The Earth Fair Market has done both, and much more, and has become my favourite market on the Cape Town scene.  Under the passionate direction of market organiser, Jacqui Simpson, the market has grown into something very special.  On Wednesday evenings, families and friends gather to grab a glass of organic wine (or artisan beer) and a bite to eat, in a convivial setting, with perhaps a bit of shopping on the side.  On Saturday mornings, it’s all about artisan coffee (the fabulous Origin is now in residence, hoohah!), delectable breakfasts (mmmm, Lemon Moon Crepes) and a weekly fresh produce top up.

Jacqui picks her stallholders carefully, and the quality of produce overall is outstanding.  I love that it’s become a place where families gather, boots ‘n’ all, and enjoy not only the great food and drink, but also the vibe.  Pick a different meal every time, supporting local producers, and forming relationships with them at the same time.

Anyway, long story short, this fab market is celebrating its first birthday this Saturday (14 August) and will be having an extra special market, with lots of Birthday Specials on offer.

Earth Fair Market is the place to go for a wonderful shopping experience. Enjoy products from a range of top quality traders; farm cheeses, a wide free range meat selection, speciality sausages, fresh and smoked fish, organic and farm fruit and veg, artisan breads and cakes and bakes, olives and preserves, delightful take home meals and salads.

The vibey indoor market is open twice a week so that you can stock up on your favourite items and, at the same time, meet up with family and friends for a delicious artisan coffee, local on tap beers and organic wines. There is a selection of mouthwatering meals to choose from – sushi, prego rolls, crepes, pizzas, bratwursts, Argentinean empanadas and quesadillas and so much more.

If you haven’t been yet, GO.

Some recommendations: biodynamic Avondale bubbly, Rudi’s sausages (no wheat, no preservatives, ALL flavour), Oded’s Kitchen’s divine pickles and preserves (and, recently, desserts, mmmm…), superb walnuts (and other nuts and dried fruits) from By Nature, Lemon Moon Crepes (both sweet and savoury), Ciao Bella’s uber-popular crispy-based pizzas (be prepared for a bit of a wait), Stefan’s spinach and onion rostis… I could go on for hours.

Where: South Palms (next to Builders Warehouse in Tokai Main Rd)

When: Saturday 14 August 2010.  9am-2.30pm  (and regularly on Wednesday evenings 3-8pm, and Saturday mornings 9am-2pm)

Here’s what organisers say they have in store for visitors:

Mingle with the residents of this historic area for a truly cultural experience. View Aunty Galija’s photo collection of Bo-Kaap then and now. Tasty traditional foods, biscuits, cakes, samoosas, crafts, gifts, pickles, smoked snoek, dried fruit, jewelery and lots more on sale. Sit down and enjoy coffee and koesisters or curry and roti. Place orders with the stall holders for dinner parties or Ramadaan.  Have a look at some of the interesting products on exhibition at our Market Days,  See you  there!

I think it sounds quite fun, and I think the focus on traditional foods might just give it a unique character that other markets might not have. I’m not certain yet how often the market will be held, but will find out soon!

Market details:
The Bo-Kaap Food & Craft Market will take place on Saturday 7 August 2010 (10am-2pm) at the Schotschekloof Civic Centre, Upper Wale Street. Entrance is free. Contact Mymoena on 072 6430054 or Bilqees on 021 424 3736.

(Photo credit: Mark Turner/Flickr)

According to organisers, the Fine Food and Wine Market, which debuts this Saturday (17 July 2010), will feature locally produced food, created by small producers specifically chosen because of their focus on taste, variety and personal attention.

On offer will be artisan breads, handmade cheeses, gourmet pastries, fresh and smoked fish, ‘decadent sweets and confectionery’, German and Dutch products, charcuterie, fresh juices, pure smoothies and many more taste tempting treats.

There’s a special area for kids, and plenty of parking.

I’m always a sucker for a new market, and am certainly excited to see what food I’ll find – so I’ll definitely be stopping by to check it out.

Market details:

The Constantia Fine Food & Wine Market will be held on Saturday 17 July (9am to 2pm) at the False Bay Rugby Club on the Constantia Sports Grounds, Constantia Main Road (opposite Constantia Village).   For more information, please contact Pam on 021 788 2877.

