Fine and Fresh: Local Produce

The Sutherland Shire is the home to some real hidden gems when it comes to sourcing fresh and fabulous foods. Here are some of the best places to hit up for a taste of some delicious local produce.

1. The Shire Farmers’ Market, Sutherland

Held every Saturday from 8am to 1pm, the Shire Farmer’s Market is the foodie mecca of the Sutherland Shire. On a sunny spring morning you will find the Flora Street car park bustling with young families bouncing on the jumping castle, dogs on leashes and live music playing. The atmosphere is fun and cheerful as locals chat with one another arms laden with their weekly haul of groceries, delicious delicacies and cheerful flowers.

Each week there is a plethora of choices for fresh and seasonal produce to please any palate. You will find a range of stall holders bountiful with fresh fruit and vegetables many picked straight from the farm. There are several meat stalls to choose from including the delicious free range and grass fed produce from the local Miranda butcher Farmgate to Plate. Mrs Fish is there to supply a great range of fresh seafood. There is a great range of bakers vying for sales including the local stars of Thorough Bread from Kirrawee with their delicious sourdough, La Boulangerie from Menai bringing authentic French pastries and breads and finally Paddy the Baker from Caringbah is widely known for their Irish soda and potato breads.

While you are there, stock up on other great local produce such as Great Southern Mead and Honey from Taren Point, The River Kitchen’s decadent fudgy sauces from Woronora and the pickled delights from Ma Kutchen in Kirrawee as well as a great range of other foodie delicacies from across Sydney.

Finally, there is a fabulous range of food and coffee vendors to keep your stomach satisfied including the local talents of Alexander Roastery and Whimsy and Co. So check it out, you will not be disappointed!

2. Stapleton’s Family Meats, Gymea

Recently my local butcher shut down and on my hunt to find a new one I could not go past Stapleton’s Family Meats in Gymea. Although new to me, they have been a Shire institution for the last 121 years. It is a fabulous family business that encapsulates all a local butcher should be – good quality meats with friendly service. The shop is always filled with lively locals who come for the great range of sausages, hams and bacon all of which are made on the premises. My small children highly approve of the gourmet beef and vegetable rissoles and the diced lamb melts in your mouth when slow cooked in a korma curry. If you are visiting Gymea there is a range of hot pies also available for the perfect snack or pick up one to cook at home.

3. Rudi’s , Kirrawee

There are very few German butchers in Sydney – and yet hidden in the main street of Kirrawee is Rudi’s. A family run business since 1983, Rudi’s is a butcher, delicatessen and smokehouse specialising in German small goods. Here you will find a delightful range of German sausages with fabulous names like Thueringer and Stuttgarter as well as a variety of small goods including hams and wurstwaren (cold meats). Their small goods are all handcrafted on the premises and the business caters for people with special dietary needs and intolerances. Rudi’s also carries a range of imported German products to accompany your small goods and stocks a variety of cheeses.

4. The Grate Cheese Co, Gymea

A newcomer to the Sutherland Shire is the Grate Cheese Co. The shop is filled with a fabulous range of cheeses, crackers, chutneys, pates and anything else you could possibly need for a delicious cheese platter! The team makes up tasty takeaway cheese platter packs to grab and go or you can order an eat-in platter with any cheeses in the shop and enjoy it in the sunshine outside with a glass of BYO wine. Alternatively there is coffee, toasted cheese sandwiches and cheesecake available.

5. Black Olive Gourmet Food, Kirrawee

Tucked away in the back streets of Kirrawee is a delightful family friendly cafe frequented by local tradies and mum’s groups. Serving fresh and delicious food and coffee, Black Olive is well known locally for its 14 hour smoked brisket served with a side of salad, hummus, beetroot relish, house made espresso BBQ sauce and crisp bread. Black Olive also produces a fabulous range of in-house products including smoked meats, chutneys, sauces and dukkah. The freezer is also filled with a variety of family meals to warm-up at home including Pumpkin, Ricotta, Walnut & Sage Lasagne, Chicken Coq au Vin and Lamb Moussaka.

6. Notaras Fish Markets, Cronulla

A day at Cronulla beach is perfectly complete with picking up some fresh seafood from Notaras Fish Market. Pick out your dinner from a fresh variety of seafood including fish, crabs, prawns, shellfish and octopus. The staff are friendly and helpful and more than happy to scale and fillet your fish. Best of all if you don’t feel like cooking up your produce at home after a long day in the sun at the beach, the restaurant section next door is happy to cook it for you!