When I was a time-pressed, city-commuting desk slave,
squeezing the weekly shop into a packed schedule was always a challenge. That
is, until the advent of the City Farmers Market. From then on Wednesdays became the day when I could look
forward to a delectably different lunch and stock up on a week’s supply of
fresh, seasonal and nutritious goodies. Since retiring I have missed this
weekly indulgence so it was time to treat myself again - especially before the asparagus season ended.
The Queen Street
Market outside the Treasury Casino, one of four popular Brisbane farmers’ markets run by local identity
and “foodie” Jan Power, is part of an ever-expanding movement bringing produce
growers face-to-face with their urban customers. Apart from showcasing the productive
capacity of our primary producers the range of offerings reflects our
increasingly multicultural society.Alongside the farm fresh fruit and veg, nuts, eggs, fresh
juices, ginger beer, popcorn, honey, biscuits, bagels, cakes, fresh pasta, hot
smoked salmon, meat, seafood, Italian small goods and fresh flowers the hungry market goer can feast
on pocket bread sandwiches, Turkish rolls and sweets, Vietnamese salads and sandwiches,
French patisseries, Spanish paella, German sausages, German bread, Cornish
pasties ..... and be entertained by a selection
of buskers.
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| Country meets city. |
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| Fancy a felafel pocket bread for lunch? |
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| Supporting local farmers. |
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| Music to shop by. |
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| Raspberries fresh from the farm. |
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| Yay!...Asparagus season. |
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| Yes, please. |
As much as I love these markets I do envy cities such as
Melbourne and Adelaide – and so many others around the world - which have
permanent city markets right in the middle of the action. It’s always a delight
when visiting Melbourne to include an excursion to Prahran, or the Victoria Markets,
or if in Adelaide to their city market. Or Tsukiju Fish Markets in Tokyo. Not to mention those in Paris.
I wonder had our own Roma Street Markets not moved to
Rocklea in 1964 if we would be enjoying a permanent vibrant foodie paradise right in the
centre of our own city?
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| The old Roma Street Market in the 1930s. What a wonderful city farmers' market the old brick building would have made. |
Sounds like a great market. We often plan to visit farmers' markets but somehow never atually do it. Great post.
ReplyDeleteTerrific post. You were lucky to be able to get your groceries there when you were working. I'm always wishing that we had a permanent market like the ones you mentioned. We used to go to South bank when Our SIL had a music stall there years ago. I wish we had a decent Saturday Market out here in the suburbs. I guess Rocklea isn't too far and I guess we are too lazy. It's great to see that at least one or two of our bloggers are having a go.
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