Buy Local: Where To Find Fresh Tasmanian Produce in Hobart
By Josie Rozenberg-Clarke
Stock up on just-picked fruit and freshly-harvested veggies at these markets, shops and stalls in nipaluna/Hobart.
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In the past few years, Hobart has emerged as a major player on Australia’s food scene, and it’s little wonder why – its combination of cool climate and plentiful rainfall makes Tasmania cherry ripe for growing world-class produce.
Farmers are busy in southern Tassie, producing everything from its famous apples to berries, honey, meat, veggies, cheese and more. So to make the most of it, head to these places in Hobart and surrounds to grab the freshest produce you’ve ever tasted.
Hobart’s Farm Gate Market (image: Tourism Australia)
FARMERS’ MARKETS
Hobart is home to some must-visit markets, including the wildly popular Farm Gate Market, held every Sunday in the CBD. Local growers and producers converge to sell bread, meat, fruit and vegetables, as well as more niche (but beloved) offerings like Huon Me sourdough crumpets, one-kilo tubs of The Olde Spikey Bridge peanut butter, gigantic Mother of Pearl cookies, organic cheese and milk, Bruny Island oysters and heaps more. If you’re across the Tasman bridge, the Tasmanian Produce Market is held every Saturday on the Eastern Shore.
Hobart’s Farmgate Market (image: Tourism Australia)
LOCAL FAVOURITES
You’ll find that a lot of local Hobartians have their go-to places to pick up fresh fruit, veggies and meat. In the northern suburbs, A-One Fruit Market is a decades-old family-owned staple, attracting loads of people to its Glenorchy location to pick up fresh and locally-sourced fruit and veggies. Down south, you’ll want to pull over at Merediths Orchard on the Channel Highway, just outside of Margate. Aside from local produce, a range of Tassie-made sauces, preserves and other goodies are on offer. Gourmet deli and butcher Wursthaus Kitchen just off Salamanca Square has the freshest meat, smallgoods and cheese (and wine!); while Ziggys Supreme Smallgoods is a popular deli in the northern suburb of Moonah.
Scott Bros Apples Roadside Stall (image: Samuel Shelley)
ROADSIDE STALLS
You don’t have to venture far out of town to buy produce direct from the growers. If you’re driving south, you’ll find apples, apples and more apples along the Huon Highway, as well as stalls selling everything from raspberries to honey to fresh flowers. If you’re heading north out of Hobart, the road to New Norfolk is lined with local growers selling potatoes (FYI, “pink eye” isn’t an eye condition in these parts!) and other freshly-grown veggies. Some roadside fridges are even stocked with baked goods, so keep an eye out for your next favourite sourdough in Geeveston, Glen Huon and Bruny Island.
The Bruny Baker (image: James Vodicka)
HOME DELIVERY
Can’t get out, but still want Tassie’s freshest fruit and veg? You’re in luck - there’s plenty of options for a special delivery on your doorstep. Inner-city favourite Eumarrah has been selling natural and organic wholefoods in Tasmania since 1985, and now they offer boxes of certified organic, chemical-free and locally-grown fruit and vegetables for in-store pick-up or home delivery. The produce changes weekly, and comes complete with a recipe card for kitchen inspo. Just south of the CBD in the Huon Valley, Broom and Brine grows more than 80 varieties of fruits and vegetables, from beetroot and broccoli to collard greens and claytonia (look it up). Their very popular Community Supported Agriculture program delivers weekly boxes of just-picked produce, striking a balance between exploration and routine. North-east Tasmania’s Felds Farm operates a similar program, with organically-grown seasonal veggie boxes available for pick-up in hubs at both ends of the state, for a limited time each year. With restaurant customers of a calibre that includes the east coast’s Waterloo Inn, Launceston’s Grain of the Silos, and Hobart’s Trophy Room, you can be sure that these are some of the most delicious veggies on the island.
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