A very festive Fyshwick Markets

Posted on 6 December, 2018

‘Tis the season to start eating. And you’ll find a virtual cornucopia of festive food at Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets.

Already, savvy shoppers are making their way to the Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets to ensure their table is laden with food that is fresh, seasonal and a little bit special.

The atmosphere is festive, the parking is free, and there is a lot on offer to make the journey to the markets worthwhile—even if you aren’t a regular.

For starters, have you tasted better cherries?

The fruit and vegetable shops are doing a roaring trade in the sweetest, most succulent summer cherries, as well as lychees, mangoes and stone fruit.

According to Wiffens owner David Irvine, fruit is always a no-brainer in December, when fruit platters are an easy addition to Christmas tables, and every pavlova deserves the most festive colour and decoration.

But he also notes that for many families, a Christmas meal is not complete without a roast—and accompanying veggies.“I sell more parsnips the week before Christmas than any other time,” he says.

Wiffens can stock you up on a lot of other necessities, including flowers and Christmas trees, while you are deciding your root veggie offerings.

Over at the Gourmet Organic Butchers, Pat Flynn has been scribbling down orders for his organic, nitrate-free hams for weeks. By the time 25 December rolls around, he will have supplied more than 400 of these flavourful specimens to appreciative locals.

“It’s always hard to go past a glazed ham at Christmas,” he says, noting they are more popular than turkeys. “It’s hard to muck up and you don’t even have to glaze it if you don’t want to.”

Some gourmands get particularly adventurous at this time—ordering everything from quail to spatchcock, pheasants and partridges.

Pat and his staff are always on hand for advice on cooking methods, tricks and times for those attempting something new.

Or if you really need a hand, you can make your own stuffing, then take it into Barry Hawke’s butchers where staff can bone and roll the turkey for you. Voila!

Manager Jessie Deegan says most families will do at least one meat dish at Christmas and often more. “Meat is expensive and a bit of a treat so at Christmas time, we see people put a lot of time and thought into what they are making.”

Pork and lamb are almost as popular as turkeys and hams, she noted. Then, of course, there is seafood.

If you think you work long hours, think of Nick Smith, the wholesale manager for Ocean Fresh Seafoods. He is gearing up for a 2am start on Christmas Day—opening his doors to the most eager of seafood lovers at 4am.

What’s big? The prawns are.

Nick says the big focus of fresh seafood on Christmas Day is the wide variety of prawns to suit every style and budget. For his money, he suggests the Crystal Bay cooked tiger prawns from Queensland.

Either that or the enormous U6 green king prawns, depending on how you are going to serve them. “It’s an Australian tradition to put a platter of prawns on the table, isn’t it?”, he asks.

And if prawns aren’t your thing, then whole salmon or barramundi, lobster or oysters might be. Definitely worth getting up early for.

If you love the idea of platters and want to make the bulk of your purchases ahead of time, the Fyshwick Markets’ three delis—Mart Delicatessen, Deli Planet and Euro Delicatessen are already selling up a storm.

Platter offerings can usually be purchased well in advance and set aside for the chaos of the day.

Mart Delicatessen’s Barbara Clarke says the whole month of December is a time of festive shopping—whether it’s panettones, Christmas puddings, or Barossa Valley turkey or ham orders.

“We are on our toes for pretty much the whole of December, that’s for sure,” she said.

Mart Deli also takes a large number of special orders of cheese for those of us for  whom champagne and cheese platters are the height of celebratory eating.

“We see a lot of orders for the fancy cheese, the imported soft French cheeses as well as some of the best Australian ones from places such as the Adelaide Hills.”

For shoppers who have the food situation under control, but may have let gift purchases slide, this is the first Christmas to see the Niche Markets up and running, and there is enough variety to ensure no one goes without a special something under the tree.

In fact, you could make a night of it during the Christmas Night Market at the Niche Markets on Thursday 13 December.  Shop for unique gifts, while indulging in scrumptious food, a pop-up boutique bar, home-grown live music, a Christmas wreath making workshop, exclusive discounts, complimentary gift wrapping and even Santa himself.  Entry is free.

the essentials

What: The Fyshwick Markets
Where: 12 Dalby Street Fyshwick
Web: fyshwickmarkets.com.au

Opening Hours for the Christmas period: Thursday 20 December 7am-5:30pm, Friday 21 December 6am-5:30pm, Saturday 22 December 6am-5:30pm, Sunday 23 December 5am-5:30pm, Monday 24 December (Christmas Eve) 5am-5:30pm. Reopen 3 January 2019, trading as usual.

Niche Markets opening hours: Thursday 20 December and Friday 21December 10am-5pm, Saturday 22 December and Sunday 23December 9am-5pm, Monday 24December (Christmas Eve) 10am-5pm. Reopen 3 January 2019, trading as usual.

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