Gourmandise de Paris

Since your start, you have gained an incredibly large and loyal fan base.  As relative "newbies" how has this reaction been for you

I am absolutely thrilled with it.  To start with it wasn't easy but as people got to know us and us working incredibly hard at providing good products, we are really proud of what we have achieved since starting.

How long does it take to set up stall each market

All up it takes about an hour

With samples, come smiles and with smiles which in turn results in purchases...as a chef how does that make you feel

Everyone who tastes our products really enjoy them. We've had people tell us that they love it and want to know more about how we make them and are above surprised when they learn that I am the chef!

You have created little corner of Paris that seems to draw people in.  Was this deliberately planned or did it come from observing customers seeking somewhere to sit and truly enjoy your French culinary creations

It just simply seemed to "fit" with what we were wanting to do.  Because some of our food is not take away, and needs plates and cutlery, it seemed a shame to not have a nice place to sit, chill, enjoy and eat.

For anyone who has NOT yet been to Hornsby Markets, how would you sum up the fabulousness of it to them

Hornsby Market has a lot to offer with the spectacular fountain which looks different from every angle, to really nice fresh fruit and vegetable, cheeses and of course some FABULOUS French food.  For me it's interesting, it's friendly and it's relaxing.

To anyone who hasn't been yet, I would absolutely recommend that they come, have a look and enjoy it!

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From sinful cheese to those with the sweet palette.  Gourmandise de Paris has a French yummy to suit every age, every desire and every wallet!  And even better, they are at Hornsby Market every Thursday!

Sharing some Hornsby Market love with Lisa

How and when did you first discover Hornsby Markets

Wow, it feels like I have always gone to them.  Four years or so?  I found them by change just trawling around Hornsby with small kidlettes in tow.

What was it that impressed you most about them

What impressed me most was finding beautiful artisan bread.   Having moved from the inner city, it was great to see yummy sourdough and farm fresh produce available at Hornsby and not have to go elsewhere.

Are you a browse, chat and see where the day takes you type of chick or are you a "got my list, know what I need and where to get it" shopper

I am a mix between both.  I do have a certain few stalls I frequent regularly to pick up my favourite products, but I will also have a look and a chat (time permitting).

Do you have a favourite recipe you like to cook using produce bought at market

Fresh fruit and veggies make me a very happy gal!!! I love making a Lebanese bean dish using green beans I often buy and the other week I made a gorgeous gluten free plum cake using some beautiful Sierra plums I procured.

check out Lisa's blog for this amazing recipe "here" and while you're at there are loads more inspiring little pearls so have a scroll through and get inspired!

For those who are yet to discover the delights of Hornsby Market, what 5 words would you use to encourage them to get in and give it a go

Vibrant

Brilliant Bread

Fresh

Exciting

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What more can we say!  Another devotee with some inspiring recipes using produce bought at market!  We LOVE that!  So if you haven't yet, reckon it might just be about time to get yourselves to Hornsby Mall on a Thursday and have a wander, a sample, take a friend, have some great hot food while you decide what you will be buying from market to take home and trust us when we say you will taste the difference!

From Silvia - Gluten Free Cuisine

Gluten Free Cuisine has been a part of (and more importantly) a firm favourite of our markets for many years.  What first inspired you to start experimenting with recipes that were gluten free but still yummy at the same time

My daughter was diagnosed with an intolerance to preservatives, all those years ago now, and we began a journey of creating "loved" foods with NO added preservatives (or "no numbers" as we like to put it), thickeners or additives.  With a background in research, it was not long before we recognised there was a need for great tasting QUALITY foods that could be made readily available to the many with special dietary requirements, intolerances, or simply wanted to eat well with and enjoying great tasting foods!

You have a few "signature" pieces (eg: lemon meringue pie being top of the pops).  As you do 3 of our markets (Hornsby on Thursdays, Orange Grove on Saturdays and Frenchs Forest on Sundays), is there a particular favourite per location or are they as equally popular no matter which postcode you are at

Good question!  We seem to sell across the range pretty much throughout the year at every market we do.  Over the years we have built a fantastic relationship with our customers and we are a weekly "one stop shop" for many - across our Freshly Baked Artisan Organic Breads (all soy free, dairy free, canola free, animal fat free)

Savoury offerings such as Handmade Fresh Pasta, Classic Pesto and of course our Sweet Treats.

Actually our range has evolved based on our customer waitlist, including more dairy free options, larger celebration cakes and the latest offerings are our NUT FREE Organic Banana Bread & Cookies: All Gluten Free!

