The River Kitchen talks baking

Baking: we love it, you love it, and your fan base at market loves it!  What was the impetus to bite the bullet, follow your passion and turn that dream in to a reality

I was made redundant after working in IT for a big bank for 10 years and I chose to be a stay at home Dad to spend time with my young boys.  That gave me a lot of time to think about what I would really like to do and also cook for my family.

I have always loved to cook and with the encouragement of my family and friends, I decided to take the leap....and I am very happy that I have. 

The take home soda bread mix is not only a sensational concept but hopefully ignites the creative cook within, after all there is nothing more intoxicating nor inviting than the smell of freshly baked bread.  How long did it take you to perfect the dry recipe to that point of "yep, Granny would be proud"

I did try a few variations and combinations before settling on the current recipe. There was a lot of trial and error and quite a lot of bread baked!

It is amazing to see the difference a slight change in weight or ingredients makes to the finished loaf.  I feel now that I have a product that delivers every time. 

With winter upon us, now is the perfect time to bake your own loaf at home; it not only warms the home but the soul too...plus people are always impressed if you bake your own bread (even with a little help).

What inspires you to create 

I really love to cook and naturally want to try new things.  My Mum is probably my biggest inspiration.  She is constantly sending recipes over for me to try.  I really like to look to the past for ideas and love to make the old new again.

Just recently my home town Dingle (in Ireland) was voted the Top Foodie Town of Ireland 2014...I am very proud and hope to fly the flag for them down here in Sydney.

In a relatively short period of time you have proven to be a hit with both the big and little kids at market.  What is it about market life that appeals and helps you in your quest to provide perfection

The market is a great place for fresh produce and handmade food.  Everyone is passionate about great food and what they are able to create with the amazing produce available in Australia.

The customer gets to meet the producer/maker of the goods and is able to ask questions, which I am more than happy to answer.  I love to meet people and share my passion.

There is also good camaraderie with the other stall holders and I source as much ingredients from them as possible.

How would you sum up the world of The River Kitchen in 5 words

Simple but delicious baked goodness

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And we can personally attest to the deliciousness of EVERYTHING via our Double Bay Market taste-ometer rating which in all honesty has far to many +'s to put in one blog. So our advice is to get down, have a sample of his fantastic range which includes gluten free's, sauces and biscuits, along with the bake it yourself soda bread and we believe that you too will be thoroughly converted and will wonder why you hadn't tried it before!

we simply couldn't NOT include a photo of these babies!

A Celebration of everything that is 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.

Just over 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!

While you have only recently joined us at Double Bay, you are incredibly well entrenched at our Kings Cross Market (and an insanely popular stallie at that!).  What has been the biggest trend for your stall that you have noticed so far?

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 consistent 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 Market every week, and 3 varieties at that.  Along with English Spinach and Silverbeet.  We sell over 100 bunches of fresh greens every week and can only see that increasing with Double Bay Market now being part of our Slowly Does It Food world.

Having said that, we noticed a pretty good flow of "have you got any garlic" from our Double Bay'ites so the race is officially on!

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 an absolute must-buy-from favourite amongst the Double Bay Market community

Edge Wellness demystifies the Activated Nut

Can you give a little bit of an overview of how and when Edge Wellness came in to being

Edge Wellness is actually a medical clinic I created in 2006.  I wasn’t satisfied with the model of General Practice in Australia – ‘in and out in 5 minutes’!  I learned that doctors are forced to do this because of the inflexible nature of our healthcare system whereby they are punished for spending any length of time with a patient, and discouraged from doing much more than write a script and treat the symptom.  My medical clinic allows for much more comprehensive hour long consultations, and employs expert doctors who have the space to practise general, natural, environmental and nutritional medicine.

Working with such amazing practitioners exposed my wife (Astrid) and me to all sorts of things like Paleo, Organic and our famous ‘Activated Nuts’!

They are the best nuts we’ve ever tasted; we love baking with them and snacking on them all day. 

