Sydney Farmers Market

Lettuce seedlings for sale at the Sydney Farmers Market

There is no doubt in my mind that good food is the new black.

Goats cheese is the new Gucci; forget Chanel, try chanterelle; and a cluster of rhubarb poking out of your grocery basket is de rigeur baby, celery is like, so ten years ago.

So it didn't surprise me that last Thursday's Sydney Farmers Market was so popular. Instead of descending into Pitt Street Mall and DJs, the city suits headed to Cook and Phillip Park during the lunchtime rush hour.



The Sydney Farmers Market is a special temporary event held for the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Month. Trumpeted as a unique event showcasing produce and products from the Sydney basin, the familiar white tented stalls looked tiny against the towering spires of St Marys Cathedral.



The markets aren't quite as big as Pyrmont, but the novelty of markets shopping during a workday lunchtime more than made up for it.


Chocolate mint plant
Apparently the mint doesn't taste strongly of chocolate, it just goes well with it.


Shoppers at La Tartine organic bakery
Yes, of course I couldn't resist another fruit sourdough!


Penrith navel oranges


Yellow box honey at the Enniskillen Orchard stall
I picked up a jar of delicious fig jam from here


Leeks and rhurbarb from the Hawkesbury Farm vegetable stall


Trolley of flowers from the Ruby Slipper Flower Market stall


Yellow ranunculas
Very wedding bouquet-y


Waratah flowers
Native to south eastern Australia, the waratah is the floral emblem for the state of New South Wales.


Happy sunflowers

My lunchtime booty included a tub of Willowbrae's fabulous goats cheese (rolled in sun-dried tomato and truly divine), a jar of afore-mentioned Enniskillen Orchard fig jam, a dozen organic eggs from the Hawkesbury Farmers stall (a bargain at only $4 for the dozen), and of course my gastronomic Achilles heel, the La Tartine fruit sourdough (let's pretend I didn't buy two loaves already last Saturday).


Organic free-range eggs, with bonus chicken fluff and organic dirt


La Tartine fruit sourdough $5.50
Do I need to justify my obsession?

Sydney Farmers Market
Cook and Phillip Park
cnr William and Yurong Sts, city

Next market is on Thursday 13 October, 11am-3pm.

Some stallholders seemed to think that the first week's success may mean the markets continue weekly throughout October. Check the website for updates.

Related GrabYourFork posts:
GFM 2007: Sugar Hit #2 at the Sofitel Wentworth
GFM 2007: Sugar Hit #1 at the InterContinental Sydney

GFM 2006: Good Living Growers' Markets
GFM 2006: Hats Off dinner at Becasse
GFM 2006: Night Noodle Markets Week 3
GFM 2006: Night Noodle Markets Week 2
GFM 2006: Night Noodle Markets Week 1
GFM 2006: Spring Picnic
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #4 at the Sofitel Wentworth
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #3 at the Intercontinental Sydney
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #2 at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #1 at the Park Hyatt Sydney
GFM 2006: Sydney Food & Wine Fair

GFM 2005: Good Living Growers' Markets
GFM 2005: Night Noodle Markets
GFM 2005: Spring Picnic
GFM 2005: Sydney Farmers' Market
GFM 2005: Sydney Food & Wine Fair

GFM 2004: Twilight Trail: Cocktails and Sugar Hits