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Lee & Wami talk free range, organic and biodynamic

From free range eggs to biodynamic fruit and veg: you are now a well entrenched and much loved stallie at Marrickville Market.  What do you love most about market life

The markets are where you go to get something that is not available at your local store, an experience, something unusual or just a bargain.  We love being the one who brings this to people.

Your eggs literally "fly" out the door.  Can you explain what defines "organic" and "free range" and why they not only taste better, but more importantly, why we should choose to buy these types of eggs as opposed to those in the local supermarket

Well freshness is always a consideration and the usual story of supporting the little guys is a nice one too. What can I say: they are certified organic free range, no beak trimming with an open gate policy eggs: so if you ever want to pop in an ensure they are what they say they are then, you can!

Miso: we love it, the customers love it, it's something unique and you sell it ready to serve with hot water AND as a cookie!  What exactly is miso

Miso is a fermented condiment that is hugely popular in Japan and other Asian countries.  It has a strong pungent and very salty flavour.  This is the base stock which is used to make miso soup and has a whole variety of other uses and applications.

One of my personal favourites is miso on bread or crackers (whatever suits) with avocado: yum, yumm, yummmmmm!

It also makes a great dressing diluted with a little water or Mirin (Japanese rice wine vinegar), it is excellent as a marinade for meats (especially seafood)...the list goes on and on.  If ever you are stuck for ideas, do an online search for some suggested recipes.

The basics of making making Miso are:

Par cook brown rice/barley and soya bean.  Add a culture called Koji, water and salt. Put the mixture in a special room to ferment.  Once fermentation has taken place the Miso is then brought out and blended into a paste which some people think looks like peanut butter (I say this because this is the most common question we are asked..."oh! I thought it was peanut butter").

Miso is a wonderful superfood which is alive: if you look up the health benefits of Miso you will be richly rewarded!

Amongst your produce, you have biodynamic blueberries, mangos and insane tasting dragon fruit.  For those who may not fully understand, can you give us a bit of insight as to what "biodynamic" means, how it aids our overall wellbeing, why it's an important part of our daily intake of goodness and how it differs from say, organically grown produce

The quick answer for bio-dyniamic is "super organic".  You have all the organic principles that you must follow and then have another set of principles above and beyond that which must be adhered to.  The benefits to the earth and land have been shown many times over in research that has been carried out.

And what about us?  Well, I solemnly believe we should eat what we are guided to by our own intuition as we have the ability to make the right choice for ourselves at each step of the way.

From your perspective, what is it about markets like Marrickville Market that form an integral part of the community and why should we, as consumers, support it as much as we can

The basic premise for markets, in our opinion, is it gives people a chance to experience something which is outside the norm of what you would find in other places.

If it tickles your fancy or floats your boat then head on over and join the fun!

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Reckon there's something in that for all of us don't you?

Take it from us, there is standing room only for these guys and once you taste their produce you will too will become enslaved to their goodness and have a bit of a laugh while you're at it

Sharing some Marrickville Market love with Maddii

When did you first discover what is now the Inner West's most favourite Sunday haunt, aka Marrickville Markets

I was just scrolling through my instagram feed one day and someone I followed posted this picture of a plate of delicious looking, organic, vegan food captioned "The Earth Plate from the Marrickville Markets" and checked the photo in at the "Marrickville Markets" (using the place location which can accompany the instagram feed); so I clicked and saw all these amazing looking stalls filled with fresh food and lots of happy people!

I showed my Mum and we both knew we had to check it out!

Is it a solo our group expedition and is it a fly-in fly-out or more of a getting staples then discovering hidden treasures type of adventure

My weekends my Mum and I "market hop".  We go from market to market and take our times wandering through them, looking for hidden "gems" - organic food, vegan food, things for my dog and gourmet sweet treats for my sister!

What's one item you simply can't NOT buy each visit and why

For me it's definitely anything with açai in it!  Or any healthy, yummy and vegan treats. For my Mum it would have to be a nut mix or clothing.  If it's "hippified" and flowy then she's got to have it.

What is it about these markets (in your opinion) that makes them so incredibly popular amongst not just locals but those who travel distances simply to get their weekly organic fix

I personally think it's the diversity in the stalls!  It isn't targeted at a specific type of person.  There is a stall to satisfy anyone.  From the vegan to the meat lover, to families looking for tomorrow night's dinner, to foodies and everyone in between.

How would you sum up the world of Marrickville Markets in 5 words

Oh wow! Umm.....Fun, Diverse, Organic, Social & Yummy

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And with that final flourish we thank Maddii for sharing some of her love and reckon it's time to get a gettin down to one of Marrickville's favourite spots to shop on a Sunday, if you already haven't that is!

