Covid-19 is disrupting the way we live, socialise and work in an unprecendented way. No one seems to know is how long these measures of social distancing, travel restrictions and hunkering down of international borders will last.  The pandemic is still evolving every minute and a threat to the livelihoods of those who had under-estimated its deadliness.

The announcement of a 2-weeks total lock down by Malaysia yesterday (16 March 2020) sent a new wave of shoppers scrambling to stock up on supplies, especially fresh vegetables, poultry and seafood from Malaysia. Supermarket queues are snaking and major online grocery sites (like Redmart, Amazon Prime, NTUC Online and Cold Storage) are inundated with the surge in deliveries. The supply chains are once again disrupted.

In lieu of the current climate where there are a lot of uncertainties revolving around food supply disruptions, food security has become ever so important.  It is therefore important to know where we can get fresh, tasty produce within our own country.

I’ve compiled a list of 10 tried-and-tested reliable local online grocers which my family have personally supported over the years. Some came highly recommended by our friends.

1.OpenTaste – https://www.opentaste.sg/ (Use referral code – 23149B to get SGD15 off your 1st purchase. No Min Spend)
2. Quan Fa Organic Farm – https://quanfaorganic.com.sg/online
3. Zenxin Organic Food Singapore – https://organicdelivery.sg/
4. Lian Huat Seafood – https://shopee.sg/lianhuatseafood
5. Kühlbarra – https://kuhlbarra.com/
6. 9s Seafood – https://www.9sseafood.com/en_SG/
7. Song Fish Dealer – https://songfish.com.sg/shop/
8. The Meat Club – https://www.themeatclub.com.sg/
9. Huber’s Butchery – https://www.hubers.com.sg/
10. Zairyo – https://zairyo.com.sg/

Take for example, homegrown brand, Kühlbarra, a local fish farm in Singapore, unaffected by external supply disruptions. We’ve been ordering from them since last year as the husband loves their barramundi. Kühlbarra is the single largest producer of barramundi in Singapore and Australia with a farm-to-fork model via an unbroken cold chain. Their non-GMO fish fry is imported from Australia and reared through a structured feeding regime using sustainability-certified feed. The barramundi are harvested to match orders, filleted, deboned, vacuum packed and sent out to customers all within hours to ensure freshness. All their barramundi is 100% growth hormone and antibiotic free.  It’s a safe and credible source of affordable, healthy fish supply for the entire family. Order here: https://kuhlbarra.com/

As for Zairyo, it’s a homegrown online gourmet grocery business started by my ex-student, Amanda. Together with her husband, the duo started Zairyo 6 years ago to offer a wide selection of freshly-imported food products such as seafood, seasonal vegetables and fruits, premium meats, sauces, condiments and snacks for foodies to create our very own culinary adventures at home. With access to Toyosu Market in Japan, they fly in fresh produce from the market 4 times every week, and these orders are then delivered to households on the same day! Their fresh Unis, and steamboat packs are really popular. Order here: https://zairyo.com.sg/

Recently, we were introduced to this online butcher sourcing directly from Australia. The Meat Club was founded 3 years ago when co-founder, Amy Bell couldn’t find the quality red meat she benefited from growing up in Australia. Frustrated by unreasonable prices at local butchers and supermarkets, she started air-freighting beef and lamb into Singapore during her first pregnancy, to help other families in Singapore save time and money on groceries. Since then, she has expanded the range to include Cage Free Chicken, Sustain-ably Farmed Fish and even Vegetarian Burger Patties to curb her families’ appetite for Australian produce.

Enjoy S$50 off* your first order with The Meat Club! Apply SNS50 on checkout to redeem, with min. spend S$100 net on Club Prices. You’ll enjoy a delivery every 4 weeks but you can modify your cart or defer a delivery any time. Shop their range of Grass Fed, Free Range, Gluten Free and Halal products online here: http://www.themeatclub.com.sg/spend-and-save/

Living in Singapore, we feel assured that this pandemic, too, shall pass but the battle cannot be won without full mobilisation of a civil society. An unprecedented time like this calls for an unprecendented spirit of civic and social solidarity. Together, let’s stay #SGUnited, #SupportLocal and overcome this threat posed by Covid-19.