Whoever said you should never shop for food on an empty stomach has clearly never been to a farmers’ market – moreover, a farmers’ market in winter. Ah the joy of arriving to the fragrance of freshly-brewed coffee – Bangalow’s hand-picked beans, or Letterbox Roasters’ locally roasted coffee, are well worth the queues – or Pure Melt’s Classic or Chocolate Chai, dispensed steaming hot from their outsized thermoses. This will set you up, and from there it’s a question of choice. Will it be a generous plate of Francisco’s Table braised beans with salsa verde and fried egg, if at Mullum; or Nomadic Kitchen’s nurturing – and equally hearty – omelette at New Brighton, both stalls offering gorgeous cakes as well? Or that winter stalwart, comforting porridge from Other World where Bronwyn tops her organic oat, chia and quinoa blend with cinnamon-poached pear or tahini and maple? At Japanese Kitchen they’re currently serving piping hot congee for an Asian twang, with chicken, mushrooms and sesame oil, as well as their wildly popular savoury pancake, okonomiyaki. Bay Smokehouse, equally attuned to the season, is doing a divine creamy hot smoked fish chowder – grab it while you can!
At Peace, Love & Crepes, there are savoury and sweet buckwheat pancakes whipped up while you wait – try the salted butter caramel or the classic ham and cheese. Meanwhile, at Radiance Kitchen there are sticky rice cones stuffed with tofu or chicken, gluten-free dumplings or steaming hot potstickers. Go the whole Indo breaky at Indonesian Kitchen if you haven’t succumbed to their Nasi Goreng or corn fritters.
There’s hot matcha latte at Matcha Byron Bay alongside those wonderful green bush matcha muffins. Yummify’s vegan delights include lentil moussaka and pies, while Scratch Patisserie’s glazed jammy pastries and oozy almond croissants are calling out to you…
The lesson here? Take an empty stomach to the markets!
Nomadic Kitchen is at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8am to 11am.
Bangalow Coffee, Letterbox Roasters, Other World, Bay Smokehouse, Peace, Love & Crepes and Scratch Patisserie are at New Brighton Farmers Market every Tuesday from 8am to 11am and Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7am to 11am.
Pure Melt, Francisco’s Table, Japanese Kitchen, Radiance Kitchen, Indonesian Kitchen, Matcha Byron Bay and Yummify are at Mullumbimby Farmers Market every Friday from 7am to 11am.
