Ghostpatrol x Kitchen Garden Foundation

A veggie-packed mural by much-loved Melbourne artist David Booth, AKA Ghostpatrol, has been unveiled at Queen Victoria Market, and it’s a recipe for the biggest smiles!

For 20 years, the Kitchen Garden Foundation has been helping children and young people connect with fresh food. This mural brings our mission to glorious life by showcasing the journey of fruit and veggies – from growing and harvesting to preparing and sharing.

David Booth’s style, blending playfulness with themes of place, culture and sustainability, made him the perfect fit for this collab. His special connection to the Kitchen Garden Foundation runs deep too – David’s mum was a dedicated volunteer at the Foundation for many years, making this project even more meaningful to him.

The joyful design was inspired by sketches from local students at Debney Meadows Primary School who were invited to participate in a special art workshop with David. David loves sharing the joy of creating with kids, and the classroom buzzed with excited chattering as sketchbooks were filled, ideas flowing as fast as their pencils! A special nod to one student’s creative copywriting – “Taste it, don’t waste it” – which made it onto the final mural.

“I love taking kids’ rough, honest sketches and turning them into something big and bold,” says David. “It’s all about trust, imagination, and a little bit of messy magic.”

The painting process itself was a labour of love, with David painstakingly painting over four days, fuelled by excellent snacks and coffees from Queen Victoria Market vendors. He was joined occasionally by volunteers, including fellow artist Bohie and our Kitchen Garden Foundation team-mate, Saskia.

Debney Meadows Primary School students who helped inspire the design, returned to proudly film the mural and got the chance to interview David, capturing the moment their ideas came to life in such a BIG way.

The mural also acknowledges a transformative partnership between the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and VicHealth aimed at giving children at more than 500 Victorian schools a positive relationship with fresh, healthy food.

A huge thank you to David Booth for all the effort, creativity and heart he put into this stunning mural. We just love it!

Check it out next time you’re shopping for fresh produce in Shed A.

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The Kitchen Garden Foundation would like to thank:

David Booth (AKA Ghostpatrol)
Debney Meadows Primary School
Queen Victoria Market
Resene Paints
RMIT | Enabling Impact Platforms
Tiger Corp. Sign Solutions
VicHealth

All mural photos by Natalie Jeffcott.