It’s been a long, wet winter – and what better way to celebrate the much-anticipated arrival of spring than a Saturday morning visit to the City Farmers’ Market at Britomart.

This is the time of year when seasonal produce is at its most colourful and diverse – so come on down to Britomart and pick yourself up some fresh globe artichokes, rocket, broccoli or herbs. Check out the sweet new-season tomatoes from Clevedon Herbs and Produce. Or if you’re more of a DIY foodie, pick up a couple of their tomato plants and enjoy them straight off the vine every day of the week. Right now, the bush varieties (Zola and Minibel) are hot, or wait a couple of weeks if you’re after the more traditional staking varieties.

Asparagus-lovers don’t have to wait much longer for their annual fix. These spears of deliciousness are expected to hit the markets in the next week or two. New-season beans and courgettes are also on their way, and everybody’s favourite, strawberries, are due in mid-October. Always a sure sign that Christmas is just around the corner!

Challenge your taste buds

But the City Farmers’ Market is not only a haven of fresh fruit and veggies for urbanites. Farmers and artisans from all around the region gather at Britomart every Saturday morning to sell their mouth-watering arrays of pickles, pastries, desserts, cheeses, fish, salamis, olive oils and more.

Embrace the opportunity to try something new. How about chilli and garlic macadamia nuts from Tui Downs Farm? Eggplant kasundi from Relish The Thought? A mussel and egg sandwich? Dutch-style baby pancakes with sweet sauces? Or traditional Argentinian empanadas?

Bring home the bacon

Those who can’t resist the aroma of freshly-fried bacon will be delighted that the Long Flat Bacon Company is now at the market every week. As well as irresistible handmade manuka-smoked rashers, they sell a wide range of homemade sausages and fresh pork perfect for a weekend roast.

Basecamp’s smoky venison salamis are the perfect accompaniment to a loaf of hand-crafted local bread – just add new spring tomatoes, a dollop of The Chilli Factor’s Israeli hummus, and voilà! You have an instant picnic lunch to enjoy while soaking up the spring sunshine in Takutai Square.

With live music, space for the kids to play, and fresh organic coffee from Kokako, there’s no better way to kick off your weekend.

City Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday morning at Britomart from 8.30am to 12.30pm. Park at Britomart Car Park and pay just $6 until 1pm when you get your ticket validated at the market.

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