Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Marlborough Farmers' Market

Marlborough Farmers' Market


Marcel, of Raupo fame, is our chef this week with Spicy Pumpkin Soup at the Marlborough Twilight Farmers' Market. - coming up Maree Connolly (Hotel dUrville), Vicki Young (Bon Vivant Gourmet) will be just some of the local chefs challenging Marcel for the award. Resident Local Musician Jazz Saxophonist - Pete Bargh will be joining us this week, our own award winning Clara Van Well will be with us next weekLOCAL EGGS, BREAD, VEGES, NUTS, COFFEE, SOUP, SPUDS, BROC, CAULI, ONIONS, PUMPKIN, CHEESE AND MUCH MUCH MORE - "your weekly shop"



Regular Farmers Market Winner .......Clara Van WelClara van Wel has never been in love, but her performance of a self-penned song about it proved a winner at the inaugural Marlborough Got ...read more



Ugly Ugly UglyThey all belong to the same family, but do not share the same looks: parsnips, carrots, celery and celeriac. The ugliness of the celeriac ...read more



Coffee-cart operators humbled by awardMarlborough Farmers' Market customers have spoken: coffee-cart operators Ben and Heather McAlpine are the favourite stallholders of the ...read more



"The shoppers are the stars"Farmers' market celebrates 10 years By SONIA O'REGAN - The Marlborough Express Warm, handcrafted breads, olive oils, herb pesto ...read more



Stallholder of the Season Award goes to .........The customers (Localvores) ultimately decided the winner of the 2010 Stallholder of the Season Award. Comments such as; "always has ...read more



Matariki shines brightly at Slow food and .......The real stars of the Marlborough Farmers' Market and Slow Food Marlborough dinner were the guest speakers Margy Crosby and Merehira Wills ...read more



Windsong Orchard celebrated by the MFMThey may have missed out by a couple of votes for the 2010 Stallholder of the Season Award but Bob and Jennie have much to celebrate ...read more



How valuable are NZ Farmers' Markets .....Research is under way to pin down exactly how much farmers markets are worth to the economy since they emerged a decade ago. A ...read more

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Marlborough FM Awards 2010

TOP SHOTS: Ben and Heather McAlpine have been voted the people's favourite stall at the Marlborough Farmers' Market.

Marlborough Farmers' Market customers have spoken: coffee-cart operators Ben and Heather McAlpine are the favourite stallholders of the year.

The aw

ard means the couple can be assured their early starts are appreciated,

even if they think it should have gone to someone else.

Market manager Tina Fortune announced the McAlpines as the recipients of the wooden tractor trophy for Stall Holder of the Year at a

dinner at Vintners Retreat Hotel on Friday night.

Mrs Fortune said the couple had missed only one Sunday market during the past 10 years.

Mr McAlpine said he didn't really think they ought to get the award.

"We are not really farmers. I think this should go to the Crums," he said, referring to Bob and Jennie Crum, who sell organics at the market.

Mr McAlpine said their staff were responsible for a big part of their success. He thanked the market committee. "We do appreciate the massive amounts of work you guys do."

The McAlpines bought what he thinks was the first coffee cart in Marlborough 11 years ago. He had since built a new one.

During the Sunday-morning market season, they rise at 5am and start the day with a strong brew, before feeding their horse and dogs and then setting off from their home to the market at the Blenheim A and P Park.

For the past year, they have used Ritual Coffee roasted by their son.

An award for volunteer of the year was made for the first time on Friday, with the honours going to "the chocolate croissant lady", Sandra Morritt.

The 2010 winners are:

Innovative stall holder: Wayne and Maxine Cowan, of Birch Hill Berries, for their real fruit icecream.

Best chef: Chris and Keith Thomes, of Taste of Yesteryear.

Best customer service: Steve and Sally Harnett, of Stephen's Onions and Shallots.

Best storyteller: Katrina Oliver, for establishing storytelling as a permanent fixture.

Volunteer of the year: Sandra Morritt.

Stall holder of the season: Ben and Heather McAlpine, coffee cart, 1; Margaret and Bill McHugh, Gourmet Deli, 2; Bob and Jennie Crum, of Windsong Organics, 3.