Michael Dawson uses his relationships with farmers to source direct from the farm. Photo: Tenele Conway.
“I had no idea that you were here” is something Michael Dawson hears a little too frequently in his produce store, Curtin Pure Produce.
It’s the downside of being tucked away, off the main thoroughfare of the Curtin shops. The plus side is that Michael is one of the very few shops in Canberra offering produce direct from the farm in the era of ‘big supermarket’.
Compelled to take a shot at self-employment after a period of paternity leave, Michael opened his produce store in August 2024.
His largely organic, chemical-free product range, sourced direct from the farm, really sets Michael apart from the more generic lines sold in mainstream supermarkets.
With Coles right on his doorstep, Michael says that he can’t always stack up against their aggressive specials, but that’s why he has gone with the strategy of differentiation.
“It’s a catch-22 being near Coles; there is more foot traffic around, but when they have their half-price specials on, we can’t compete. The supermarket’s organic range is minuscule, so that’s where we are different.” Michael tells Region.
His shop really is pretty as a picture, with crates loaded with colourful produce and enticing displays that make you think about what might be for dinner.
Despite its tiny size, Curtin Pure Produce is well-stocked. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Michael isn’t new to the grocery game; his background includes managing produce stores for others. This is where he built his connections with farmers.
This system of buying ensures that the farmer gets a fair price – something hard to come by in larger supply chains – and, because his direct relationship cuts out the middleman, Michael says he can offer his customers a good deal as well.
As we loop through the store, Michael knows the provenance of every product we pass by.
“Our eggs are from Farmer Brown in Hall. I’ve known him for a long time now; he doesn’t use any chemicals or antibiotics on his farm.”
Michael stops by the apples and tells me that his apples and stone fruit come from Thornbrook Orchard out past Bathurst. He says that everyone who tries the unwaxed apples says they are the best they’ve ever had.
The standard varieties of mushrooms come from Majestic Mushrooms in Murrumbateman, and he supplements these with more exotic varieties from Fungi Co near Mittagong.
“They grow their mushrooms in old Victorian-era train tunnels,” Michael explains.
“I used to stock all of their varieties to see what sells, but the more exotic ones, people don’t know what to do with, so now I do the shiitake and the mixed packs.”
In addition to produce like lettuce, beans, zucchinis, cucumbers, and eggplants from a chemical-free micro-farm in Gundaroo, Michael also shares homegrown produce brought in by his regulars free of charge.
“Locals and regulars often bring in a surplus of their homegrown produce. I put those out the front to share with people for free. I’m not going to sell it if I get it for free, and people really appreciate that.”
Michael specialises in local, chemical-free produce direct from the farm. Photo: Tenele Conway.
Being so local, Michael warns that their produce availability is governed by the seasons, which often runs counter to people’s expectations of year-round availability. But as all chefs know, if you want to serve the best quality food, seasonal is the only way to go.
If it’s been a few years since you’ve been into a small local grocer, and based on how hard they are to find, you can be forgiven if this is the case, but you’ll appreciate Michael and his team’s old-fashioned service (although at Michael’s produce store, this is just known as ‘service’).
Having your groceries carried to the car, being known by name if you’re a regular, and being able to pay by cash in an era where cash is being phased out are all things you can still experience in Michael’s shop.
It’s all a rare treat in an industry where service is continually eroded in exchange for self-service “convenience”, and the self-service checkout offers no more of a smile than the stretched and stressed staff.
“People enjoy having someone serve them and seeing the same faces.”
If you could bottle what Michael has created and sprinkle it around our cities and suburbs, we would all be a little better for it. But good food, good service, and fair and ethical trading are hard to bottle, so it’s best to just get your fill in Curtin.
Curtin Pure Produce is located at Curtin Shops, Carruthers St, Curtin. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram. They are open Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6:30 pm, and Saturdays, 8 am to 2 pm. Closed Sundays and public holidays.
