When Sarsha Harvey started cooking meals for time-poor friends and families from her kitchen in 2019, she had no idea it would grow into a business serving thousands of South Australians each week. Now, Local Kitchen Co has taken over the former Bedford Industries’ Cultivate site at Brooklyn Park, giving the company a significantly larger kitchen and headquarters.
The expansion means Local Kitchen Co can now reach further into regional South Australia, supplying ready-to-eat meals to country towns where options can be limited.
From that first home kitchen to a commercial site at Malvern, Harvey has grown the business to six locations: Malvern, Parkside, Glenelg, Modbury, Port Elliot and now Brooklyn Park. A seventh site is on the way, with Local Kitchen Co set to move into the new Adelaide Central Markets precinct when it opens in late 2026.
A growing need for nutritious, accessible meals
While the business began by preparing meals for busy families before COVID, its customer base has since shifted. Many clients are now retirees, busy professionals and families, along with people accessing meals through the NDIS and the Support at Home government-funded programs, which allow subsidised ready-to-eat meals via meal preparation services.
“This segment of the market will continue to grow, particularly as retirees, our ageing population and people living with disability seek out cost-effective, nutritious meals which can be delivered, saving them having to cook,” Harvey said.
The regional focus comes at a particularly important time. Harvey noted that Meals on Wheels has stopped operating in some areas, leaving some South Australians without access to services providing nutritious, locally-prepared meals.
South Australian produce at the heart of it
Raised in the Mid North in a farming family, Harvey has kept South Australian produce at the centre of the business. All ingredients are sourced locally.
“We want to share that with a wider range of people, saving them time, energy and effort, but also ensuring they have high-quality meals meeting their nutritional requirements,” she said.
Local Kitchen Co now supplies meals of all sizes to thousands of South Australian families, older couples and singles on a weekly basis.
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