Final Hurrah for 2013

Denisse

Venus Wholefoods

pitchandash

jess_glee

baowow-baobuns

Jo

kyubpottspoint

serena

Emily

Tania-Lee

Time to do a shout out!

@australienlive

Australien Live

@georgieabay

@kellnance

a_sarpi

Jenni

Solange

Claudia

@jo1foster

Sharing the love with Solange

How long ago did you not only discover but fall in love with Kings Cross Markets

I discovered the market when I moved to Sydney in early 2011 but started visiting more regularly in the middle of 2012, initially for the flowers and then (as I started adopting a healthier lifestyle) for the produce.

What is it about these markets that keeps you coming back

It's a nice walk from where I live.  It's intimate but has everything I need and there are lots of fantastic places nearby

Do you have a favourite stallie and if so, who and why

I don't often indulge in their treats but I love the gozleme stall...soooo yummy

My fave has to be Slowly Does It Food.  Such a huge range of organic delicious produce.

Are the markets now part of your weekly kick-back and chillax Saturday routine

Yep, my routine is a boxing class in the park before strolling to the Markets, having a coffee, browsing and picking up a bag of green produce for the week.

If you could summarise why Kings Cross Markets should be on everyone's "must do" list in one sentence, what would it be

Kings Cross is better known for things other than its Saturday markets, but the vibe there on a Saturday morning is really energising.  And with Kings Cross Station being literally around the corner, it's super easy to get to and have a wander around.

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Huge thank you to the lovely Solange who took some time out of her busy day to share some what she loves about our Kings Cross Market

Sharing the King Cross love with Angelique

When did you first discover Kings Cross Markets

We wanted to buy some quinoa congee that used to be at a stall there.  Soooo many people raved about it, so it became a weekly habit to and get this delicious meal.

Then we moved across the road from the markets and every Saturday we pop downstairs to do our weekly groceries.  It was such a blessing to be so close, especially as my husband had been diagnosed with cancer a few months prior to our move.

Those markets were our lifesaver.  Whilst I was caring for my husband, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, it was such a positive influence to know that the markets were literally downstairs and would be there each Saturday supplying our organic food.

We see through your blog (www.foodthink.com) raw is an integral part of your life.  Are you able to briefly outline the benefits of raw for those who may not yet be aware/enlightened

I wouldn't say that "raw" is the main thing we began in our eating with my husband's diagnosis.  In fact some people (and macrobiotic food also isn't 100% about raw), raw can be difficult for their systems to enjoy.

Our biggest goal is to eat 3 cups of green a day (kale, rocket, beans etc), 3 cups of colour a day (berries, capsicum, carrots, purple cabbage etc) and 3 cups of sulphur a day (leeks, onions, radish etc).  Blanching food is easier to digest.

We definitely avoid high heat cooking and much prefer the slow method.  We avoid anything BBQ as medical research has shown using this method can be carcinogenic.

So no more "throw a shrimp on the barbie" unless for a very short time with that type of heat.  Wok cooking is ok as long as the food is thrown in and out in a blanching style.

The reasoning for all of this is that the nutrients in food are destroyed if you over cook it.  Our brilliantly progressive GP says "EAT A RAINBOW" daily.  This is our guide (nb: OFM likes that expression!)

Do you have a "can't do without must have every week" item

We prefer to eat what ever is in season.  So the "must haves" change accordingly.  

In summer we LOVE our salads.  In winter we cut up raw kale and leave it at the bottom of the any warming dish that we make.  This way it is warmed, delicious but we also get to eat it as raw as possible.

Do you have a stallie and if so, why?

Rita's veggie stall is our favourite and is our sole reason for shopping.  It is conventional but doesn't mean the quality (for us at least) is any lesser and helps with our budgetary needs.

I like to chat with the stallholders and ask where their farms are, what sort of pesticides they use and even go visit them if I can.

Information is the key to understanding.

Can you sum up in one sentence why people should make Kings Cross Market their number 1 activity on a Saturday morning

It's easy, it's done, it's quick.  The earlier we go the less parking hassle (we now live on the other side of the Harbour).  There is usually a sunny spot to sit in after we have bought our food.  We get a take away coffee and enjoy people watching!

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With that we say thank you Angelique for sharing her love of our markets and we would like to end with this

Food To Think

Shout outs!

