Italian dinners,
cooked by Marco's
own hands.

The entire Melbourne metropolitan area is on Marco's delivery route. Standard delivery is included in the weekly price for most suburbs; for outer areas a small case-by-case delivery fee may apply, capped at $30 per delivery. When you leave your postcode, Marco confirms within two hours whether your address is on the route — and what (if anything) the fee will be.

Each meal is packed in its own individual container — one container, one main meal — using only recycled and recyclable materials. The minimal plastic we do use is eco-plastic. Transport is fully refrigerated end-to-end. Deliveries arrive twice a week, on Monday and Wednesday between 6 and 10 am, and we schedule the window around your routine. With many long-term clients we have a trusted handover arrangement, so Marco can place your meals directly into your fridge if no one is home.

Meals are cooked the day before delivery and never frozen. We recommend consuming each meal within five days of delivery for the best flavour and nutritional quality. Because Essenza delivers twice a week, your fridge is always within four days of fresh.

Yes — Essenza is a fully customised, no-lock-in service designed to fit your routine. You can pause, skip a week, change your plan or cancel at any time with 7 days' notice before your next delivery. The 7-day window lets Marco organise weekly orders, source fresh ingredients from his local farmers, and plan production around the active client list.

There is no minimum commitment and no lock-in. You'll sign a simple service agreement (we send the document for you to view before you start) which sets out the basic terms. The only ongoing requirement is the 7-day notice period for pauses, changes or cancellation; the only penalty is one week's payment if notice isn't given.

Yes — Essenza is built around dietary needs. Our point of difference in the Melbourne meal market is uncompromised ingredient quality: no GMOs, no seed oils, no nasties, no shortcuts. Most meals are naturally gluten-free and low in fat to support digestion. Pork is excluded by default unless requested, and meats are halal. Marco walks through your specific allergies, intolerances and preferences on the initial call and adapts the menu accordingly.

Two simple options. Microwave: heat for under 2 minutes — the eco-plastic lid will begin to soften past that point, so remove or replace the lid first if you need to heat for longer. Stovetop: transfer the meal into a non-stick pan over a gentle flame, add a splash of water if needed, cover with a lid, and heat for around 5 minutes. That's it.

It happens — even the best chef occasionally cooks a dish that isn't to a client's taste. We minimise this with a free initial consultation by phone or video, where Marco gets to know your favourite flavours and the things you'd rather avoid. In our experience, the first three or four deliveries are when most preferences emerge — and we adjust immediately.

The standard cut-off is 7 days before your delivery — the same as the cancellation policy — to give Marco time to source produce from local farmers and plan production. That said, if there is capacity and ingredient availability we will often accommodate later orders.

Yes. The whole product is designed around light, nutritious, low-inflammatory food. The menu is naturally and predominantly gluten-free by design — Marco's Italian cooking techniques don't rely on wheat fillers, breadcrumbs or pasta-based shortcuts. If you have a coeliac diagnosis or strict allergy, mention it on the call and we'll confirm cross-contamination protocols.