Patients started buying them in clinic, and before you knew it Astrid had quit her job as an interior decorator to run our market stall.  It carries our clinic name ‘Edge Wellness’ because it stands for more than a clinic. It’s about better health through the latest research and the best products and services.  Our mantra is ‘live a better life’.

Our first exposure to the OFM was finding Marrickville Organic Markets in 2013.  We were market virgins but it quickly became our weekly Sunday shop for meat, salad, vegies and smoked salmon.  The cos lettuce lasts at least 3 times as long as supermarket stuff. Scary.  The organic veg is actually CHEAPER than the supermarket. The meat is much fresher.

Marrickville is still our favourite.  We’ve never had a stall there, and we do love the other markets, but you never forget your first!

Amongst some of your products is your "activated" nut range. What exactly are activated nuts and what role (in your view) do they play in our daily wellbeing

Well the chef Pete Evans made them famous, and copped a lot of uneducated flack in the process.  I guess that’s always the way with trendsetters.  Activated nuts used to be called ‘sprouted’ nuts. Sprouting grains, nuts and seeds is a centuries-old process proven in the archaeological and anthropological record.  Nearly every food we eat requires some processing, either: cooking, sprouting or just washing.  We don’t roam around like triceratops eating plants willy nilly!

Nuts and seeds cause digestive problems in quite a few people because they are full of phytates which keep them in a state of stasis.  Sprouting enhances the nutritional component of nuts and seeds and often removes the intolerance. It’s the same as germinating a seed.  We made a short video last year explaining it

On a more visceral level, it’s hard to enjoy the recommended intake of nuts when they are bitter (raw walnuts), soggy (raw almonds), tasteless (raw pecans) and metallic (raw brazil nuts).  Cue our activated nuts: our almonds are super-duper crunchy, our walnuts are buttery smooth and our pecans taste sweet like they are coated in caramel (they’re not). Try them – nothing compares!

Always with a smile, always with friendly advice, and now a firm favourite at our markets. Do you find that each area has its own specific demographic as far as which is the best-selling product or is it more of once an Edge Wellness devotee always an Edge Wellness devotee

We’ve been introducing and removing products, always on the lookout to provide something unique and premium.  Along with our regular paleo cookies, carrot/ginger cakes and pumpkin muffins we added ice- cold drinking coconuts.  It was the healthiest drink we could find and we noticed that other stalls were selling them warm.  Ours are better by being fresh from the importer every Wednesday, and always smothered in ice for maximum refreshment.

We’re excited to be replacing them with ginger kombucha in the coming weeks.  This particular kombucha has a massive probiotic count and negligible sugar because it’s properly fermented (where the probiotics metabolise all of the sugar).  It’s made by our good friends at Amphore who have the best kombucha we’ve ever seen.  We’ll be serving it ice-cold in summer and warm in winter (when warm, it’s like a healthy mulled wine).  This will be another unique product that we are proud to bring to the markets.

What is it about markets like ours that form an important of the local community

The post-modern rejection of metanarratives is evidenced in Sydney’s embracing of local, ethical and sustainable produce.  Sydney is no longer buying the large narrative the big brands are spinning with their highly processed and mass produced products. Sydney is increasingly looking for the small narrative - the story of the local farmer, the local business, the authentic work of husband and wife teams like Edge Wellness. Our stories are personal, real, transparent, and usually include better products.  I for one will no longer buy lamb in a tray at one of the large supermarket chains. I’ll get it from Ben the Free Range Butcher who can tell me what his lambs eat, where their paddocks are, and how they were raised.

Astrid sharing the joy of free range meat

How would you sum up the world of Edge Wellness in 5 words

Live a better life!

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So!  nothing left for it other than to say a massive muchos gracias to Matt & Astrid for sharing a bit of their world with us, demystifying nuts that are Activated and bringing a whole lotta sunshine every Thursday at our Double Bay Market!

