Sunday markets proliferate

It was market morning this morning, as Rita rose early with the specific intention of getting to both the Farmers Market in Melville St, then the (Art) Market at Masonic Hall, opposite St Davids Park in the city.

At the Farmers Market, I met a few friends, chatted to a few stallholders, and came away with a few interesting thoughts, as provided by those I chatted to.

I was interested to chat to one – a local young mum – who, with the best will in the world, was wanting to do as much of her weekly shop at the Farmers Market as she could, and buy goods directly from the grower or producer, but was also using today as a test run. She had her list of required items, and she knew what the rough cost of these goods would be if she shopped at her usual venues. She discovered a few issues: that she couldn’t get much of what was on her list, and she felt some prices were higher than they could be, for a family such as hers on a single income. She would also have preferred more variety of items, such as cheese. Much as we love Grandvewe Cheeses, they are more of a luxury item than a ‘pop it on the kids sandwiches’ type of cheese. She would have liked to see some larger blocks of cheese where you could request whatever sized chunk you required.

While obviously realizing the market is still getting established, I agree that it probably needs to have a clear direction for the future, after we’ve got it established as a standard Sunday morning activity which is well patronized by all. Is it ultimately going to be a market for locals to be able to get their food products directly from the producers? Or is it going to evolve into more of a market that not only carries the goods locals want to eat, but also carries items that visitors to Tasmania might also want to take home with them? It seems to be both, at the moment, to me. It has the natural soaps, jams, wines and olive oil that a tourist could take home. It has the fruit, veges, smallgoods, bread and plants that locals want.

Chatting to the Viridian Wine lady revealed she has negotiated with the stall next door (the olive oil people) and they have decided to put together a pack for sale after December, combining a bottle of oil and a bottle of wine – a great idea for a Christmas present, and a wonderful synergy.

Great value for money today, I thought, was the Pink Eye chats, at $3 for a 1 kg bag. The same stall as had the chats had also started out with some beautiful strawberries, freshly picked this morning – which sold out in about 10 minutes! I managed to get a bag of fresh dill ($1), as well as pea shoots and chervil - $5 the lot, which I thought excellent value too.

Then it was off to the Art Market in town. Hugo and Elsa blogger, Michelle, was there selling her perfect cupcakes, which we were lucky enough to sample and preview last week at the blogger’s lunch, so naturally I bought four – which were, as previously judged, delicious and beautifully moist. My favourite was the Lemon Cheesecake flavour.

I had a good wander and look at all goods on sale, but this particular market was absolutely packed, despite it being just 10.15 (it had started at 10.00), so it was extremely difficult to get close enough to many stalls to look at, let alone buy, anything, so I came away clutching my cupcakes and nothing else – but am at peace with that. This market was focused on hand made Christmas themed goods, and was a great place for finding that something different. I saw some gorgeous things which, had there not been so many bodies between me and the sole salesperson on each stall, I would definitely have come away with.

A great Sunday morning, and another reminder to myself as to why I have no predominant male in my life – the poor sod would have SO much to put up with, I don’t believe there is a male alive who would tolerate such indulgence in food and all its associations!