City Farmers' Markets
Supporting local communities
It used to be that to get your hands on some of the freshest seasonal produce you'd have to take a trip up the North Western motorway to Kumeu or Silverdale, or head out South to Papakura or Drury. These days though, you'll get your hands on fruit and vegetables so fresh that they were probably picked that morning at a range of spots only a hop, skip and a jump from Downtown Auckland.
A farmers' market is a food market where local growers, farmers and artisan food producers sell their wares directly to consumers. Vendors may only sell what they grow, farm, pickle, preserve, bake, smoke or catch themselves from within a defined local area, which also makes it one of the “greenest” ways to shop and a great way to support your local community.
The City Farmers' Market operates in the centre of Auckland's Britomart precinct on Saturday mornings and brings a bounty of delicious and unusual regional produce to town for Aucklanders every week. The fare on offer includes fresh, seasonal, quality fruit and vegetables, eggs, meat, olives and olive oils, condiments, coffee, artisan breads and much more - direct from local growers, farmers and makers. It's also a great place to meet friends for breakfast on a sunny Saturday, and the perfect place to pick up a few bunches of flowers to take home and spread the love.
La Cigale at 69 St Georges Bay Road in Parnell began holding a French style Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings several years ago, with word spreading rapidly and its popularity necessitating that an extra day be added - Sundays from 9 am til 2 pm. They also hold a mini market midweek from midday til 6 pm, with a smaller number of vendors but still access to their fabulous fromagerie, which offers a delicious range of French, Italian, Swiss, Spanish and British Cheeses as well as a collection of French delicacies - including their famous La Cigale Chicken Liver Pate - made fresh every week. They also offer a great range of French wines and baked goods, and I love to grab some cheese, bread and a bottle of the good stuff and head afterwards to a nearby park for a picnic on warm afternoons. Kids will also love their handmade crepes, which can be eaten while perusing the fare on offer for an extra sugar rush/burst of energy when needed.
Recently the Grey Lynn Farmers' Market opened to the public. The market takes place Sunday mornings in the Grey Lynn Community Centre's main hall, apart from the last Sunday of every month when Kraftbomb market moves into the space. The market had over a year in the planning and is a great day out while sipping a coffee.
Editorial by Helene Ravlich