There is no denying market life can be trying at times, particularly when the weather doesn't play nicely; yet you are always there with a smile, rain, hail or shine, which not only do we appreciate but we KNOW your customers do as well.  What has been one of the more memorable experiences of market life for you

We have so many memorable moments & experiences: all so special in their own ways. We received a text from a customer just before Easter last year saying his wife was going in to labour and had requested our GF (gluten free) DF (dairy free) Hot Cross Buns and please save him one, he was on the way!

Over the years, it has been our privilege to be part of families as they prepare to welcome precious new borns with weekly Lamingtons to help them on the way, then of course we get to create Special Celebration Cakes.  

We have created Signature Wedding Cakes and  that Special Birthday Cake for the 90 years young whose special request is the Lemon Meringue (of course!), and for it to be large enough for her 90 guests!!!

We get called upon for that Bespoke Catering that meets special dietary requirements and more frequently provide GF (gluten free) WF (wheat free) NF (nut free) treats for the school lunch boxes!

From your personal stance, what is it about markets like ours that play a pivotal role in the local community

We love that our customers are able to purchase products from us that are literally hours from leaving the oven.  It is so special to get to know our customers who eat our food, to hear their stories, their sincere appreciation for what we make and to know we can really make a difference.  Our customers in turn love to hear our stories too.

The pivotal role in the local community (as you put it) is that markets provide for that quintessential experience of what nurtures people socially, and communities economically and all this whilst providing produce straight from the producers.

How would you sum up the world of Gluten Free Cuisine in 5 words

Dedicated Gluten Free for Everyone!

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Fantastic story behind a firmly entrenched, much loved and ever evolving producer of all things Gluten Free.  Swing by and say a massive "Hi" to Sylvia and her team every Thursday and trust us, from what we have seen..the sweet treats are getting more delicious by the week!

5 Questions with Brasserie Bread

Brasserie Bread has had an incredibly long association with Organic Food Markets.  Can you enlighten us as to how this "introduction" came to be

Brasserie Bread has been actively involved in farmer's markets in Sydney for the past 7 years.  It's a very important part of our wholesale business.

Farmer's Market shoppers also share their experience with lots of other people, both good and bad!  This certainly keeps us on our toes and gives us invaluable insight for future product development.

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What we particular love and admire about the Brasserie Bread team is that they hold true to the mandate for the markets which is that we trade "rain, hail or shine", and with stunners like

and

and these

seems our shoppers are also stalwart fans cause they just keep a comin back for more!

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Your bread is known for winning many medals at many Easter Shows which is a testament as to how good your products are. What would be your best seller at any given time

Definitely our organic sourdough which is made with organic unbleached flour, Murray River salt and our 18 year old sourdough starter.

Our Quinoa & Soya Sourdough also have a big following.  It's packed with nutritious soya beans and five seeds including quinoa.

Do Brasserie Bread deliver to market sites or does the stallie collect from the bakery (which would then mean an extra early start for the stallies for sure!)

They pick up from our Banksmeadow Bakery

How would you sum up the world of Brasserie Bread in 5 words

Honouring traditions of artisan baking

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And on that note we thank Brasserie Bread for taking some time to tell us a bit about their story and for providing us each week with their amazing artisan breads and sweet treats!

5 Questions with Putrinos

When did Putrino's make their debut with Organic Food Markets

G & M Putrino have been part of the Organic Food Market family for around 10 years which is quite an achievement!

You are constantly busy, always with a smile and nothing ever being too much trouble. What separates markets like Hornsby, from a retail outlet or a supermarket chain.

Always having loads quality fresh produce at hand and having that personal interaction with customers...always keeps it interesting and definitely keeps us on our toes!

Market life is not for the faint-hearted.  How early does you day start and is there a process to make it a smooth set up and pack down

It's always a very early start.  Firstly we need to make sure we have all the equipment packed, the produce is protected for the journey, ending with a final check to ensure it's easy to unload when arriving at market and then easy to load up at end of day. 

As a stallholder, how does the fact that your fan base is so loyal they will shop whatever the weather, reinforce the fact that you are doing right not just by yourselves but more importantly by the customer

We always make sure we show up in any weather because we know our customers rely on us being there and we absolutely appreciate that they also make the effort to and shop no matter what the weather.  It's what makes it all worthwhile.

Obviously when the weather is great we do incredibly well, but when it's not then we don't.  Luckily for us, the weather is finer more than it's not.

For anyone who has yet to discover the delights of the Putrino crew at Hornsby Market, what 5 words would you use to get em in and have a sample

Come and have a taste!

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As the warmer months are here, so do the berries and stone fruit appear (hey!  we rhymed!!!) so it's THE perfect time to take on the Putrino advice of going to Hornsby Market and having a taste...we promise you will NOT be disappointed!