Jenni

@bayswater15

Pandora's Dream

My Darling Darlinghurst

rmkez

marzosyd

alpha

Photo courtesy of avlxyz on Flickr

5 Questions with Slowly Does It Food

Can you give us a brief history as to how "Slowly Does It Food" came in to your life and the process behind the name

"Slowly Does It Food" started out as a packaged food market stall about 4 years ago. The name related to the type of food I cooked and packaged (ie: slow cooked stews, lamb shanks and french daubes) and also to the more general food philosophy promoted by the "slow food movement".

Slow food is about preserving food traditions and promoting agricultural sustainability, bio-diversity, small producers and endangered foods.

2 years ago I transformed the business to an online food market selling organic fruit & veg, grass fed meats, fresh fish and an ever increasing amount of pantry produce and deli items.

I felt the name "Slowly Does It Food" represented the food ethos of the online shop so I kept it!  

Slow food rules!

You are now pretty well established at Kings Cross Markets.  What has been the biggest growth for your stall that you have noticed since starting?

I would say definitely the biggest growth is with my more senior clientele.  The amount of times people tell me that that "this apple" or "that tomato" reminds them of the fruit and vegetables from their childhood has made me realise that we are starting to come full circle with food production.

I genuinely believe more and more people simply want food that has been grown naturally and more importantly, tastes better.

Do you think that there has been a noticeable change in the way consumers shop where opting to shop for organic produce at a market rather than smash-and-grab in a supermarket?

People are definitely more aware that supermarkets put the squeeze on producers & growers making it very hard for them to have a decent income and produce good flavoursome produce.

Generally I hear customers commenting that organic produce offered at supermarkets is of poor quality and range.

My own theory, for what it's worth, is that it is not in the interest of the supermarkets to promote good quality organic produce over conventional sprayed produce.

Spray produce has a longer shelf life, is easier to produce and transport and has a more consistant appearance, so why would supermarkets want people to buy organic produce?  Just a theory....

What has been the largest amount of any item you have sold in one day?

Kale!  We take 60 bunches of the freshest kale to Kings Cross Market every week, and 3 varieties at that.  Along with English Spinach and Silverbeet.  We sell over 100 bunches of fresh greens every week

In 5 words, why should people buy organic, more especially, buy their organic fare from Slowly Does It Food?

Vegetables taste better from Bob

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And yes they do!  Huge thanks to Bob for sharing a bit of what makes Slowly Does It Food a firm favourite in our Kings Cross Market community

5 Questions......with Stephen Kemp

You were originally a stallholder at Kings Cross Markets.  How did that come about?

I was making soy wax candles scented with essential oils and was looking for outlets to sell them.  I grabbed a copy of the Markets & Fairs Magazine, called the Organic Food markets office and booked in for Kings Cross Markets.

With the introduction of cheaper imported soy candles the profit margin was reduced and I decided to finish making them.

From stallholder to manager: totally different perspectives. Was it a difficult transition from being within the stallie community to the Manager of the stallies?

There was a short adjustment period in becoming a manager for both myself and other stallholders.  I had previous retail management experience so I was used to working in that capacity.

My style of management is non-authoritative, so building rapport with the traders was fairly easy.

During your time as Manager, how did you see the markets evolve?

The Saturday Markets in the Cross has evolved from being held twice a month to being held weekly.  It has built up a group of regulars that have come to enjoy the sense of community that the markets bring. 

The market has also been a great testing environment for new businesses and new products.

As Kings Cross is notorious for its colourful characters, who would be one of your favourites and why?

It is sure tough to choose, but I did like to see a particular ex-Les Girls cast member parading around first thing in the morning awaiting her close up!  Always brought a smile to my face

(note: this is NOT the one Stephen refers to , but we love her and just couldn't resist putting her in!)

If you could sum up your time at Kings Cross Markets in 5 words, what would they be?

Weather, Diversity, Community, Food and Friends

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So there you have it!  5 Questions with our much loved and much missed former Kings Cross Manager, Stephen.  But we just KNOW he swings by when he can (welllll....after a quick plane trip from Adelaide that is!).  

Thank you SO much for sharing just a bit of your time with us Stephen and we miss you enormously!

Markets & Fairs