The History

The Artisans Bottega is not just any retail business - it's a place that fills you with warm nostalgia and a sense of community. With its origins dating back over 40+ years started as a small, niche store on Victoria Street, across from the Queen Victoria Market, this special establishment has a knack for bringing people together.

Starting with its range of equipment for making homemade wine, brewing beer, and preserving foods, The Artisans Bottega quickly transformed into a charming Italian-style store that captured the hearts of many. Their unique and high-quality Italian equipment has made it an iconic destination showroom for artisan makers from all corners of Australia. You can't help but feel the passion and dedication their team has gone through in the business, making it a true gem in the community.

The Store

Whilst this exceptional local niche retail business is NOT closing down, As part of an important strategy towards surviving in this competitive digital retail landscape, the decision has been made to relocate its showroom and online operations to the vibrant and bustling Melbourne western suburbs, Laverton North.

With our move to the Laverton location (just a short 13–20-minute drive from CBD), we are thrilled to announce that we will be upgrading from a modest 150sqm to a sprawling 960sqm mega showroom and warehouse. This exciting development will provide the customers with an unparalleled retail experience, as we showcase our "One stop shop" style offerings.

By moving away from the expensive and limited space available in the CBD, we are able to offer our customers a more affordable and expansive shopping experience and Free parking. The Laverton location is also conveniently located just a short 13-20 minute drive from Melbourne CBD on a good day.

We are also on the lookout for local businesses to partner with us, with the aim of offering our North & West Melbourne customers free or flat-rate delivery to the North Melbourne area.

In Steven Baggio words:

It was an emotional moment when we spoke to the current managing director, Mr. Stefano Baggio, son of the founding parents Luigi and Celeste Baggio. He revealed that the decision to relocate the business away from their beloved community was one of the toughest ones they had ever made. The community was more than just customers to them; it was like a second family, and leaving them behind was a heart-wrenching experience. However, even before the pandemic hit and restricted trading, they had noticed a significant change in the city-living demographic. With fewer people commuting into Melbourne CBD, many of their traditional customers and regional artisan makers had already started shopping in the outer suburbs with better access and onsite parking. As difficult as it was to leave their community, it was a necessary decision to ensure the survival and continued success of their business.