Overview
Internationally, the suburb of Bondi is known for its famous beach, Icebergs and the cohort of lobster-red tourists that dominate in summer. Locally, however, it has the reputation of being a tight community that has evolved into a hipster mecca in the last five or ten years, described best by Ksubi founder Dan Single (who could easily be the face of Bondi) as “a beach town filled with actors, models and photographers". Along with the surfers and hippies that fill the rest of Bondi's crumbling apartments and cute beach shacks, it is easy to understand why a farmers' markets fits in here like a square peg in a square hole.
The farmers' markets may be a fashionable place to shop but its popularity isn’t a superficial evolution. Consumers are increasingly more interested in where their food comes from and how it’s grown, as well as buying local produce to support farmers and reduce their carbon footprint.
The Bondi Farmers' Markets have been around for only half a year but are already submitting applications for more stalls to the councils, with shoppers and stall holders both extremely satisfied with the chance to form relationships. Richard Clarke, from Westerway Raspberry Farm, says it “allows consumers to meet the people who grow their produce, which enables trust to be built.”
Talking to Hapi at the stall Field to Feast, you get the sense you could be there for hours and come away with an encyclopedic knowledge of vegetables, such is their friendliness and willingness to educate. Some of the novelties at their stall included purple, white and orange carrots that had very little in common with their counterparts at Woolworths, a rainbow range of chard, fresh chickpeas and an Australian bush herb called purslane, which apparently is full of Omega 3.
With artisan bread, smokey salt, honey, fruit and veg, home-made ice blocks, macaroons, youghurt, cheese and coffee only some of the produce on offer, not to mention the pleasure of doing the grocery shop in the sunshine, Bondi Farmers' Markets is a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday morning. There are only two or three stalls doing ready-to-eat food but there is no shortage of cafes in Bondi for a big breakfast after your shop if all the beautiful produce has made you hungry.
The markets have also been the source of new collaborations. Darren Robertson, ex-head Tetsuya's chef and now owner of popular Bronte café, The Three Blue Ducks, now has a stall at the markets. He uses bread for his Pulled Pork rolls from fellow stall Organic Republic, and vegetables from Field to Feast. Concrete Playground had a chat to Darren about his involvement in Bondi Markets.
The Bondi markets are a fairly new enterprise but they seem to be doing really well. Why do you think they have been so successful?
I think the public wants to support local food and grower’s markets at the moment and I think people in Bondi are really interested in good food, local produce and learning about more about food. I think that’s why it will do well.
What kind of relationship do you think consumers should have with the people who grow the produce they’re buying?
It’s not always possible but it’s great that they get the chance to meet the producers growing the stuff and ask questions and find out how the animals have been treated and what they’re feeding them. It also gives the producer the opportunity to educate the public and get them interested.
Do you think it’s benefited the producers as well?
Yeah, absolutely. I think the middle men are fine but it’s given them a chance to cut out the middle man a little bit, and get down there and get hands on and be like ‘this is what we do.’ Especially with what’s happening with the [supermarket] wars at the moment, without getting to political. I think it’s really important and it’s going to keep growing.
Have you found your customers [at Darren’s café, Three Blue Ducks] are more interested in where all the produce is coming from in recent years?
Yeah, definitely. We don’t like to force information on the customer but if they’re curious, the information’s there. For instance, Down The Rabbit Hole; we met them at Bondi Markets (they do organic cheese), so they’ll come round and have a tasting and we’ll discuss what goes into it, the flavour notes and get everyone interested. So then you kind of want to talk about it, to get people to try stuff.
People will be more willing to try stuff if they know where it’s coming from, I guess.
I think they are, they’re more willing to try things if we know about it, yhey kind of feel a bit safer and will be more willing to give it a go, absolutely. If it just turns up in a box and no one knows what it is, then it’s no good.
What made you decide to become part of the farmer’s markets?
I wanted to put my money where my mouth was. I’m from a fine dining background so I wanted to get involved. It was a good opportunity for to meet a lot of the supplies and the dudes down at the market and to visit their farms, and then to come up with a couple of dishes and start selling that to the public – which chefs don’t often get to do.
Yeah, true. Have you learnt anything surprising about your dishes, or had any feedback you didn’t expect?
Yeah I did actually, it’s really nice to get an instant response, when you’re talking to someone as you’re making the dish, then they taste it and they can say whether they like it or not. I’ve learnt heaps, it was surprising how much people in Sydney are really getting a taste for chilli now, they like things a bit hotter and spicier, which is cool, I do to. We have hot sauce on our pulled pork bun and pretty much every week we up it a bit more, make it hotter and hotter and hotter.
Just see how far you can go...
Yeah (laughs). You learn heaps about what you do. What I think is really amazing, someone else might think, ‘oh, that’s just ok.’ Which I think is great. I’m really fortunate now because I work in an open kitchen, so you’ll pass out a plate and it’s nice to see someone reaction. For years I worked in closed kitchens and most cooks only really hear the bad stuff. It’s so great, with the food we’re doing at the moment, I’m so happy with it.
So what else is going to be on the menu f or the market stall?
Well, we’re working on a muesli at the moment and we’re going to get some jams, start doing some salts and then something sweet. We’ve been playing around with some waffles, some breakfasty items. We’ve been going down to the farm [stallholders Field to Feast’s farm] a lot and we’ll just see what stuff they’ve got and just have a play. Then well either use it for the markets or the restaurant; last time we got some little beetroots and we made chocolate and beetroot brownies, maybe a chocolate and fennel dessert. We want to do all sorts of stuff, we’re always playing around.
The Bondi Farmers Markets run every Saturday at Bondi Beach Public School from 9am-1pm.