Dates for 2010:

• July 17th, 31st
• August 14th, 28th
• September 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
• October 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
• November 6th, 13th, 27th
• December 4th, 11th, 18th

It wasn’t quite as balmy as I’d hoped, and was in fact unusually blustery, especially for that leafy ‘hood, but the wind certainly did nothing to deter a very large market-going contingent.  I was there pretty early, only an hour or so after it had started, and already the cars were lined up in all directions, parking all the way down Strawberry Lane (off Spanschemat River Road), and probably jamming up all of Peddlars-On-The-Bend’s parking area as well.

I didn’t have trouble finding a spot not too far away, and there was also plenty of parking inside the grounds (R10).

I wasn’t able to stay for too long, as I had something else on that evening, but I did get to have a look around, and sample a few bits and pieces.  The food looked exceptional, and I was really happy to see a lot of wheat-free options.  In the end, I couldn’t resist having a seared tuna steak from AfroSushi (also at the Neighbour Goods Market), which was delicious!

It was a nice mix of stalls, I thought.  Plenty of prepared and make-as-you-drool food stalls, some organic fresh produce (the same guys who sell at the Porter Estate Market), a number of craft and clothing stalls and then the entertainment areas.  The market revolves around what I gather is the school’s sports hall and spills out on to the grass.  The stalls inside the hall were mostly craft and handmade goods, such as clothing, jewellery, holistic products and the like, with some sort of stage set up on the one side.

There were places for small kids to play, both inside and outside (some awesome goo stuff I really wanted to play with myself!) and what looked like a basketball court where the teens were running about and skateboarding to their hearts’ content.

Two particularly interesting stalls I encountered were !ke Cape Fynbos Oils, and Retreat Farm.  I’m not usually soap-crazy, but the unadulterated scents of the !ke fynbos really appealed to me, as did Marina Laurova’s enthusiasm for the making of her products – more about !ke here.

The Retreat Farm stall had a beautiful and mouth-watering display of organic jellies and jams, cordials and shortbread – all made from ‘the finest seasonal ingredients in traditional recipes to delight your tastebuds and warm your heart’.  I didn’t get to take a photograph, but they were so well presented, in their little jars of ‘Organic Eugenia and Rose Jelly’ (R30), ‘Organic Grape Jelly’ (R30), Organic Apricot Jam (R30), Organic Ginger Cordial (R25) and ‘Organic Shortbread’ (R25).  I asked where the farm was, and it’s apparently tucked away in Retreat somewhere (the details I’ve forgotten), and they make only enough to sell to friends and at this market.  If you can’t wait until the next market, though, you can call Aisha or Abu Bakr on 084 215 0777.

One thing that didn’t work too well on the day was the coupon system (you buy coupons at a central spot, and use them at the stalls), because it wasn’t that well signposted, and just got a bit chaotic.  But, I chatted to the organisers after the event, and they have quite a few changes in mind for the February event:

1. We will be reverting to a cash payment direct to stall holder system.
2. The market will be spread over a larger area to prevent overcrowding.
3. There will be specific areas for drinks, food, clothing, crafts etc to make sure each stall can be found.
4. The sound system will be improved.
5. A programme of events and an info desk will be available.
6. We will be providing a significant improvement in the beverage department with a with a water bar, fresh juices, coffees, teas, chais etc. (In terms of our school constitution nobody is allowed to sell alcoholic drinks but if folk want to bring a bottle of wine or two and picnic on our lawns thay should feel free.)

I suspect that this might become quite the popular event, and I really look forward to the next one, coming up on the 26th of February 2010.  See you there!

Event details:

The Constantia Waldorf Night Market will be held between 5pm and 9pm on the last Friday of every month (excluding public holidays).  February’s market takes place on the 26th.  The venue is the Constantia Waldorf School, on Spaanschematriver Road (next to Peddlars).  For more info, contact John on 0826310421.

Don’t have too many details at this stage, only a little blurb spotted in the latest Wellness Warehouse newsletter:

FRESH PRODUCE MARKET
We just love healthy food, love supporting community and having personal contact between buyer and seller. Thats why we are creating a vibrant FRESH PRODUCE MARKET monthly from the 13th February 2010 at the Jan van Riebeeck Primary School, next to the Lifestyle Centre in Kloof Street. 9am to 2pm. Anyone interested in reserving a table at a cost of R150 can phone 084 8808 757.

Not much to go on there, but ‘vibrant’ fresh produce is always an attractive proposition for someone like me, so I have a feeling I’ll be wandering into town that day and checking it out for myself.

