Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market – Day 258

Today we’re going to have a classic Kiwi experience at the Hawke’s Bay farmers market.

Today sunscreen is absolutely mandatory.

It’s the longest running farmers market in New Zealand. That’s pretty epic right? So we’re going to be browsing fruit and veg and delicacies and probably stuffing ourselves.

Farmers Markets are a huge thing in New Zealand and it’s definitely something you have to experience at least once. They usually occur every Saturday or Sunday morning and the one we’re checking out is the Hawke’s Bay Farmers Market. And we’re wasting no time heading straight to the stall selling cider. It’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

A little too early to start drinking, Laura?

It’s not too early.

We move onto the food stalls of the Hawke’s Bay farmers market which not only sells Kiwi produce but it also has an amazing German bakery where Robin gives us his verdict.

Yummy.

Seriously, this farmers market is a foodie’s heaven. There is a million pastries and a million different types of bread right in front of us it’s absolutely epic and there’s a lot of different stalls as well not only pastries. We are stumbling upon Te Mata figs which is basically a guy that is making salami out of figs. It sounds weird but it’s actually tastes amazing.

And you would have it with red wine or rapa or port.

Ok.

Yeah.

It’s an absolute delicious canape.

Seriously how awesome is that? What do you think Laura?

It’s gorgeous isn’t it?

yeah. it’s really good.

Seriously, I don’t know how this game came up with making salami out of figs.

We are moving on under the scorching Hawkes Bay sun from food stall to food stall. Everything is smelling absolutely amazing and the next thing that catches our attention is called Peggy Darling. It’s a breakfast one. So basically they are making homemade museli.

Ok, shot shot shot!

Can I get a bit?

After getting our breakfast fix we are moving onto some more stalls with some more lovely tasters and all these are tasters are free which is awesome and then we go to an artisan chocolatier which adds some very unusual flavours to her chocolate.

La Petit Chocolat.

The lady is offering for you to try some chocolate would you like to try some?

What shall I have?

The flavour comes out afterwards.

Oh yeah. Spicy.

You alright there?

that is spicy.

That is adventurous. I love it.

I like how the taste comes out afterwards. It’s quite strange. Cool.

Considering Hawkes Bay is full of fruit orchards and vineyards it’s no surprise that there’s some amazing food to be found at the hawkes bay farmers market. And we’re trying all sorts of different things from cheese, salamis, black pudding, jellies, jams, vinegar, peaches, all sorts of different fruit as well and next we are trying a really unusual thing called black pudding.

What is Laura?

It’s black pudding.

The Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market happens every Sunday between 8.30 and 12.30 at the A&P Showgrounds in Hastings which is only a 20 minute drive form Napier. But if you do miss that one Napier also has a really cool farmers market just like this one called the Napier Urban Farmers Market and that’s pretty much in the city centre.

The whole ambiance of the market is really cool and aside from us stuffing ourselves there is live music and everybody is super cheerful and smiley. the sun is out the food looks delicious it’s just the perfect morning.

And to make it even perfecter. Yeah, perfecter is the word, we are arriving at a cheese station. There is literally almost every single kind of cheese made in Hawke’s Bay for tasting right here and honestly I have spent way too long right there.

Obviously, because it is a farmers market there is heaps of fresh fruit and vegetables so if you are in for keeping healthy on the road that’s definitely a great pit stop for you too.

But Laura and I will have non of that nonsense. The one stall that we’re gonna be spending the most time at is the ice cream stall. They are doing fresh blueberry ice cream right on the spot. It is absolutely epic those ice creams are gigantic they are tasting absolutely awesome and it’s prefect to pair with this sunny weather. And on top of that a couple of locals approach us cos they saw us with all the cameras they tell us heaps of tips of what to do around the area.

Tomorrow, we’re going to be having a real Maori experience in Waimarama so join us then.