About Vellum Court

I ran the kitchen at a 60-seat restaurant in Fitzroy for seven years. Not a big place, but a full one most nights. My suppliers knew me by name, and I knew theirs. The guy who brought olive wood boards from a small workshop outside Mildura. The family in the Yarra Valley who sourced carbon steel cookware through a contact in Zhejiang. You build those relationships slowly, over invoices and phone calls and the occasional argument about lead times. When the restaurant closed in June 2020, those relationships were the only thing I walked away with that felt worth keeping.

Before the restaurant, I trained in Guangzhou and then spent three years working pastry sections in Sydney, first in Surry Hills, then a hotel kitchen in Pyrmont. I moved to Melbourne in 2011 and spent a year staging before I found the Fitzroy spot. Cooking professionally teaches you to think in units, not feelings. You care about whether the pan heats evenly, whether the board warps after six months of daily use, whether the storage container actually seals. I spent years buying the same items over and over because most of what I found in restaurant supply catalogues was built to be replaced, not kept.

— Still packing orders on Tuesday mornings. — Wenjie, Wenjie Wu

Our team

• Thanh Nguyen — Operations and Fulfilment: Thanh joined Vellum Court in March 2022 after four years managing stock and dispatch for a wholesale produce distributor in Dandenong. He drove up to Bright for a trial week and stayed. Thanh handles all inbound freight, warehouse organisation, and the carrier relationships with Sendle and Australia Post. He introduced a batch-packing system in late 2022 that cut average dispatch time from two days to same-day on most orders.
• Brigid Callahan — Customer Experience: Brigid spent six years on the floor at a restaurant in Hobart's Battery Point before moving to the Ovens Valley in 2021. She emailed Wenjie cold in early 2023 asking if there was any work, and attached a two-page note on what she thought the product descriptions were missing. Wenjie hired her the following week. Brigid handles all customer correspondence, writes the product copy, and manages the returns process, which she rebuilt from scratch using a Google Sheet and a very firm returns policy.
• Dariusz Kowalski — Supplier Liaison and Buying: Dariusz worked in import logistics for a kitchenware wholesaler in Port Melbourne for eight years before Wenjie brought him on as a contractor in mid-2022, a role that became full-time by the start of 2023. He manages the freight schedules with suppliers in Zhejiang and coordinates the domestic runs from Mildura and the Yarra Valley. Dariusz tracks every order against a landed-cost spreadsheet he built himself and flags any supplier issue before it reaches the warehouse.

Frequently asked questions

How long will my order take to arrive?

Standard shipping via Australia Post takes 3–8 business days depending on your location. Express shipping via StarTrack is 1–3 business days for most metro areas. Rural and remote addresses may take a few days longer.

Do you offer free shipping?

Yes. Orders over $99 AUD qualify for free standard shipping Australia-wide. Express shipping is available at a flat rate of $12.95 regardless of order size.

Can I return a product if I change my mind?

Yes, we accept change-of-mind returns within 30 days of delivery. Items must be unused, in original packaging, and in resaleable condition. Return postage costs are the buyer's responsibility for change-of-mind returns.

How do I care for the Cookswell Carbon Steel Frypan?

Hand wash only — no dishwasher. Dry it thoroughly straight after washing and apply a very light coat of cooking oil before storing. With regular use it will build up a natural non-stick surface over time.

Are the Sundew Ceramic Knives dishwasher safe?

No. Ceramic blades are brittle and dishwasher detergents can cause micro-chipping. Hand wash gently with warm soapy water and store in the included blade guards. Avoid cutting on hard stone or glass surfaces.

Do any of your products contain allergens or materials that could cause sensitivities?

The Maple & Mint Bamboo Chopping Board is made from bamboo and food-safe adhesives — if you have a known bamboo or grass-family sensitivity, please check with your doctor before use. The Eco-Fresh Glass Storage Set uses borosilicate glass and BPA-free silicone lids. If you have a specific concern, email us and we'll share the full materials list.

Do you offer custom orders or engraving?

We don't offer engraving or fully custom products at this stage. For bulk or wholesale orders with specific requirements, get in touch via our contact form and we'll see what's possible.

Can I buy Vellum Court products wholesale?

Yes. We work with select independent homewares and kitchen retailers across Australia. Send a wholesale enquiry to wholesale@vellumcourt.com.au with your business details and we'll come back to you within 3 business days.

Customer reviews

• 5/5 “Carbon steel pan that actually works” Ordered the Cookswell Carbon Steel Frypan on a Tuesday and it was at my door by Thursday — faster than I expected for Sydney. Took about three seasons to get a decent non-stick surface going but it's well worth the effort. The weight and balance feel solid without being heavy. Really happy with it.
• 4/5 “Good knives, packaging could be better” The Sundew Ceramic Knife Set arrived well-packed and the blades are genuinely sharp out of the box. Knocked off a star because one of the blade guards had a small crack when it arrived — emailed Vellum Court and they sent a replacement guard within a few days, no fuss. The knives themselves are great for everyday use.
• 5/5 “Chopping board I'll actually keep” I've gone through a few cheap boards that warped after a month. The Maple & Mint Bamboo Chopping Board has been in daily use for about six weeks now and it's holding up really well. It's a good size for prep work — not too big to store, not too small to be annoying. Arrived in two days with standard shipping.
• 4/5 “Mixing bowls are solid” The Coastal Blue Enamel Mixing Bowls look exactly like the photos online, which isn't always the case. The enamel finish is smooth and hasn't chipped after a couple of months of regular use. Delivery to Fremantle took six business days on standard, which was fine. Would have liked a pour spout on the larger bowl but that's a minor gripe.
• 5/5 “Glass storage set — finally replaced my plastic” Bought the Eco-Fresh Glass Storage Set to replace a mismatched collection of old plastic containers and I'm glad I did. The lids seal properly and the glass doesn't stain from tomato-based sauces like plastic always did. Ordered on a Friday afternoon and it still arrived the following Wednesday, which I thought was decent.
• 5/5 “Gift wrapping was a nice touch” Ordered the bamboo chopping board as a housewarming gift with the gift wrap option. The kraft paper wrapping looked clean and the handwritten card was a genuine handwritten note, not a printed font pretending to be handwriting. My friend was impressed. Will order again for gifts.

From the journal

• The pan supplier I found through a restaurant kitchen — The Cookswell pan didn't come from a trade show; it came from a conversation I'd been having for six years in a commercial kitchen.
• Seasoning a carbon steel pan for the first time — I've watched people ruin new carbon steel pans in the first ten minutes, and most of the time it's the same mistake.
• Running a small product business from Bright, not the city — I moved to Bright in early 2023 and spent the first six months convincing myself the logistics would work out fine, which they mostly did.
• Cooking trout from the Ovens River in late autumn — The brown trout season closes at the end of June and I've been trying to make the most of it while the river is still running cold.