If you’re after a family-oriented market for foraging, shopping and socialising, look no further than the Earth Fair Market in Tokai, Noordhoek and the Cape Town City Bowl.

The market
On Wednesdays find the indoor market in the South Palms Centre in Tokai (behind the Builders Warehouse) from 3pm until 8.30pm; on Thursdays take a stroll through St Georges Mall for a snack between 11am until 3pm; and on Saturdays bring the whole family back to Tokai from 9am to 2pm. There is also a new market at Noordhoek Farm Village every Thursday from 4pm to 8.30pm.

Traders at the different markets vary, but about 20% of them do all four. “Saturday at Tokai is our main shopping day and we take it very seriously. We would like [people] not just to see markets as a fun outing, but also as serious shopping opportunity where they can support small, ethical, local producers,” says organiser Jacqui Simpson.

The crowd
The shoppers on Wednesday evening in Tokai provide a welcome respite from the poseurs in panama hats who frequent other markets in the Mother City. But Earth Fair patrons are not as hippyish as you might infer from the name: down-to-earth folk are here to catch up with friends over a bite and a beer, and browse for top quality deli items, cheese, flowers and fresh veggies.

Best time to go
Arrive early on Wednesday evening if you prefer a quieter atmosphere, but even at the market’s peak (just after 7pm) it’s possible to move between the stalls comfortably and get a chance to chat to the stallholders. Expect a more bustling crowd on Saturdays when the shoppers are out in full force.

Must-buys
Once you’ve dipped a crouton into the homemade Napolitano pasta sauce from Helena’s Deli-cious, you’ll struggle not to take home a jar of the vivid preservative-free sauce. The Oyster Lady will look after you if you’re a little shy, shucking either medium, large or jumbo specimens and handing them over, glistening in their shells. A dash of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon and you’re on your way to oyster heaven.

Stop by Rudi’s Sausage Deli for coils flavoured with fennel and Cointreau or a rich Italian salciccia with a rosy tinge. They are generous with samples of the tender spiced meat, so you can taste before you buy. Prego rolls from the Portuguese stall (topped with a fried egg) have a wonderful sauce – lighter in colour and creamier than the supermarket sort – on perfectly soft, flour-dusted rolls.

Be sure to order a pint of the sublime Honey Blonde Ale by Boston Breweries, which pairs brilliantly with the seafood paella cooked on a giant flat frying pan by the guys at Gusto. The beautifully saffron-hued dish is packed with juicy prawns, calamari, mussels and plump peas. (When ordering, be sure to ask for ‘pie-yeah-ya’ not ‘pie-yella’ if you want to sound authentic.)

And finish it all off with a scoop of gelato in a crunchy sugar cone from the charming Robert of Stellini.

Kids’ stuff
There are bound to be a few little ones underfoot, chasing one another and ducking under the tables, but there’s also a corner where you can happily leave them to do crafts under supervision while you investigate the beer on tap and local wines at the bar.

The seating
The centre of the warehouse is filled with plastic-covered hay bales and trestle tables, so after you’ve done the circuit a couple of times and bought your dinner and drinks, you can put your feet up while the market buzzes around you.

Parking
If it’s dark you may miss the turn-off from Tokai’s main road into South Palms Centre, and you may miss the turn into the parking lot behind it, too. But follow your nose and you’ll find the building soon enough. (Here’s a map.) Park safely in the lot and walk a few metres into the warm glow.

By Linda Scarborough