Tis that time again!

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Sharing the love with Naomi

When did you first discover the Sunday "mecca" aka Marrickville Markets

I stumbled across the markets years ago when I first moved to Sydney.   After moving to the area about 4 years ago we have been regulars ever since.

What was it that struck a chord within for you to become a regular visitor/punter/shopper/hanger-outer'er

Amazing variety of wholesome local and sustainable produce which is really important to me.  

Plus I really love the relaxed vibe and sense of community at the markets, which can be hard to find these days.  It really reminds me of some of the community markets I used to frequent growing up in Melbourne.

With it being incredibly child-friendly and with an insanely diverse range of produce, who would have to be your all time number one stallie and why

That's a hard one, there are so many great stalls.  For me it's probably Common Ground bakery where I get the best gluten free bread in Sydney.

They make their bread the old fashioned way using simple wholesome organic products.  

For my 3 year old it's Fayotopia and the pony rides.  She usually asks for a pony ride and face painting before she even has her brekkie on Sunday mornings.

Is there a weekly absolute "must buy because if I don't I will never heard the end of it from my family" item which must be purchased at all costs

Coffees and babycino from Alex's coffee are usually first on the list...caffeine is a priority!

Strawberries for smoothies and snacks throughout the week and Gluten Free Bread are always on my shopping list.

For those with kiddlettes and who have yet to discover Marrickville Markets, what 5 words would you use to encourage a look/see

Ponies, face painting, jumping castle, food, fun!  (ok technically that's 7 words but what more could a kid want??!!!)

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HUUUUGE thank you to Naomi for sharing her love of Marrickville Markets and on behalf of all the kiddlettes make sure you drag your parents along if nothing else to that they (the parents that is) can chai-chill and they (the kiddies) can jump or pony ride to the heart's content!

It would be most remiss for us NOT to include this lovely blog by Naomi "Gluten Free Mamma"

5 Questions with Ttotaler

What is it about tea that let you in to the world that is known as Ttotaler

I have always had a love affair with tea and believed there was a need in Sydney market for locally blended, good quality loose-leaf tea. 

Since I can remember I have had a passion for experimenting with different flavours of food and drink.  Tea and herbal blends are so good for you and have been used for centuries as a cure for many illnesses.

When I blend tea I think of the balance between taste, smell and benefits, and how to marry them to create a refreshing yet beneficial drink.  I have travelled to over 30 different countries in pursuit of that perfect cup which has led into the world of tea alchemy.

I have lately been running some tea appreciation and blending work shops to educate and talk about all things tea with people who feel the same way about tea as I do.

We are always suckers for branding and we love yours.  How long did it take to come to a decision about a) the name  b) the branding and c) the overall presentation of our product and stall

Owning my own tea company has always been a dream of mine so it didn't take long once I started.

The name came up when I was chatting with friends one night.  It comes from the word Teetotaler: someone who abstains alcohol and drinks other beverages instead.  During that particular time period tea houses popped up and became the new watering hole to drink and chat.

The industrial pharmaceutical look and feel came about as that is the design aesthetic I love.  I'm always thinking of how to re-use old things as it is part of our history and should not end up in landfill.

On our stall we have vintage slide containers as display boxes for our tea, we use recycled wood to make our signage and have wooden ironing boards as tables.

Our amber glass pharmaceutical jars we package our tea in make the tea feel that little bit more special.

A firm fave at Marrickville Market, what is it about this particular market that makes it stand out from others

I've always loved Marrickville Markets having lived in Newtown for years.  the Ttotaler warehouse is just off Addison Road so Marrickville Markets is our local grocery stall.  

I was brought up on going to the markets every week with my parents as they and I believe that we need to support our local business and the quality is a lot better.

Where do you source your product and how long does it take from picking to drying to bottling to market

I source my product from all over the world then blend the tea and/or herbs together to make different and unique combinations.  We have other 30 blends.

I have actually spent the last three months researching in to finding herbs that are grown organically and locally within Australia.

It was surprisingly tough to find as everything is now grown offshore as wages are cheaper.  I am happy and proud to say that we now have 10 new 100% Australian grown teas/herbal blends.

Having locally produced tea reduces our company's footprint and keeps job in Australia.

If you were to describe the world of tea, moreover the world of Ttotaler in 5 words what would they be

Refreshing

Local

Quality

Loose Leaf

Love

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Massive thank you to the queen of Tea and we love her desire to keep it real and local.

TtotalerTea