La Planchette

Vive la France!  Can you give a little bit of history about La Planchette

Absolutely correct! I only started in May this year as I took over from the previous owner.  From this date the main focus has been to stabilise everything that already existed and have a smooth transition with the the new team: products, suppliers and customers of course.

And it's been fantastic to see customers supporting and welcoming us to our three markets: Double Bay on Thursdays, Kings Cross on Saturdays and Marrickville on Sundays.

You are now the "face" of La Planchette and a most welcoming one at that.  Was it a difficult transition with the shoppers continually asking who you were, or is it a once a La Planchette devotee always a La Planchette devotee

It was a really nice smooth transition.  I would say once a quality taste devotee always a quality taste devotee

What would be your best seller at Double Bay Market

Comté is always on the top of the list.  

But is very much challenged by the king of the washed rind, the Epoisses and the very extra creamy Brillat-Savarin.  The goat cheese "crottin affines" are very popular as well.

Can you tell us a bit about saucisson is made and does ageing make a difference to the taste

A "saucisson sec" must be dry by definition.  The dryer the better from a taste point of view.  Age will intensify flavours and complexity.  If you prefer them fresh, no dramas. It has to be aligned by your personal taste at the end.

How would you sum up La Planchette and its divine delights in 5 words

That's a very difficult question!  

I would say:

• Authenticity
• French
• Terroirs
• Excellence
• Fun

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So for some très délicieux French cuisine, we strongly recommend you try as when done, you will be transported & forever enslaved to La Planchette.

Paddo Kids

Can you give us a little bit of background behind Paddo Kids and when it was born

Paddo Kids was created 5 years ago.  I felt there was room in the market for high quality French inspired kids fashion at a fantastic price point.  Why should good clothing be limited to people with a big income!

So I decided to launch Paddo Kids and I've never looked back!

Why kids clothing

As a mother of 2 girls and life long fashion aficionado, I wanted my kids to be well dressed, but was horrified at the cost of kids clothing.  Let's face it, they grow so quickly and as seasons change they often wear items for 6 months max.  Judging from the amount of repeat customers and lovely compliments about the quality, price and style of the clothes, Paddo Kids has definitely found a niche in the kids clothing market.

As fashion is not just seasonal but also always has trends, can you give a brief outline on when (for example) you start to think about upcoming Summer Collections and how you know what is going to be "hot" or not from the mini-me perspective

I like to keep abreast of new fashion trends but I don't want kids to be mini-me's. There's enough time for that when they grow up!  I know kids love to run, jump, and have as much fun as they possibly can.  Paddo Kids clothes are designed for comfort & movement with maximum style.  All Paddo Kids collections start with quality fabric (predominantly 100% cotton).

This Summer, our colour palette features Teal Green, Aqua Blue, Violet and our signature colours of French Grey and Blush Pink.  Not forgetting that girls love to dress up, we also have some wonderful tulle party dresses for the festive season.

You are now a firm favourite where you have a seriously cool and (what could be deemed) almost "interactive" display, where the noticeable absence of the DON'T TOUCH catch cry is a pleasant change.  What makes market life "real" and varied as opposed to the shop front

We've got a great range of Paddo Kids accessories and toys.  I'm happy for kids to come and touch things.  It reminds of of the joy of being young.

I love meeting people and market life allows for that easy, relaxed interaction which you don't get in traditional retail shops.  It's great when kids and adults feel welcome and happy to browse our full collection.

What is it about Double Bay Market (in your opinion) that sets it aside from other markets, most specially from a kid friendly aspect

I love being a stallholder at Double Bay Market.  It's got a fantastic laid back vibe; it's a smaller more intimate market with top quality hand picked stallholders well suited to the area.

The jumping castle, pony rides, animal farm and great quality food make it a perfect outing for young families.

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And with that we thank Paddo Kids for not only being a much loved stallholder at Double Bay Market and giving us a little bit of fashionista insight, but most importantly for sharing some of her love for all things kid-friendly with enthusiasm, chic and interactive heavenly clothing!

