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Great things can come from the humble beginnings of a local market stall. After years of waking up early to cart delicious creations to farmers’ markets around town, a community of Christchurch foodies have been turning their trestle tables into shop windows. Greenroots Juicery has been providing a cleansing start to the morning since its debut of cold-pressed organic juices at O¯ pawa Farmers’ Market in 2014.
Now traders at Christchurch Farmers’ Market, its menu has grown into an extensive range of health juices, nut milks and organic superfood smoothies made fresh to order, and acai bowls.
An online store also hooks up the whole of New Zealand with specialty juice packs and cleanses. Later this year, Greenroots will join the collective of businesses moving into The Welder.
There, Greenroots will return to its roots, with a shop space selling fresh smoothies on site, Fairtrade organic coffee, original and all-new juice flavours, and other healthy plant-based goods. Who would have thought that when Bridget O’Sullivan started a small macarons stall at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market in 2008, it would have ballooned into the nationwide business it is now.
After returning from France, O’Sullivan decided it wasn’t quite time to end her love affair with the European sweet treats she discovered on her travels – and so began J’aime les Macarons. The business supplies macarons and other luxurious confectionary around the country and will open a permanent destination at Merivale Mall next month. Following the earthquakes, Gilles Thebault turned disaster into opportunity and headed to the Christchurch Farmers’ Market, where he sold authentic loaves of French bread under the brand Le Panier.
It didn’t take long for Thebault to become a favourite vendor, selling out within just an hour or two of unloading his baked goods on a Saturday morning.
The popularity of Le Panier led to an opportunity in early 2013 to open a bakery on Holmwood Rd. The boulangerie is open six days a week, offering rustic baguettes, ciabatta and sourdough, as well as dainty sweet treats. Steel-cut oats have never been quite the same since Posh Porridge turned up at the Christchurch Farmers’ Market in 2011.
These hot bowls of porridge use organic Canterbury-grown oats and come loaded with your choice of indulgent toppings, ranging from fresh compotes to caramels and crunchy crumbles. Collaborations with local cafes saw Posh Porridge popping up at Lux Espresso and Rollickin’ Gelato every week.
Owner Caroline Strack plans to open a takeaway shop window out the front of the business’ Montreal St kitchen over the coming months. Expect the usual bowls of goodness, as well as toast with toppings, sweets that have been inspired by different grains, and Supreme filter coffee. Becoming a market trader wasn’t always the plan for the owners of She Universe, but after a fire destroyed the building of their cafe in Governors Bay, they ended up at the Lyttelton Farmers’ Market.
It was love at first sight for the locals, and the debut of premium handcrafted chocolate sold out. She Universe also added hot chocolate to its market offering, which has since won several accolades in the New Zealand Chocolate Awards.
The chocolatiers have since moved on from their days at the market, and you can now get these award-winning delights from She’s reopened Governors Bay cafe, at the Chocolate Bar inside The Tannery, and at wholesalers all across the country. Discover more neat places around town at neatplaces.co.nz and download the free and offline Neat Places smartphone app.