Sydney Markets 11th annual Greengrocer of the Year Awards has seen over 210 small businesses competing for top Regional and Metropolitan honours. The long running awards program acknowledges best practices and plays an important role in increasing the levels of retail excellence year after year.
Many independent greengrocers are second and third generation businesses who offer a unique, nonhomogenised fresh fruit and vegetable shopping experience; they take into account the cultural and culinary needs of the community and listen to what their customers need. Independent greengrocers also play a pivotal role for growers, they handle specialised lines, perishable or flavoursome varieties and promote them to their customers ensuring a quick sale from the paddock to the plate. Retail champions are determined by multiple mystery shopper evaluations that measure businesses on store presentation, produce quality and freshness, range, customer service, visual merchandising, branding and marketing skills. In excess of 660 store visits were conducted throughout NSW and ACT, and covered stores from Port Macquarie to Tumut. Brad Latham, Sydney Markets CEO said 'The calibre of the finalists is exceptional and the results from this program plainly indicate that greengrocers are working overtime to ensure they provide an enjoyable and personalised shopping experience for their valued customers. I would like to acknowledge not only this year’s finalists but all Greengrocers who participated in the 2012 program.' 'With Australian households tightening their shopping budgets and being more selective about how and where they spent their shopping dollars, greengrocers have focused on lifting quality, value and connecting with their community to ensure they keep customers contentedly walking through the doors.' And the winners are.... 2012 Regional Greengrocer of the Year Award Winner: Country Fruit 165 George St, Bathurst From the moment you walk through the glass sliding doors, Country Fruit Bathurst is appealing. The décor is tasteful; the presentation spotless; the aromas enticing; and the atmosphere welcoming. This award winning store has now notched-up five consecutive Regional Greengrocer of the Year Awards, which is an outstanding achievement for owners Craig and Anna Sharah. Country Fruit Bathurst carries a superb selection of quality fruits and vegetables, all of which are presented smartly. Most of the produce is sourced from the Sydney Markets but a percentage is sourced locally from orchards and farms in the region. The colours of the produce are used effectively to add contrast, the wicker baskets create focal points and there is a pleasing sense of abundance and freshness. Plump red truss tomatoes are ripe for the picking and the mushrooms are snowy white. Purple tissue paper cups the grapes and is wrapped around the oranges, apples and pears in the stacks, adding a finishing touch. To maximise freshness, the broccoli, corn and asparagus are displayed on shaved ice. This business also carries a fabulous selection of salad greens and Asian vegetables all immaculately laid out in the refrigerated shelving. At the back of the store under the boldly painted black lettering that spells out “GOURMET”, there is a creative three-tiered display of cheeses which includes platters of glace fruit and fresh dates and a food connoisseur’s range of groceries, produced locally and imported. What started out as a wholesaling and providoring business has blossomed into a one stop shop that offers an exceptional shopping experience. Their attention to detail and consistently high retailing skills are what makes this country retailer a standout. 2012 Metropolitan Greengrocer of the Year Award Winner: Norton St Grocer 51-57 Norton Street, Leichardt Sydneysiders have long known that Norton Street, Leichhardt is a fabulous place to shop especially if you appreciate fine quality Italian food and the freshest seasonal produce. Fondly known as “Little Italy” this precinct is also home to Norton St Grocer, the 2012 Metropolitan Greengrocer of the Year. Since opening in 2000, Norton St Grocer, Leichhardt has built an uncompromising reputation for offering an exceptional range of quality fresh fruit and vegetables, spotless presentation and friendly, attentive customer service. Owner George Angelidis is a second generation retailer who credits his late father, Con, with nurturing his passion for the industry and teaching him the essentials of good fresh produce retailing. With 27 years experience under his belt this humble greengrocer has not shied away from the hard slog; Norton Street opens 7 days a week. George still starts his days with a visit to Sydney Markets to undertake the buying for his store. This business maybe steeped in tradition but it is also innovative, they are constantly evolving to ensure they provide a matchless experience and recently upgraded their website to cater to online shoppers. Whether you're a gourmet or simple cook, Norton St Grocer will inspire you with its exceptional produce quality and range, impressive well-stocked gourmet deli and countless continental groceries. Highly Commended: Highlands Fresh, Mittagong and Figtree Grocer, Lane Cove West. This year is the 11th Greengrocer of the Year Awards and I'm delighted that Tom's SuperFruits at the Belconnen Markets in Canberra, is one of the finalists. I asked Sue Dodd, my friend and long time colleague from Sydney Markets Limited, to explain the awards:
Meet Mark Gleeson, owner of Providore at Adelaide Central Market. You can't miss his stall, it's number 66, the one with the Belgian chocolate fountain and giant rocky road and sized Belgian chocolate crackles! Indulge in fresh gateaux, and hand made sponge cakes, pies, tarts, pastries, quiches, pates, pasta, chocloates and confectionery. The retired chef and home cook also runs the highly popular Central Market Tours that give food enthusiasts from around the world a taste of the markets. Gleeson takes a keen interest in the management of Adelaide Central Market, working with the Adelaide Central Market Authority, ensure a good diversity of stall holders. 'Adelaide Central Market is the hub of South Australia,' he says. 'Our stall holders love food and love to build good relationships with customers. Some families have been here for generations and we want to keep that community heart going.' Mark is on Twitter @foodtoursSA. Ian Wright from Inglebrae Homestead Meats knows his meat and livestock, that's for sure. He ought to, he's a farmer and a retired butcher with a lifetime of experience behind him. Ian says the best thing is that he knows all the people in the business and talks with them at the sheep and livestock sales. Ian and his wife, Leslie, are among the gentler kind of folk that you meet at the Capital Region Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning. Their farm, Inglebrae Homestead, is at Wattamondara near Cowra in New South Wales. There is a farm shop, if you can't make it to the Cowra Farmer's Markets or the Canberra ones, where they've been every Saturday morning for the last four years. Ian and Maurie, "the bloke" who helps him, have 100 years experience between them, both had butcher shops in Cowra and both are now "retired". Snags are the specialty of Inglebrae Homestead Meats and the range includes gluten free and preservative free varieties. Crumbed lamb cutlets and rump steak are Ian's favourites. The Rainbow Whirl is one of our favourites for the BBQ. I would have to say that the meat we buy from Ian and Leslie is better than anything I have ever tasted! For details about the Farm Shop, telephone 02 6342 4752. A gourmet pie producer, an olive grower, a dairy farmer and a saltbush lamb and free range pork specialist were just some of winners of the second Capital Region Farmers Market People’s Choice Stallholder Awards, announced at the Market on Saturday 27 October 2012.
