Wholefoods was started in 1989 by Scott Kinnear after he found it impossible to buy all his organic grocery shopping at one store.

While there were a few stores specialising in organic foods here and there throughout Melbourne, none had everything he needed for his young family.

So, he decided to open a one stop grocery shop where customers could do all their weekly and top up shopping.

The first store  opened in Lygon St Brunswick and immediately became a popular destination for the growing number of people wanting to eat nutrient dense real food, improve their health and nurture the environment.

Ten years later, a second store was added in Smith Street, Fitzroy. For a while there was a third store at Daylesford when Scott lived there. This store was sold in 2010 and Scott moved back to Melbourne. A third store was added at Flemington in 2015 and on 7 April 2021 a store at East Brunswick Village and in December of 2022 a store at Acland Court Shopping Centre St Kilda. 

Scott has been active in the environmental movement helping stop logging in the Wombat State Forest and campaigning to stop genetically modified food. He was on the Hepburn Wind Coop board that built Australia's first wind farm and has held lots of other community and organic food development roles. 

Scott has seven children, four with his first partner and three with his wife Vanessa and hence has lot's of motivation to put great food on the table.