What’s the food like? Can I buy ‘foreign’ foods?

The quality and variety of food in Australia is generally excellent and the equal of any country. Food outlets include delicatessens (delis), ethnic food shops, general and corner shops, markets (where the freshest fish, meat and other produce are usually available) and, of course, supermarkets. There’s a wealth of gourmet food shops in the major cities offering everything from bread and cheese to fruit and vegetables, from cakes and pastries to coffee and tea. You can buy almost any ethnic (foreign) food and ingredients in the major cities, where there are also shops specialising in imported American and British foods, although prices can be high. Many shops and supermarkets deliver groceries, usually for a fee.

   Australians have been eating more healthily in recent years, consuming less red meat – although they’re still big meat eaters – and alcohol, and eating more fruit and vegetables (although you wouldn’t think so from the size of many people!). Meat is reasonably priced and of excellent quality, as is fresh fish and seafood (although it can be expensive). In recent years the marketeers have been trying to encourage Aussies to eat kangaroo, emu, crocodile – and even camel meat – but it’s a hard slog. (Apparently over 1mn camels now roam the outback inflicting major damage on desert ecosystems, so the latest jingle may become ‘toss a camel on the barbie’!)

   Most supermarkets sell good quality fruit and vegetables, owing to the high turnover of stock, although you should avoid packaged produce, which may be stale or over-ripe as well as being more expensive. Many supermarkets bake their own bread on the premises and most have cheese, fresh fish and meat counters, as well as delicatessens. Home cooking is one of the casualties of modern living and most Australians don’t have enough time to shop and cook elaborate meals. Consequently, prepared, oven-ready meals, microwave food and take-away meals are increasingly popular, and all supermarkets cater for this lucrative growth market. Food prices in Australia vary according to the city, the shop and the season, but have risen sharply in recent years.

   Australians buy most of their groceries in supermarkets, which are (not surprisingly) among Australia’s most profitable retailers. However, despite increasing pressure from the major supermarket chains, independent grocers are surviving by providing locally-sourced products and personal (better) service.

Supermarkets

The biggest supermarket chains in Australia are Woolworths (www.woolworths.com.au) and Coles (www.coles.com.au), which together account for almost 70 per cent of the market, the remainder being split between a few smaller players and independents. Woolworths has over 1,400 stores throughout Australia, including a chain of Metro supermarkets, employing some 140,000 people (around one in every 100 Australians of working age). It was the first Australian supermarket to introduce food shopping via the internet, a service it calls ‘Homeshop’ (www.homeshop.com.au).

   Coles has over 750 stores employing more than 90,000 people. It also has Coles Express stores in city centres stocking around 13,000 products and offering up-market deli products, gourmet take-home meals, a home catering service and personalised cakes (e.g. for office celebrations). Coles also offers online shopping and home deliveries (www.colesonline.com.au), with a delivery fee of $9-15 depending on the delivery time. Coles also have over 600 petrol stations.

   The latest entrant into the Australian food business is the German supermarket chain, Aldi (www.aldi.com.au), who entered the market in 2001 and now have over 200 stores in the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Aldi are world-famous for their low prices and excellent value, and it’s claimed that you can save up to 50 per cent on your groceries by shopping there.

   Supermarkets may have in-store bank kiosks and petrol stations, and they also have plans to introduce news agencies and pharmacies. Major supermarkets open seven days a week and in some cities remain open until midnight. They provide trolleys, which may require a deposit; some stores insist that customers use a trolley or basket even when they’re buying only a few items. Most supermarkets provide free plastic carrier bags and boxes, and provide staff to help pack your purchases.

   All supermarkets use computerised (electronic point-of-sale) pricing systems where a bar code is included on the labels of goods and is read by a laser reader at the checkout. Always check your receipt carefully, as customers are frequently overcharged, particularly on special offer items. In most supermarkets, if an item is scanned at a higher price than advertised (or displayed), you’re usually entitled to get it free under the voluntary code of practice of the Australian Supermarket Institute.

   Self-scanning, where customers scan their own goods, has been introduced in some supermarkets in recent years. Under this system, which reduces the time spent at checkouts, spot checks are made to deter cheats. In future, all supermarkets are expected to offer this option, although they won’t do away with checkout staff (known as ‘laser ladies’) and will still offer the regular checkout service for those who don’t wish to do their own scanning (and those who like a modicum of personal service).

Labelling

Many manufacturers make unsubstantiated and wild claims for their products, particularly ‘health’ foods and environmentally-friendly ‘green’ products, which are deliberately misleading and often illegal. You usually pay a premium for anything with a claim to be ‘free-range’, ‘low calorie’, ‘organic’ or ‘low fat’, many of which are bogus, although stricter guidelines on food labelling have been introduced in recent years and claims such as ‘high fibre’, ‘light’, ‘low cholesterol’, ‘low fat’ and ‘sugar-free’ must meet specific standards. For information about organic food labelling, see www.aela.org.au and www.organicfoodchain.com.au.

   There are regulations concerning the vitamins and minerals that can be added to food and new rules about where food is produced. All highly perishable goods (e.g. dairy produce, fresh foods and prepared foods) must have a ‘use by’ date, after which their sale is illegal (perishable goods are usually discounted a day or two before the use-by date expires), although dates are widely ignored in country areas. Regulations regarding the handling and storage of food have also be tightened in recent years to curb outbreaks of food poisoning, which is estimated to make thousands of Australians sick each year. All food is sold by the metric measure in Australia.

For more information see Living and Working in Australia by David Hampshire