Bring a basket and fill it to the brim with farm gate produce as you taste your way around Tasmania at the Harvest Launceston Farmers’ Market.
Harvest Launceston is truly paddock to plate
It started with just 12 stalls, but the famous Launceston Harvest Market has around 60 stalls each Saturday packed full of locally grown produce picked yesterday. Expect to find artisan bread and butter to match, organic dairy and cheese, ethically raised meat served on a burger, artisan ciders and ethnic snacks. For many, the market is the foundation of their weekend. They go there to meet their friends and then make their weekend plans from the market. It’s pretty simple, really!
I enjoyed wandering this market. It is filled with local treasures and is a wonderful way to get a feel for the food strength of the area. Remember to rug up during cooler months, especially if you are a Queenslander like me!
What’s in season at Harvest Launceston
Market life revolves around seasonal produce, so some stalls come for two weeks and others for two months. Others, like cider and butter, are constant. They tell me there’s always a queue at the fishmonger, so you don’t need to guess that stall’s popularity! The rules are strict. You have to grow it (70 per cent of the stalls), value-add to local produce (20 per cent of the stalls) or make into something to eat (the last 10 per cent). Those offering food must either make 50 per cent of their produce Tasmanian or have a hero Tasmanian product.
Although the season is short for cherries, at All Things Cherry they have extended their market presence by taking advantage of a cherry glut. Try their pies and freeze-dried cherries anytime. Producers enjoy the market as a chance to come face-to-face with their customers and also get a reasonable price for their goods.
The Harvest Launceston market is staffed by volunteers who get a free breakfast and a coffee for getting up in the dark on a cold Launceston day. It’s very people friendly, with a large play space for children, but leave your dogs at the entrance hitching post.
Getting there
Harvest Launceston Market is held every Saturday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm at 71 Cimitiere Street. This is the inner-city car park opposite Albert Hall. Learn more about the Harvest Market
More about Launceston
- Things to do in Launceston
- Meet the new canine ambassador at Peppers SIlo Launceston
- Glamping at Swinging Gate Vineyard
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Disclaimer: Ed+bK visited the market as a guest of Tourism Tasmania
