Buying from one of Brisbane’s fresh food markets is a completely different experience to buying the groceries in a supermarket. At the markets you can smell if the tomato you are holding is ripe, hear recipe ideas from stallholders, feel the breeze as your shop outdoors.
It is a feast for your senses and your pantry when you take home fresh flowers, gourmet cheeses, rich yoghurt, and homemade pesto, pates and spreads. Luckily, the popularity of food markets continues to grow and Brisbane is blessed with many market options, most of them held on Saturdays.
5 tips for market shopping:
- Get up early to score the best and freshest produce. Head out at lunchtime and you might only find what others have left behind
- Take a trolley (yes, like Granny used to wheel) or basket or bags to carry your purchases
- Flow with the seasons and buy what’s abundant right now – that way the price and quality will be best
- Talk to the stallholder – half the fun of markets is finding out more about your food; including where it was grown and new ways to use it
- Enjoy the nibbles – take advantage of free tastings to discover new food delights
Almost all weekend markets include some food stalls but we’ve picked out the markets that are devoted to the gourmet, the gastronomic, the gorgeously fresh.
Brisbane's fresh food markets include:
Jan Power’s Farmers Markets – every fortnight in the grounds of the Brisbane Powerhouse, the first Sunday of the month at Mitchelton and now also at Manly, once a month.
Northey Street Organic Market – Shop under the trees and next to Brisbane’s city farm at Windsor. Some of the produce you can buy is grown on-site, the rest comes from certified organic growers and local producers. This market also has a garden nursery and the chilled-out Chai Cafe - great for breakfast.
West End Markets – Browse the diverse mix of stalls under the giant fig trees, beside the Brisbane River. Take a foodie tour around the world when choosing your fresh or homemade food at this very friendly market.
Saturday Fresh Market, Rocklea – During the week, this place is the centre of the wholesale fruit and vegetable trade of our city. But on Saturday it opens to the public and is huge, boasting hundreds of stalls.
Kelvin Grove Markets – Check out Brisbane’s newest fresh food market at the Kelvin Grove Urban Village.
Tell us your one best tip for buying at fresh food markets. Add your comments below.