Hands Across The Andes

As you know we are firm supporters of Fair Trade and Double Bay Market is fortunate enough to have Hands Across The Andes as a trader at our markets.

Their products are stunningly colourful, appeal to big kids and little kids alike and have a range as high and as wide as the mountain range they are named after.

So we thought why not share a bit of what Hands Across the Andes' (or HATA) story is about and gain some insight in to Fair Trade and the important role it plays.

For those who may not have heard of Hands Across the Andes, can you give us a little bit of background and history as to how it came in to being and your involvement with them

Hands Across the Andes was established in October 2010 to create a sustainable market for Peruvian handcrafts in Australia.  It was founded by us [Phil Pittman and Gilda Salazar-Leon (Gigi)] to promote the artisans' skills and ensure they receive a fair price for their products.

Hands Across the Andes (HATA) is a member of the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand.

Gigi's Story

Gigi is a professional artisan and business owner with 14 years experience in the industry.  Over several years she learned to appreciate colour and composition by working alongside experienced artisans.  She loves the quality of Peruvian natural fibres and the way in which artisans create beautiful products from them.  Gigi wanted to promote her knowledge of Peruvian handicrafts by bringing them to the international market.

During her time in the industry, she noticed the effort invested by the artisans came with very little financial return.  She felt she could help them by advising them on not only how to design and present their products, but obtain a better financial return for all their hard work.

Gigi is driven by a strong social conscience and not only wants to help the women and children who create these beautiful pieces with limited resources, but more importantly guide them in to making choices which will enable them to continue production in a positive and financially viable way.

She believes that HATA can become the vehicle that allows her to support her fellow Peruvians.

Phil's Story

After spending a substantial amount of  time in Peru, which included visiting Gigi's artisan store (located in the Indian Market which is part of Miraflores tourist district in Lima) he began to notice how tourists were completely unaware of the negative impact their bartering had upon the livelihoods of those local stallholders (ie. the artisans).

While many tourists don't think twice about haggling for a "better deal", the knock-on effect to the stallholders and their community is enormous.  It could mean literally mean the difference to the family eating a meal or not.  Given there are literally hundreds of stallholders at these markets, the prices are already competitive so that additional barter really can impact in ways the ordinary person may not fully appreciate.

While visiting the homes of the local artists with Gigi, Phil observed the difficult conditions that they had to contend with, most especially the length of time and skills involved in creating a single item.

Inspired and determined to do something that was "right" for these wonderfully creative people, ie. finding a path so that they received a fair income for all their skill and effort. 

As HATA is Fair Trade, where do you source most of your items from

HATA source our baby alpaca, silk & merino wool garments and accessories from family operated business in Peru.

The key criteria we use to select businesses we work with includes the quality of skill and ensure that all products are produced under Fair Trade principles.

What makes buying Fair Trade so important

The knowledge that you are buying an item that was sourced from an artisan who is receiving appropriate financial recognition for their time and skills.  This then enables them to control their own future and improve not only their working conditions but also their quality of living standards not just for for themselves but for their families and communities.

Buying Fair Trade products also enhances the buyer's understanding of who and where the items were made which is not usually available if buying retail; from that it hopefully garners a deeper appreciation and understanding of time taken and skill required to produce such pieces.

What is one of the more satisfying aspects of selling Fair Trade at Market

Market life allows us to take the time to get to know the shoppers on a more personal level, so they become more like friends.  We especially love it when the children come up and start asking questions, like where do the dolls come from or what animal is that "big one", where one little girl tried to feed him so he wouldn't get hungry!

Initially it's the children who are attracted to all the bright colours and when their parents come to have a look, that's when the magic starts to happen.

