Of Whale Coast’s heavenly fare

one of their giant ciabattas to take home.

Inspirations from Greece are on offer from Melinda Conroy’s spanakopita stand.

“I used to travel with my late husband and Greece was our favourite destination,” she says. She learnt to make spanakopita while there, and it’s the tastiest spanakopita you’ll find this side of the Mediterranean, complete with nuanced notes of mint and dill, and dashes of salty feta, of course.

Next to Melinda you’ll find Heidi’s Pie Basket, flaunting golden puff pastries crammed with juicy filling. Bobotie, pepper steak and creamy chicken are among the favourites, along with a few sweet options.

Hermanus local Deon Gouws transports the pies to the market while his wife, Heidi, bakes them in their home.

“I make the pastry,” Deon proudly declares. “We use only the best ingredients for the dough as well as the filling. You won’t find any nonsense in these pies.”

While carbs are king, especially on a cold winter’s morning, there are plenty of meaty options to go around too. Jalapeño bombs, a cream cheese-stuffed whole jalapeño, for example, are wrapped in sausage meat and bacon and fired over the coals. These scrumptious morsels are hot and delicious.

Other market favourites include Daan’s Bakery with a selection of fresh doughnuts and croissants (the hazelnut praline one is particularly delicious), and Slovenian lamb served with a lekker local roosterkoek that’s braaied on the spot.

The fresh oysters are a favourite on sunnier mornings, washed down with a bottle of heavenly Hemel-en-Aarde bubbly.

You can get this and other frothy provisions from the Old Harbour Beer stand, adjacent to the seating area.

Before you go, don’t forget to stock up on some more of Heidi’s pies, a few sweet pastries and a loaf of sourdough for the week.