Surrey Hills Grocer ION – Upmarket, Farm-in-City-Inspired Concept

Earlier this year, Surrey Hills Grocer, a homegrown Australian-specialty grocer and lifestyle destination, made a quaint appearance at the D’Arena and instantly captivated shoppers with its authentic Australian farm gate and gourmet experiences. Come 14^th November 2022, the brand is taking things up a notch as it launches its second outlet right at the heart of Singapore’s main shopping belt – Surrey Hills Grocer ION Orchard. Priding itself as the largest Australian boutique grocer outside of Australia, the new ION Orchard store, which spans over 3,400 square feet, is now home to over 2,000 products that are 100% self-procured from the Great Southern Land.

Located on Level 5 of the ION Orchard carpark, a beautiful hand-painted wall mural depicting a scenic Australian farm landscape that leads to its glass door entrance, is prominent enough to stop any curious shoppers in their tracks to explore the new store. Once entering the space, visitors can take in the sights of an impressive selection of Australian-sourced fresh produce. The tiers of wooden arcs that extend across the ceiling – a familiar sight at Surrey Hills Grocer’s first store – lead diners into a spectacular café area with stunning floor-to-ceiling windows that look out to a panoramic view of the city. As one ventures further, they can also explore an extensive wall of shelves decked with exclusive Australian products.

The new outlet will feature 30 exciting new brands that will only be made available in ION Orchard. Customers can expect to discover more upscale offerings such as Jiva Kombucha, a refreshing, organic and vegan-friendly health drink made in Sydney; Ajitas Vege Chips, plant-based gluten free chips that are free from genetically-modified ingredients, artificial colouring and preservatives; Coconut Revolution, an organic coconut body and beauty brand that cares for the skin, and more!

In addition, shoppers will be pleased to know that existing well-loved exclusive brands such as Rich Glen Olive Oil and Eoss Yoghurt will continue to be available at its ION Orchard store. Most noteworthy of them all, lovers of Koko Black will be happy to know that Surrey Hills Grocer is bringing in a new, expansive range of flavours – with a full wall dedicated to this iconic Australian premium gourmet chocolate brand – making it the largest permanent range of Koko Black outside of Melbourne!

The harmonious palettes of sage green, wood and gold, along with its pleasing botanical touches and gorgeous windows that bathe the space with natural lighting, give the Surrey Hills Grocer café the impression of a luxurious ‘greenhouse’. Its calming ambience makes it a relaxing dining destination for patrons to unwind and relish in their soul-satisfying meals as they admire the beautiful city view.

Diners can indulge in a refreshed food and dessert menu that is elevated in flavour and presentation. Signature dishes include the 48-hour Braised Short Rib Bowl (a 48-hour braised short rib plated with furikake-seasoned baby corn, seaweed salad, broccoli and molten egg), the upgraded Salmon (a medium rare salmon settled on a bed of mushroom barley risotto and purple sweet potato purée, paired with fresh fennel salad and crimson-orange roe),

and BBQ Pork Shoulder Benny (36-hour slow sous vide pork shoulder, maple bacon and benny drizzled with hollandaise and house BBQ sauce).

“Some of the new dishes are inspired during my recent travels in Melbourne, while others are simply birthed from having a meal with the farmers! The Turkey Cranberry Focaccia (Black Forest turkey ham and brie on slice focaccia, sprinkled with Koko Black raspberry cocoa nibs, with microgreens on the side) is one simple dish that I often made while I was living in Australia and I am buzzing with excitement for my diners to try this creation,” says Pang Gek Teng, co-founder of Surrey Hills Grocer.

The ION-exclusive dessert menu is given a magical spin by Ex-Antoinette chef, Pang Kok Keong, who is on a sweet mission to satisfy sugar cravings. His decadent creations include seven flavours of artisanal cakes from fruit-centric Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon Meringue Cake and Upside Down Apple to sweet and savoury staples like Death by Choc, Milo Burnt Cheesecake, Dirty Raspberry Cheesecake and Peanut Butter and Jam.

Other heavenly confectioneries to tease your palate include the bite-sized Queen Victoria Donuts (a delightful and decadent sweet treat with three finishing sauces – Raspberry Jam, Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Caramel), Cereals Crusted French Toast  (a cereal-coated Brioche French toast with bourbon peach topped with ice cream and fresh cream), Ricotta Pancake (a Ricotta hotcake topped with clotted cream, sea salt caramel and raspberry dust plated in an explosion of fruits and floral), and more.

Coffee aficionados can look forward to savouring aromatic brews from Australia’s popular and award-winning specialty coffee roasters including ONA coffee and Seven Seeds. Alternatively, if diners are in the mood for a little boozy chill out, they are welcomed to order alcoholic drinks from the swanky cocktail bar and take a seat anywhere from the counter bar to cosy cushioned chairs, to enjoy a tipple while basking in the alluring atmosphere.

Shoppers can also complete their shopping experience with some pick-me-up fresh blossoms at the full-fledged floral bar helmed by The Flower Factory. The flowers are thoughtfully assembled by passionate and experienced florists, whose keen aesthetics and deft hands will delight shoppers with an inspiring floral arrangement like no other. Floral subscriptions are also available to deliver joy-inducing blooms to shoppers and their loved ones.

Surrey Hills Grocer is now open at ION Orchard (2 Orchard Turn, #05-02, Singapore 238801) on Mondays – Sundays from 9am to 10pm. Located on level 5 of the ION Orchard carpark, the shop can be accessed by taking a lift from B2 to L5, or shoppers can take the escalator to L4 (in front of Putien) and head to L5. Surrey Hills Grocer is also available online: http://surreyhillsgrocer.sg