Adelaide Central Markets

I have had so many questions about my weekend in Adelaide that it’s time to give you all a little look.

A weekend in Adelaide is not enough. The Adelaide Central Markets all by themselves could do with one full day. Looking out the window as the plane starts to descend into Adelaide in South Australia is the first glimpse of a state that has an incredible food bowl. I have been to the Adelaide Central Markets before but never with so many other people who love shopping for food, cooking food and looking for food to eat and take photos of!. I went to a conference last week with 80 selected food fanatics. Eat Drink Blog 2012. The 3rd such conference, held in a different state each year, this one will be hard to beat. What does a breakfast look like at a food bloggers conference? Photos first………always!

The conference itself began on Saturday morning. A small room full of excited people, friends who are meeting like long-lost buddies for the first time. It’s an interesting community. Virtual friends …in person. After registration, we took a tour of the market in groups. I was up the back and couldn’t hear much but I will show you some of my favourite places and sites. Adelaide Central Markets is completely permanent and undercover and comprises over 80 stalls, each stall holder proud to be part of a bigger food community linked to growers and producers of every kind …giving the factory-style supermarkets a run for their money in Adelaide. Markets are Tue-Sat. You can do a tour of the market too by looking on their website.

These signs are above O’Connell’s Meats, at the market for over 29 years. Tony O’Connell took us on a tour, amongst other things they specialise in smoking. We tried ham straight from the hot smoker. Have you ever tried ham like this? Gelatinous, smoky warm and meltingly tender. Smoked chicken wings at $3.25 a tray of 6-7 giant wings (I thought the apprentice was charging the wrong price), turkey, all cuts and cold smoked sirloin strip.

Then on past the incredible array of cakes and chocolates at Providores , that I believe, are mostly home made by a selection  home bakers. They also have a tantalising chocolate fountain to lure you to their stall.

Aubergines Fruit and Vegetables

And now for………………………..

Barossa Fine Foods small goods below, a family run business that just keeps growing.

This interesting talk was at Seven Hills Fine Foods, a Xacuteria, ( San Jose)making award wining Spanish style small goods like Jamon from ethically raised and dispatched Berkshire Black pig. Also fresh, cured and black chorizos, smoked paprika’s and importers of Spanish Paella rices. I bought some black rice ….but that’s a story for later

After the morning rush and lunch the market takes on a new afternoon persona. It closes Sunday and Monday so, things that need to be sold are spruiked in earnest. Tables are set up in the isles and the market people start to yell out their specials. A new type of shopper arrives.

A big bag of telegraph cucumbers ( 6-8) for $3 and bananas for $1

The market was followed by trips to the Barossa and McLaren Vale  wine regions for some while the rest of us were excited to be able to attend a writing workshop by respected American writer and author Dianne Jacob before heading to a dinner on the rooftop terrace of the Hilton hotel.

A very full menu and so many food photos that you might be here all day if I showed you. These are two of my favourites. The Hilton and the SA tourist Commission were major sponsors along with (a little bit controversially) MLA.

And completely unintentional but something we girls of blogtown loved….room on the table for things…..bags, cameras, notebooks and elbows. I loved sitting next to Hotly Spiced, Claire K Creations, Miss Foodie and For the love of champagne, whose wonderful bag was so photogenic.  The warm picturesque night made the whole occasion surreal. There was a serious amount of food. So much so that a lot of responsible dinners were heard asking Hiton staff and management if food could be donated to a worthy charity. My two favourite wines for the night were The Geoff Hardy K1 2011 Arenis (a grape originating from Piedemont) and Zema Estate Shiraz 2007

Thanks to the chefs for the incredible amount of work and inspiring food

We had a huge conference day on Sunday but some of us just can’t resist  having a little fun and a couple of extra drinks before bed.  Just saying, what happens in Adelaide stays in Adelaide but a certain Brisbane food blogger was very difficult to coax home for a sleep……

The next morning, after we had all taken pictures of our breakfast, workshops began in quick succession   Photography by the enthusiastic and endearing Peter from              souvlakiforthesoul and professional photographer and tell it like it really is technician Grant Nowell.   Food styling by Holly Davis, Seo advice from the very engaging Geoff Kwitco an online marketing consultant. Advice on the legalities of a blog post and then a pop up lunch in the Adelaide Central Market. Supplied by some of the stall holders. After lunch we had several more sessions.

I know you think that should be enough food don’t you? Well it wasn’t because dah Dah….it was afternoon tea time. Do you think we could do all that study without some sustenance?

Cup cakes, cake pops and chocolate Mousse look….there was fruit OK?

The afternoon concluded with some lively discussion about seasonality that quickly led to ethical eating and vegetarianism. Not everyone has agreed on the direction this discussion took. I for one am far more confused after this session than I was before.

A note on ethical eating. This is an area that I am learning about, and only beginning, as a consumer, to be more discerning and demanding. I suspect that both the panellists that were involved in this talk are quite knowledgeable in this area however, the conversation did take on a different direction.   Simon Bryant and writer Tammi Jonas began by warning all to think about what you put into your mouths. This quickly moved into not offending people by refusing food….that means eating a big steak if you are a vegetarian, to save the peace. This was quite rightly challenged. No one wants to offend anyone but if we all took this attitude we would be looking at a lot more battery farming and cruelty to animals, as everyone would just “suck it up” as it was put, and shut up for fear of offending. There are times for this and they are limited to time and place.

I thought watching what you put in your mouth and ethical eating went hand in hand. There is no intention to criticise the speakers however, I think this conversation needs to be qualified and explained because I am bewildered and lost ….just when I thought I was heading in the right direction

Thanks to

Amanda McInerney (co-chair) Lambs’ Ears and Honey
Christina Soong-Kroeger (co-chair) Hungry Australian 
Alex Prichard Eating Adelalaide