“Biscuit Mill!” is a familiar cry
among Capetonians early on a
Saturday morning.
What they really mean is that
they are off to market. The Neighbourgoods
Market to be accurate.
It takes place every Saturday at
the Old Biscuit Mill at 373-375
Albert Road, Salt River, from 9am
till 2pm, as well as an annual night
market this evening from 6pm, with
more than a 100 gourmet stalls.
When I spoke to Justin Rhodes,
who with Cameron Munro founded
the initiative four years ago, he
agreed that if I was a serious food
shopper I should get there smartly
at opening time.
The market began in just the
front warehouse but as it rapidly
increased in popularity it expanded
to a second area behind that. There
are plastic-covered hay bales and
planks on upturned crates at rustic
tables where you can sit and scoff
your breakfast, brunch or lunch. It
is, not to put too fine a point on it, a
feeding frenzy.
If you don’t like crowds of aimlessly
milling bodies who suddenly
stop dead in front of you, get impatient
wishing the person in front of
you at the French cheese stall knew
exactly what they wanted instead of
questioning and sampling everything,
or hate waiting for your food
or a place to sit, you will probably
not enjoy your morning.
It is, however, a slice of food
heaven. From my notes – and this
doesn’t even begin to cover everything:
Bloody Marys, rump steak
sandwiches from Kitchen Cowboy,
sangria, quiches and tarts, oodles of
cupcakes you both admire and
crave to shove in your mouth, charcuterie,
pizza, breads, pastries,
organic vegetables, flowers and
plants, cheeses, honey, paellas,
Naked Mexican beer (you have to
love saying “give me another Naked
Mexican please”), oysters and
sparkling wine, burgers, freshly
squeezed pomegranate juice,
smoothies, biltong, pestos, oils and
spices, chocolate, mushrooms, rainbow
trout, frozen yoghurt, macaroons,
pies, real lemonade, and dog
accessories. Oh yes, people bring
their pooches too.
My head was spinning a little so
I got a bacon buttie from the stall at
the entrance, which was delicious,
in a sourdough roll made by Knead.
While there, you can pop in at
some of the other shops in the complex.
There is a tented boutique section,
children’s clothing, a deli, a
couple of restaurants – including
award-winning chef Luke Dale-
Roberts’s new venture, The Test
Kitchen. The market is popular as a
fabulous food emporium and a social
destination.
For more information go to
www.neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za
or call 021 448 1438, Tuesdays to
Fridays.
Other markets to visit include:
. There is a designer artisan
Christmas exhibition, market and
Carols By Candlelight from 3.30pm
today along the Fan Walk between
the historic Evangelical Lutheran
Church circa 1780, the oldest operating
church in Cape Town, and Freeworld
Coatings in Waterkant Street.
Exhibitors include Heartworks,
Helon Melon, Lorenzo Nassimbeni,
Textures, Design Africa and
Clementina van der Walt. There
will be traditional German Christmas
fare and food from Jacques
Erasmus’ new Hemelhuijs cafe.
The carols will begin at 8pm.
Entrance is free but you are invited
to bring along a children’s gift for
the church orphanage. This event
forms part of WalkCapeTown, a
post-World Cup initiative which
aims to re-energise the Fan Walk.
.The Obs Holistic Lifestyle Fair,
which usually takes place on the
first Sunday of the month, will be
having an extra one this Sunday.
Stalls include organic, vegetarian,
vegan and halaal eats, organic veggies,
plants, herbs and free-range
eggs, life readings and therapeutic
treatments, health and wellness
products, conscious living information,
“green” and eco-friendly handcrafts,
one-of-a-kind artwork, clothing
and jewellery, henna painting
and body art and more.
There is a special HolistiKids©
section. A new feature this weekend
is free screenings of the award-winning
documentary What the Bleep
Do We Know!? and Denise Linn’s
Instinctive Feng Shui for Creating
Sacred Space.
It is in the Observatory Recreation
Centre, off Drake, Collingwood,
Station and Lower Main
roads, from 10am-4pm, entrance
R10, under-12s free. The outdoor
market part is free. For details call
021 788 8088, 083 332 9785 or holisticfair@
mweb.co.za or www.holisticlifestylefair.
yolasite.com