Australian Gourmet Traveller - (09)September 2020 (1)

RETURN TO MARKET

Therearemanythingsthathavebenefittedfroma reignited

appreciationoverthepastfewmonths,andCarriageworks

FarmersMarketis trulyoneofthem.Theweeklyfixture

oftheSydneyfoodscenewentintohiatusinlateMarch,

whenCovid-19strucktwo-fold.Thewiderprecinctwent

intovoluntaryadministrationinearlyMayandasa result

themarket’slong-termfatewasuncertain.Nowthemarket

is back– thanksinparttothephilanthropic-ledbailout

ofAustralia’slargestmulti-useartsandculturefacility.

CarriageworksFarmersMarket’screativedirectorMike

McEnearneysawthegapingholethetemporaryclosure

ofthemarketsleftinthewidercommunity.“We’vegot

over 80 NSWproducersthatcomeeveryweek– andfor

themtohavetojuststop,whenthey’vegotfoodinthe

groundandmouthstofeed,it wasreallyhard,”hesays.

“Butwe’vecomeouttheothersideand everyone is just

chompingatthebittogetback.”

Whilethefoodretailelementwassorelymissed,

McEnearneypointstothewiderimpactthemarkethas

oncommunity,connectionandeducation.“There’sbeen

a growingconcernforsometimenow– peoplewant

to know the postcode of their asparagus. People are

understandinghowimportanttheroleofa community

is muchmorenow,”saysMcEnearney.Tothisend,it’s

alllong-standingstallholdersreturning.“It’sthedialogue

peoplecantrulyformata market.Tohavea real

conversationwitha realperson,aboutwhattheyproduce

andforma relationshipwiththem,”saysMcEnearney.

Stallholdersareequallyasready.Culturedbutter

maestrosPepeSaya,areexcitedtogetbackoutand

showcasenewproductstheydevelopedinlockdown,

likea chantillymascarponeanda newsmokedbutter.

“It’ssoimportantbecauseit givesusa chancetotalk

directlytothecustomerandgetimmediatefeedback.

Themarketis a meltingpotofpeoplefromeveryaspect

ofthefoodcommunity:homecooks,chefs,other

stallholders,”saysfounderPierre“Pepe”Issa.

Alongsidefreshproduceandlardergoods,themarket

willalsowelcomebackbrunchtimefavouritessuchasBar

Pho,FlourandStone,SingleO andCrumpetsbyMerna.

Acrossthemarkets,socialdistancingwillbefirmlyenforced,

withstallholdersbeingmorespreadoutthanbeforeand

mask-wearingencouraged.“Wewanteveryone to feel

safeontheirreturn,”saysMcEnearney.

245 WilsonStreet,Eveleigh, NSW. Saturdays, 8am-1pm,

carriageworks.com.au

22 GOURMET TRAVELLER