Free Range Butcher

When and how did the Free Range Butcher start at Hornsby Market

Hornsby Market is a really special market for us.  It was the very first farmer's market that we ever attended.  Our business formally commenced trading on 13 November 2008 at Hornsby Markets.

That first day was a real family affair with myself (Ben), my wife Alison and my Dad (Pete) on hand to set up the first stall and start selling our produce to customers.

We've learnt a lot since that very first day, but our business mission - to produce meat that is Ethical, Sustainable and Traceable - remains the same.

Obviously there has been an incredibly big change in the way consumers not only select their meat but the ways in which they prepare it.  What has been one of the most "unusual", shall we say, on-sharing of a recipe

It's been interesting to watch how our customers buying habits have changed over the last 5 years.  I think in part it's driven by new products we introduce, prompts or incentives to try something that they haven't had before and the explosion of TV shows centred around cooking.

Some of our customers ask for tips and recipe ideas when they buy from us, but a lot of them are great cooks/amateur chefs and will often share their plans with us for whatever it is they've purchased.

As you can imagine we do a lot of talking about food and cooking at the markets!  It's great for us as we're always learning too and pass that info on to other customers.

I remember one day when we had some free range pork neck fillets on special, a regular customer came in, grabbed on and said "this will be perfect for poaching in milk".  We were intrigued, asked for all the details and then shared them with all the other customers who bought the same product on that day.  And we made it for dinner ourselves that night - it was fantastic!

Your range includes some SENSATIONAL gluten free products.  Was this done consciously or did it evolve due to demand

Even before we started selling our produce at the markets, we knew there was a demand for gluten free products, however once we started talking directly to our customers about gluten free products, the extent of the need became really obvious.

We started off producing gluten free sausages and now do gluten free rissoles

We took another step too ...way ahead of the supermarkets....by producing a plain beef sausage that is both gluten free and preservative free.  These sausages are now one of our biggest sellers and are particularly appealing to parents who are keen to avoid feeding preservatives to their kids.  It's been 3 years since we first produced preservative free sausages and they're more popular than ever!

We're always introducing new products - sometimes it will be something that we've discovered or wanted to try, or it could be driven by customer requests and suggestions.

As you do a few of our other markets, is there a noticeable difference in the clientele or is it once a Free Range Butcher lover always a Free Range Butcher lover

There's definitely different customers at each market.  Some markets are more skewed towards singles and couples, whereas others are real family affairs with Mum and Dad bringing the kids along to do the weekly shop (and get some yummy treats!).

What's common about all the markets thought is how lovely the customers are and how interested they are in learning about what they're buying and eating.

As producers it's really rewarding to know that your customers want to know more about what you do and how you do it.

Can you sum up in 5 words why The Free Range Butcher is the best butcher around

Grassfed meat direct from farmers

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Now it would be most remiss for us not to include a photo of Ben who always willingly poses when asked, even if it means adorning a flower behind his ear.

Which goes to show that The Free Range Butchers are more than happy to answer any questions asked of them about their amazing meats even if adorning an accessory or two!

We love them for it, you will too and if you haven't you MUST try their gluten free snags and rissoles....and their lamb...simply melts in the mouth.

A maaasive thank you to Ben, Ali & Pete for sharing some time and talking about their passion for good grass-fed, preservative free, sustainable and traceable meat.

5 questions with Ron Choy

How long have you been part of the Organic Food Markets Community

I have been part of the markets pretty much when it began which is quite a long time now

Why plants

Plants have been a great interest of mine and after a while I focussed on being a plant florist,  I find it incredibly relaxing work and enjoy being surrounded by so much green and wanted to share this love with others.

Your flowers are loved by many: how do you choose which ones to bring to market

We tend to follow the season but we do have  "annuals" (ie. available all year round) like Gardenias, Lavender and Rosemary.  Not forgetting the indoor plants which always brighten up the home. 

When winter comes we have the exotics, like orchids which are always a firm favourite.

What makes Hornsby Market a great place to be on a Thursday

We like coming to Hornsby Market because it's like our second family.  We love catching up with the stallholders and customers and it's great to see what everyone's been up to and share a laugh or two

For anyone who hasn't yet ventured forth to the Hornsby Mall on a Thursday, what words would you use to encourage them to get in, have a wander, buy some nice goodies and most specially buy a plant from the Kings of Plants (aka Ron)

Come to Hornsby Markets if you want a great shopping experience!  It's right in the middle of the Mall so you don't have to drive to different places to buy your groceries. It's super convenient and pleasant even more so at lunch time when the fountain starts!

Even better we are easily found cause you can see us from two entry points to the Mall so just look for the colour plant stand with stacks of indoor ones as well.

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What you waiting for!  We HIGHLY recommend you get yourselves there asap and see what's in season, what will be the perfect gift for someone special (and that includes yourselves!)