Would ya look at this beauty?  I found this delectable eggs benedict not at a fancy restaurant or cafe but at market!   At the Earth Fair Market in Tokai, to be exact.

Two eggs, perfectly poached, on top of a potato and onion rosti, crispy streaky bacon, topped with a hollandaise sauce.  Add a glass of Avondale’s biodynamic bubbly to the picture and you have, folks, what I consider a perfect Saturday morning!

The creators of this fabulous dish are Food Solutions, who don’t seem to have a website, but do have contact numbers I’ll leave at the bottom of this post.  Other offerings they provide are the smoked salmon, chive and scrambled egg wrap with hollandaise sauce (R40) and a selection of mix-and-match salads for R35.

Not surprisingly the eggs benedict sold out before the end of the market, as did the salmon wraps, but they’ve promised to make sure there’s more for next time.

And, for me, there will definitely be a next time, and another, and another…

Whilst it seems strange to me that a market would close during the peak season, perhaps there were availability factors, or vendors were simply stretched too thin and couldn’t cope with being at so many different markets.  Whatever the case may be, according to organisers, the market will re-launch in February – with some new stalls joining the regulars, and with a newly structured setup.

Since November 2008 the Kalk Bay Fresh etc Market has every month provided locals and visitors to Kalk Bay an opportunity to stock up with fresh, moreish and wholesome food and natural products whilst enjoying a great day out in this popular seaside Village.

A quaint community-oriented food and natural products market, until now the Fresh etc Market has been hosted at the Kalk Bay Community Centre on Main Road opposite Dalebrook Beach on the third Sunday of each month, however there will not be a market in December 2009 or January 2010.

That’s because the Market is taking a short break until the new year, and it will relaunch in February 2010 as a more regular event with some great new stalls joining the familiar trader faces.

An exciting development is that the market traders will be running the market themselves as a Traders’ Association, giving them the capacity to build and develop their businesses along with the market.

Producers of food and natural goods, eco-friendly and green products and services are welcome to apply to participate in this very special local market from February next year.

This is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to have a say in the running of an outlet that supports them in their efforts to grow their businesses.

Enquiries: 021 788 8088 or 083 3329785 or soulgrow@mweb.co.za or to find out more go to www.samarketmaven.wordpress.com

The silly season is rushing towards us and Earth Fair has lined up some really great shopping experiences and exciting events.

The vibey Wednesday night markets are becoming popular for mid-week fresh food top ups and also as a social outing to meet friends and family and have a meal while the kids play. Please note that our Wednesday trading times have changed to 4pm – 8:30pm.

Up coming events:

Mardi Gras Market! Wednesday 18^th November

Put on your brightest clothes and come to the market for a wonderful evening of fire dancers, Marimba bands and other Mardi Gras treats.

And, future themed markets include a Beerfest (Wednesday 2^nd December), with plenty of Bratwurst, Sauerkraut and of course 1 litre beers!  Plus, two Christmas Markets – 11^th December and 18^th December.

Earth Fair will be hosting two extra Christmas Night markets on Friday 11^th and Friday 18^th December from 4pm-9pm. We will have a range of beautiful upmarket craft traders to compliment our wonderful food mix. This will include jewellery, clothes, skin and bath products and many other lovely Xmas gifts. Come and do all your Xmas shopping at the festive market and avoid the crowded malls.

Event details:
The Earth Fair Food Market is held every Saturday from 9am to 2.30pm and every Wednesday from 4pm to 8.30pm at South Palms (next to Builders Warehouse), in Tokai Main Rd. www.earthfairmarket.co.za

To find out more, contact Dawn or Johann My burgh at 021 842 3186 or email dawnm@netactive.co.za

As some of you may already know, we have held this wonderful event before. Join us and a selection of local traders and businesses showcasing their produce and goods on Full Moon for our evening Market.  At 18h30 Cape Farmhouse Restaurant will serve dinner with a main and dessert, served buffet-style using only organic vegetables and free range meats.

It sounds heavenly to me – now I just have to find some adventurous folk to accompany me (bit of a drive, for most, on a work night).

Market opens at 4pm.  Tickets for the meal cost R110 inclusive of service charge. Cash bar also available as well as home brewed beer.  Kids are welcome and entrance for the market is free.  Call 021 780 1246 to find out more, or to book a ticket.  Or visit www.capefarmhouse.co.za