Visit A Fleurieu Farmers Market

Slow Food Fleurieu Peninsula recommends a visit to one of our Farmers Markets for a taste of Slow Food. At Willunga Farmers Market and Victor Harbor Farmers Markets you will meet the growers and makers of the region, learn more about what we grow, our farmers, their produce, skills, forgotten foods, heirloom vegetables and the local flavours of the Fleurieu. Take the time to meet and give thanks to the locals that set up their stalls week after week, every Saturday, rain, hail or shine so that we can enjoy the pleasures of seasonal eating.

One of the key projects for Slow Food Fleurieu Peninsula is gathering our Slow Food stories for the creation of a regional “Snail Trail”. Some of our Slow Food stories are about Almonds, Olives, Wine, Cheese and Cockles.

Almonds are an important part of the region’s food culture especially in Willunga where many of the almonds available at the Markets are grown. The 3 varieties of almonds grown by Blue Cottage Almonds (Parkinson, Johnston and Somerton) have all been determined to be actual separate varieties by genetic mapping undertaken by Waite Institute, Adelaide University. They originate from European hardshell varieties rather than the smaller American papershell varieties which are most commonly grown and sold in South Australia. These varieties make up about 1% of the total almond plantings in Australia. It would be a tragedy if these varieties were lost – they are part of the genetic bio-diversity of our district – not to mention the history!

The Fleurieu has a reputation for producing premium wine with the highest concentration of wineries in the McLaren Vale region where you’ll still find many family-owned small producers hand crafting wine using traditional methods. The Fleurieu is known for the best quality Olive oil, and is growing in reputation for pickled olives. Immanuel Giakoumis is considered by some to be the father of Olive pickling in the region as the Giakoumis recipe is behind many of the award winning olives found in the region. There are as many methods for pickling as there are olive growers in the region with the most popular being salt cured black Kalamata olives. Look out for sun dried and the small Koroneiki olives. Green Verdale and Frantoio are also popular varieties pickled locally.

Coast and waterways are at the heart of Fleurieu life and many of the popular local dishes include seafood. Local chefs are creating regional special dishes showcasing the local catch such as squid and yabbies. Cockles foraged by traditional indigenous groups are still harvested at Goolwa, chefs have started cooking with cockles reviving tradition with our regional menus. We suggest visiting some of the Fleurieu restaurants and ask for their regional dish.