George Milonas readies for the Christmas rush at Queen Victoria Market as festive trading intensifies at the iconic Melbourne marketplace, with as many as 240,000 shoppers expected to pass through in the days leading up to December 25.
Veteran fishmonger George Milonas, preparing for his 21st Christmas at the market, said the final lead-up is consistently the busiest period, with queues forming well before sunrise.
“Last year our first customer arrived at 3.15am on December 23,” he said. “The final trading day before Christmas is always the biggest.”
Milonas expects to sell around half a tonne of lobsters and more than 12,000 oysters over the coming week.
To cope with increased demand, the market has scheduled extra trading days on December 24 and December 31.
Traders across the market are gearing up to sell an estimated 16.5 tonnes of cooked prawns, 45 tonnes of cherries and 20 tonnes of ham, alongside festive staples such as turkeys, cheeses, charcuterie and Christmas puddings.
Queen Victoria Market chief executive Matt Elliott said the days before Christmas are when the market “truly comes into its own”, bringing Melburnians together to shop, celebrate and soak up the festive atmosphere.
Seasonal entertainment, including roving Santas, live music and performers, will add to the celebrations throughout the market.
