Hi All!

Had a bit of a busy last couple of weeks but today I come to you with a new series that I am starting called My Big Little City which will just feature different places and activities in Auckland that I want to share with you all.

Today is a pretty grey and windy Saturday so what better time to think back to a couple of weekends a go when I went along to the Clevedon Farmer’s market along with Edd and my two little brothers, Mr 11 and Mr 5 (nearly 5). I have always heard good things about this farmer’s market that has been running for about ten years now out at the Clevedon showgrounds. I’ll show you some snaps from the day and at the end will be all the info about the Markets in case you have a Sunday with nothing to do.

The market, being a farmer’s market, has an amazing range of fresh, vibrant produce that was a feast for the eyes. Along withe the vegies are a plethora of pickles, chilli sauces (some of which we bought home), breads, sweet treats, alcohol and meat. As pictured below there was a little country violin and guitar duo who provided a soundtrack for our Sunday outing (something a la Louise Attaque) which provided such an amazing atmosphere. I don’t know if there is always music or if it always the same musicians but it made a huge difference.

Mr 5 was in his element sampling bacon and cupcakes (not at the same time) left, right and centre. The cupcake stall was run by the Cupcake Tree which has a stall quite close to my work in the city and after sampling their gingerbread cupcakes I will be hunting some more down. Seriously divine.

The highlight for kids would be the $5 pony ride and this certainly proved to be the case with Mr 5. After his ride around the paddock we went and said hello to the other friendly ponies/donkeys and horses. Although I am technically allergic to horses I couldn’t resist a bit of a cuddle…

Obviously there is a lot of food to choose from when looking for a snack or a light lunch. If you can look past all the delicious fudges and brownies there are a few different savoury stalls. Mr 11 chose an Argentinian tomato filled pastry, Mr 5 had a homemade mince and cheese pie whilst Edd and I went for a very popular lunch time choice, a bacon and egg bap with homemade spicy tomato sauce and parsley mayo. It was fresh, delicious and for $5 a super cheap and tasty lunch that you should definitely try.  We then had a $1 churro each to finish off our lunch and although it was lacking a chocolate sauce it was still very tasty.

We took a few treats home including a homemade dog treat, a smoked chipotle salt, a green chilli sauce, some almond brittle (and peanut brittle for Mr 5) which was AMAZING and last of all a small selection of macaroons that we shared once back at home. The flavours we got (left to right) was salted caramel, tiramisu, peanut butter and cinnamon jam doughnut. Without a doubt my favourite was the jam doughnut. It tasted incredible and may be the best macaroon I have ever tasted. Yum.

All in all we had a really fun time at the markets and I would definitely go back to sample the new produce and see what’s changed. Everything is reasonably priced and there is a generous amount of free food to try. Everyone is friendly and kids can run wild. The market is held at the Clevedon showgrounds which is about 30-40 minutes drive from Auckland (south-east). Clevedon itself is a cute little town just out in the country so you could spend the whole day out in the area. The markets run from 8.30-12pm every Sunday and a small gem in Auckland that is a great way to escape the bustle of the city. We will be back.

Lizzy
Xx