Chadstone set to open huge Australian-first indoor fresh produce precinct

The Market Pavillion fresh food precinct set to open in Chadstone will feature gourmet food stalls, florists, and an AI “food concierge”.

An Australian-first food market bigger than the MCG and offering services to pamper all levels of culinary appetite is set to open at Chadstone Shopping Centre next month.

The 26,500 sqm “Market Pavilion’’ will have butchers, bakers, fishmongers, fruit stores and more in a huge new indoor fresh produce precinct at the massive Melbourne shopping centre.

More than 50 retailers will set up shop in the gourmet space modelled on European food markets, in the southern hemisphere’s biggest shopping centre.

The foodie haven, predicted to attract an extra 10m people to the precinct annually, will boast fresh food stalls, tea and coffee shops, an oyster bar, sushi train, florist and bottle shops.

Artist's impression of the 26,500 sqm new fresh food precinct to be built at Chadstone Shopping Centre.

A “dining laneway” leading to the new precinct will offer dine in and take away meals, such as noodle bars, Yum Cha and Asian diners.

But the services offered as part of the $485m expansion are what will set it apart.

A “Food Concierge” will allow customers to use AI technology to generate recipes for food they buy at the market.

There will be “kerbside collection bays’’ to collect groceries, places to leave trolleys full of food for staff to store in dedicated fridges while you shop elsewhere and a “Market Kitchen’’ with cooking displays.

It will even have a two-hour express ‘Fresh Food Parking’ option, so foodies don’t get stuck in Chadstone’s vast parking lot.

The AI “Food Concierge” tool will help customers generate recipes for produce they’ve purchased.

The foodie haven will boast fresh food stalls, tea and coffee shops, an oyster bar, sushi train, florist and bottle shops.

Chadstone centre manager Daniel Boyle said “everything from the everyday to the gourmet’’ would be on show in a move to expand Melbourne’s status as Australia’s culinary capital.

“It’s not only around the depth of offer that we’re delivering and it’s not only around the retail offer that customers will be able to enjoy,’’ he said.

“It’s also the services we are wrapping around it, the services and the convenience offer … really is unmatched.’’

Shops to be part of the precinct include That’s Amore Cheesery, Vic’s Meats, Brunetti Oro, Cannoleria, The Fishmonger, Gewurzhaus, Green Cup Canteen, Hank’s Bagelry, Little Sister Bakery, Champagne and Oyster Bar and Kaiten Sushi Train.

Restaurants in the dining laneway will include Master Lanzhou Noodle Bar, Papa Rich, Panda Yum Cha, Seoul Garden, Shanghai Red, Sushi Sushi, Yo Chi and YX Mini Hotpot.

Mr Boyle said the AI tool, developed in Melbourne, would be a game changer alone.

The new precinct will offer dine in and take away meals, such as noodle bars, Yum Cha and Asian diners.

“There will be almost an endless volume of prompts you can put into this tool,’’ he said.

“An example would be ‘give me five recipes for dinner.’ ‘I don’t like onion but I love mushrooms.’ ‘I’d like low salt.’ ‘I’d like it in a style of Italian.’ ‘I don’t want more than 10 steps.’

“And it will return recipes, with some notes about where you can get the items within the Market Pavilion.

“So for busy parents or individuals who just want something different, that tool will be great and we haven’t seen that in the market anywhere.’’

Mr Boyle said shoppers could expect everything from basic food items to “the depths of Melbourne’s very best foodies, for those very special occasions.’’

Little Sister Bakery will open alongside popular restaurants such as That’s Amore Cheesery, The Fishmonger, Green Cup Canteen, and Hank’s Bagelry.

“The best thing about Chadstone is that continual evolution,’’ he said.

“It’s always delivering something that we know our customers will love, so we are absolutely thrilled and really looking forward to launching the Market building on the 27th of March.

“And we know that with the depth of offer and the beautiful environment that we’ve curated, that it’s going to hit the market well.’’

The MCG arena measures 173.6m long and 148.3m wide from fence to fence — about 20,000 sqm in area.

Originally published as Chadstone set to open huge Australian-first indoor fresh produce precinct