Cherries – Early December to January, short but strong
Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries – Excellent supply and pricing mid-summer
Watermelon, Rockmelon, Honeydew – Local supply begins early December; consistent quality
Mangoes (QLD) – High flavour, high volume in early to mid-summer
Grapes – Victorian and NSW fruit comes online by mid-January
Pineapple, Passionfruit, Papaya – Best availability during this period
Avocados (late season Hass) – Available early in the season
🍅 Vegetables
Tomatoes (Gourmet, Cherry, Roma) – Peak supply from late spring to mid-summer
Zucchini – Great local supply; consistent pricing
Cucumbers (Lebanese, Telegraph, Baby) – Crisp, high turnover, strong volume
Capsicum – Victorian-grown becomes dominant; price stabilises
Sweet Corn – Reliable and plentiful through summer
Eggplant – Peak availability in Jan–Feb
Lettuce & Salad Mixes – Good availability but vulnerable to heatwaves
Green Beans & Snow Peas – Steady supply in early summer
Fresh Herbs – Basil, parsley, mint all strong early to mid-season
Tightening supply or increased pricing in Summer
🍎 Fruit
Apples & Pears – Cold-stored supply exhausted; new season not yet ready
Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Oranges) – Local season ends; imported or QLD-sourced
Pomegranates, Figs, Lychee – Limited availability and expensive
Avocados (Hass) – Short period of tight supply before new season in late summer
🥬 Vegetables
Broccoli & Cauliflower – Susceptible to heat damage; quality may dip
Leafy Greens (Rocket, Spinach, Cos) – Weather-sensitive; shelf life shortened in extreme heat
Brussels Sprouts – Out of season
Parsnips & Leeks – Not actively harvested; generally unavailable or poor quality
Pumpkins – Supply lags ahead of autumn harvest
Artichokes & Asparagus – Finished for the season
What’s in Season: Autumn in Victoria
March through May marks a transitional season — the tail-end of stone fruit, the arrival of early citrus, and the return of root vegetables and pumpkins. With milder weather and stable growing conditions, autumn offers some of the most consistent quality and pricing across the board. It’s a time to balance vibrant late-summer ingredients with cool-season staples starting to roll in.
At Its Best This Autumn
🍏 Fruit
Apples – New season Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady and Fuji begin mid to late March
Pears – Packham and William peak late summer into autumn
Plums & Nectarines – Still strong early in the season
Figs & Pomegranates – Limited window but excellent local supply
Early Mandarins & Oranges – Citrus returns by mid to late autumn
Persimmons & Quinces – Available in April and May in small volumes
🥕 Vegetables
Pumpkins (Butternut, Kent, Grey) – Harvest begins; excellent shelf life and yield
Carrots, Beetroot, Parsnips – First of the new root veg crops return
Broccoli & Cauliflower – Local supply starts again in mid to late autumn
Brussels Sprouts – Early season begins in late April
Leeks, Turnips, Swedes – Good volume and strong flavour
Mushrooms – Stable availability, locally grown
Zucchini, Eggplant, Capsicum – Still strong early in the season
Basil, Mint, Parsley – Last of the summer herbs before winter sets in
Tightening Supply or Increased Pricing in Autumn
🍑 Fruit
Peaches, Apricots, Cherries – Finished by early to mid-March
Berries – Victorian season ends; QLD stock comes in at higher prices
Grapes & Melons – Final flush through March; supply fades by April
Mangoes & Pineapples – Finished or imported; less consistent quality
🥬 Vegetables
Tomatoes – Supply shifts north; flavour and pricing fluctuate
Cucumbers – Victorian season ends; freighted stock from QLD
Lettuce & Salad Mixes – Affected by cooler nights and shorter days
Green Beans, Snow Peas, Eggplant – Still around but volume and quality drop in late autumn
Fresh Herbs (Basil, Coriander) – Cold-sensitive; quality fades quickly by May
What’s in Season: Winter in Victoria
From June through August, Victorian produce shifts toward hearty, high-yield crops built for cool weather and long shelf life. It’s citrus, brassica and root vegetable season — ideal for menus that focus on comfort, warmth, and cost-efficiency. Winter also brings excellent quality leafy greens, with consistent pricing and good availability for kitchens working at volume.
At Its Best This Winter
🍊 Fruit
Imperial Mandarins – Peak season for flavour and value
Navel Oranges – Juicy, sweet and long-lasting
Lemons & Limes – Consistent quality from local growers
Pears – Good supply of Packham and William
Apples (cold-stored) – Granny Smith and Pink Lady remain reliable
🥦 Vegetables
Cauliflower – Firm, dense heads; best value all year
Broccoli – Consistent local supply, tight heads, strong shelf life
Cabbage (green & red) – Stable pricing, high yield per unit
Brussels Sprouts – Peak flavour and availability
Leeks – Robust size and flavour in mid-winter
Parsnips, Swedes & Turnips – Excellent condition, ideal for roasting and purées
Pumpkins – Butternut and Kent remain in good supply
Kale, Silverbeet, English Spinach – Strong availability, minimal spoilage
Tightening Supply or Increased Pricing in Winter.
🍓 Fruit
Strawberries & Berries – Victorian season ends; mostly QLD freighted stock, higher pricing
Grapes & Melons – Supply winding down or switching to imports
Mangoes, Pineapples, Papaya – QLD season finished; mostly imported or stored
🥬 Vegetables
Zucchini – Local season over, quality may decline, sourced from QLD
Capsicum – Transitioning to northern supply; prices can spike
Tomatoes (Gourmet & Cherry) – Supply shifts north; firmness and flavour drop
Cucumbers – Moving to QLD, price and shelf life variable
Herbs (Basil, Coriander) – Cold-sensitive, availability varies week to week
Ready to Go Deeper?
If the seasonal overviews above gave you the big picture, these produce-specific calendars are where the planning gets serious.
Whether you're a fine dining chef, pumping out pub classics, slinging sandwiches, or a nutritional dietitian in healthcare, choosing seasonal Australian produce — and better yet, Victorian-grown fruit and vegetables — means better flavour, better pricing, and better outcomes for your kitchen and your clientele.
Peak-season produce delivers superior taste, longer shelf life, and more nutritional value — while also reducing food miles and supporting local growers.
As your wholesale fruit and vegetable supplier, we’ve created these comprehensive guides to help everyone in the food industry make better, more informed menu decisions — reduce waste, and get the best from every order, month by month, category by category.
👇 Check out what’s in peak condition, what’s winding down, and what’s coming up across more than 20 fruit and veg categories.