Market mainstay moves on
Zainab Jerrett was ‘heart and soul’ of St. John’s Farmers’ Market
In the lineup at the Multi Ethnic Food Kitchen on Saturday, longtime customers bid farewell to Zainab Jerrett, a St. John’s Farmers’ Market mainstay.
Well wishes are interspersed with requests for samosas, beef patties, butter chicken, yellow rice.
Behind the glass counter, Jerrett works with her ever-present wide smile, but misty eyes hint at an emotional goodbye.
“I just discovered I’m doing too many things, and I’m kind of exhausted,” Jerrett said about why she is retiring from the market after 11 years.
She recalls going to the first market at the Masonic Temple at the invitation of a friend.
“I went with, I think, two African dishes,” she laughs.
Jerrett remained a part of the market ever since.
She was part of a group that worked to incorporate the St. John’s Farmers’ Market as a cooperative.
She says that’s one of her fondest memories of the market, tied with when the market got enough funding to renovate and move from the Lions Club Chalet to the current location, the former Metrobus depot on Freshwater Road.
“When that happened, I was so relieved and happy that all our hard work to develop the market came to fruition at that time,” she said.
Market executive director Pam Anstey describes Jerrett’s last day at the market as “a bittersweet moment.”
“She has been with us through the good times and the struggling times, and always here with a hug, and a smile on her face, and kind words for everyone,” Anstey said.
“It is a loss to the community of the market to certainly not have her here, but to know that she’s going to be having a chance to spend some time, enjoy her life, relax a little bit — that’s certainly a welcome thing.”
That said, Jerrett says she’ll still be busy organizing several multicultural events in the province, including the Tombola Multicultural Festival events held in St. John’s, Conception Bay, and Gander.
A significant amount of her time is also dedicated to her foundation, the We Care Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, which supports women and youth in northeastern Nigeria who are affected by the Boko Harem militant insurgencies.
Anstey says Jerrett has been “part of the heart and soul of the market,” whether it was her positive attitude even during challenging times, to her support in helping other vendors, employing people at the Multi Ethnic Food Kitchen and introducing people to new food.
“Certainly, 11 years ago at the Lions Club, a lot of the foods she was bringing were things that weren’t available in the market, and so it was a real introduction for people.”
Jerrett says she will miss her customers and fellow vendors.
“It has meant a lot to me, and I’m very grateful and very, very happy to have went through this journey.”
While her food will no longer be offered at the market, she will continue to occasionally cater events, Jerrett said.