Overview
It has been more than 40 years since Harris Farm Markets opened in Sydney, with a particular focus on fresh local produce. And if you're a Brisbanite wondering why the chain has both stood the test of time and amassed a considerable following, you'll soon be able to find out for yourself — with the family-run brand opening two Brisbane stores over the next year.
The first will pop up at the current Clayfield Markets site, and it actually marks a homecoming. While Harris Farm Markets is definitely based in New South Wales, it used to own the Sandgate Road spot until it handed it over to Carlo and Susan Lorenti. The pair has run it for a couple of decades since, and will be staying onboard to manage the store when it changes its name.
When it opens in November, Harris Farm Markets' Clayfield shop will feature a tomato shed, a huge deli with more than 200 cheeses on offer, and a leaderboard focusing on Queensland strawberries and mangoes — plus an organic produce section, a gourmet grocery range showcasing boutique local wares, a bakery and a hefty array of meat. The idea is to highlight Queensland and Australian products, all at a site that'll undergo a rebuild and redesign before it relaunches.
Then, in May 2021, Harris Farm Markets will open its flagship Queensland store, which'll set up shop in West Village in West End. It'll sprawl across a warehouse space in part of the old 1920s-built Peters Ice Cream building, so it's safe to expect that it'll be sizeable — and, obviously, conveniently located.
At both sites, shoppers will be able to buy products from more than 300 Queensland growers, creators and producers — with Barambah's organic milk, frozen fruit from My Berries in Caboolture and organic chicken from Hobbs Family Farms Organic in Pittsworth just some of the items on offer.
The two new stores will mark Harris Farm Markets' first outside of NSW, with 22 locations currently open down south.
Find Harris Farm Markets at the current Clayfield Markets site from November 2020, and at West Village in West End from May 2021 - we'll update you with exact opening dates when they come to hand.