If you could sum up the world of HATA in one paragraph what would it be

Increasing the economic value of artisan skills and creating mutually beneficial cultural and economic exchanges

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So keep your eye out for that Llama at our markets cause it is a sure sign that HATA is in town.  We thank Phil and Gigi for sharing their story with us, for their tireless work and to enlighten us all about not only Fair Trade but why it has become an integral part of theirs and our lives.

ps: click "here" to read more about HATA

Yummy Scrummy Cupcakes in Eden

What is the delicious history behind the phenomena known as Cupcakes in Eden

I fell in love with baking in Scotland 6 years ago when I cooked for a Scottish family in a 600 year old house.

It was a very magical time for me, not only was I living in a beautiful land, but I was also baking daily.

I'm not sure exactly when I became absolutely obsessed with cupcakes, but I started working towards opening a cupcake shop when I got back to Australia.

To me cupcakes are the ultimate temptation. They are the perfect size, adorable to look at, taste amazing and can invoke memories of your childhood.

The name Cupcakes in Eden came about because we loving using organic and natural flavours, and just like the apple in the Garden of Eden, you will be tempted!

Your cupcakes are totally cute, sinful and yummy.  Where do you draw your inspiration from

Everywhere!  I have a little notebook of flavours that I add to all the time.  My last idea came about the other day while walking through Hyde Park: a summery fresh flavour of watermelon and mint.

I love thinking about all the yummy flavours and combinations that would make an amazing new cupcake.  I also get inspiration from our Facebook fans who send in delicious suggestions.

You have now experienced the delights of the not so fabulous weather at market, and it was an absolutely sensational debut despite the weather.  How much times goes in to planning, baking and then selecting which little beauties are taken to market so as to go in to many delightfully receiving mouths

A fair amount of work goes in to prepping for market.  I select which flavours I will use well before the day.  We have a rotating flavour board and introduce new flavours each month.

We also do special event flavours, like the upcoming one for Father's Day!  Baking 6 flavours for the markets takes around 7 hours, add to that the preparation, transportation and set up...but it's worth it!

What makes market life tangible for you

I love market life!  Seeing all the local people out and out about meeting up with each other.  And it's great supporting other local producers who are also up for a good chat throughout the day.  

Local markets have a real sense of community.

How would you sum up the world of Cupcakes in Eden in 5 words

Delicious nature in a cupcake

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Beautiful person, beautiful cupcakes, many, many, MANY discoveries to be made and thankfully you can go on your own cupcake treasure hunt each Thursday!

MASSIVE thank you to Cupcakes in Eden for sharing time and some photos with us for our Double Bay Market blogspot!

5 questions with Janine the Flower Queen of Carla Florist

From its beginnings in a little locale to now a permanent fave within the local business community and beyond.  When did Carla Florist first make her debut in Double Bay and what is it that makes her such a long term and much loved icon

We began Carla Florist in 1980.  It had already been trading for 10 years in Bellevue Hill and we started in Double Bay Village in 1980, moved shop a few times, but we are now back on Bay Village...33 years trading! 

I love Double Bay - it is becoming exciting again with all its new developments.

With the incredible amount of huge social events you cater for (eg: Race Day, Weddings etc), you always seem to maintain the balance where you will be at market, have a somewhat "organised chaos" behind the scenes, yet for the customer nothing is every too much trouble.  How difficult is it to maintain that balance

It's not really difficult to maintain the balance as we all enjoy working with flowers: every day is different.

For every season there is always THE perfect bloom.  What would be your best seller or most popular

The most popular flowers throughout the year are tulips, roses (all varieties including garden roses to glasshouse roses to David Austin roses - each variety has a speciality whether it be scent or the formation of bloom), peonies and gardenias.

Does Carla Florist have an all time number one fave can't wait for it come in to season bloom or is that a trade secret!

No all time favourite flowers - we get excited and look forward to the next variety coming into season

How would you sum up the world of Carla Florist in 5 words

Creative

Abundant

Romantic

Luscious

Artistic

CARLA

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We love being part of the Double Bay community especially when we have such an iconic "institution" such as Carla Florist as a stallholder at our market every week.  Help us with our  mantra which is "buy local" cause not only do you give back to the community, you are supporting local businesses every time you shop at our market!