Beekeeper, Ian Fleiter, sells his naturally produced Northern Territory honey under the Batchelor Bees label at the Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, and also at Rapid Creek Markets (the oldest markets in Darwin). A beekeeper for more than twenty years, the easy-going Fleiter says his bees harvest nectar from a rich variety of native flowers to produce a delicious honey with unusual flavours unique to the Top End. For more information about both markets and the best times to catch Fleiter selling his honey, see Mindil Beach Sunset Markets and Rapid Creek Markets. For details about beekeeping in the Northern Territory, visit the Northern Territory Beekeeper's Association web site. There is a wealth of information about Australian wildflowers at the Wildflowers Australia web site. Post script. Sadly Ian Fleiter passed away in September 2012 from a brain aneurism. My sympathies to Ian's family and friends. Mother and daughter, Rebecca and Charmaine Carter, hand make and sell exquisite tasting ice creams and sorbets from their Top End Delights stall Ice cream flavours include chocolate, mango, dragon fruit, passionfruit and banana; and mango, passionfruit, lemon, dragon fruit and sunset (mango with a little lemon and dragon fruit) in the sorbet. All the products are gluten, egg free and the sorbets are dairy free. Charmaine says that what sets her products apart is that they are home made with real fruit. You will find Top End Delights at Darwin's Mindil Beach Sunset Markets twice a week during the dry season, and the Berry Springs Market once a month. Bulk orders are also taken for functions. For more information, call Charmaine at Top End Delights on 08 89886818 or 0437 657 779. 'I guarantee this will be the best chevre you've ever tasted', my Orange Grove Farmer's Markets tour guide and twitter friend, Karen Lateo, announced as she introduced me to Glenn Barringham and the Willowbrae Chevre Cheese stall. One nibble of the fresh curd and Peter and I were immediately nodding in agreement. Definitely 'nom nom', in fact absolutely DIVINE, and a very good indication of the cheesemaker's skill and commitment to producing finest quality cheese. Willowbrae Chevre cheese maker, Karen Borg, creates artisan, award-winning chevre at her farm, which is situated in the foothills of the Hawkesbury Valley. The range includes fresh cheese made with salt; lightly salted fresh curd; sun-dried tomato and dill covered fresh curd roll; curd cheese filled with green peppercorns finished with a lemon pepper crust; Kalamata olive covered fresh curd; two week old mould ripened cheese; marinated fetta; marinated chevre' goats milk yoghurt and mature goat and curd cheese. Visit the Willowbrae stall at the Orange Grove Farmer's Markets in Leichhardt and Frenchs Forest Organic Market. One of the delicious and more colourful surprises at the Orange Grove Markets in Leichhardt is The Middle Eastern Kitchen, where you will find chef and cookery author, Rachel Grisewood, preparing delicious exotic offerings for her hoard of followers. Grisewood is the founder and CEO of Manna from Heaven and the Sydney Biscuit Company (1993-2010) and author of the award winning Manna from Heaven: Cooking for the People You Love (Allen and Unwin). She is currently busy setting up a new, boutique publishing company and writing her second book, Heaven on Earth, which documents her journey around the Mediterranean. The menu at Rachel's Middle Eastern Kitchen stall offers snacks and entrees (such as filo pastry cigars stuffed with rice, preserved lemon and 'all things nice'); mains, including slow cooked lamb shoulder with apricots, cinnamon and almonds; sweet things like orange flower water, pistachio and yoghurt cheesecakes. There are also condiments: harissa, preserved lemons, dukkah and much more. John Fairley is all smiles. And so he should be. His Country Valley Lush Yoghurt has taken out the 'Champion Yoghurt' title as part of the 2012 Sydney Royal Easter Show. He also nailed Gold for his Organic Lite Milk and Silver for the rest. Well done! The Fairleys have been dairy farmers in the Picton region of New South Wales for 170 years, John being the sixth generation and his son, Tom (who usually mans the stall at EPIC), the seventh. What makes Country Valley Dairy products so special (apart from the great taste!)? 'It's real and natural. There's no processing and whatever comes out the cows go into the milk, cream and yoghurt', John says. Country Valley Dairy Products are available from seven markets, including Warwick Farm Farmer's Markets; Eveleigh Markets in Redfern; Marrickville Markets at Addison Road; Kings Cross Organic Food Market, Fitzroy Gardens; and the Southside Farmers' Markets at Woden CIT Campus in Canberra; and the Camden Grower's Market in Camden. |
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