Koeksister ice cream, duck prosciutto or quail eggs, anyone? At the Eat Out DStv Food Network Produce Awards this March, we announced the best stores and markets in the country. The awards for outstanding outlets go to markets and stores that uplift and support small South African producers.

Truly exceptional stores go beyond the usual shopping experience, offering not just fantastic produce, but great product knowledge; a wide variety of options; immaculate, cleverly laid-out stores; and a commitment to educating the consumer about their suppliers’ produce. This year, we recognised a truly spectacular range of winners, from a fine food deli in the winelands, where you’ll find everything from truffle oil to Valrhona couverture chocolate, to Jozi’s coolest lady butcher, and a mindblowing deli, hidden inside Bethlehem’s hardware store.

South

Market: Neighbourgoods Market  

Story: This urban food-lover’s fantasy, founded in 2006 by entrepreneurs Justin Rhodes and Cameron Munro, has indeed achieved its aim to ‘revive and reinvent’ the market. It’s the ultimate culinary scene in Cape Town that draws hordes of hipsters as well as discerning gourmands, thanks to the warehouse location being crammed with top-notch products, such as purple figs, Jerusalem artichokes and tubs of koeksister ice cream. The market provides a platform for fine food purveyors, organic merchants, artisan producers and micro enterprises as well as the art and craft community.

Insider tip: Arrive early in the morning to avoid hustling for parking and jostling for space. After your explorations, grab a craft beer or mojito and sit on a hay bale outside in the sunshine or on benches inside to enjoy butter chicken, famous steak rolls made by awards judge Pete Goffe–Wood, or buttery rösti with poached egg and Hollandaise sauce from The Test Kitchen guys.

Store: Wild Peacock Food Emporium  

Story: This speciality store is an offshoot of the distribution business run by Sue Baker and her family. At the deli, daughter Sarah now sells an amazing array of gourmet ingredients and fine food to the public. So amazing, in fact, that her clients regularly place in Eat Out’s Top 10 Restaurants every year. Here it’s all about the absolute passion and knowledge of prime ingredients and the relationship the bakers have formed with chefs. If you need anything from truffle oil to quail eggs or fresh rabbit, this is the place. Whole salmon is sold along with duck prosciutto, artichokes and wild mushrooms, and you can grab a bouquet of fresh flowers – grown exclusively for the store – before you leave.

Insider tip: Grab netted bags of mussels and savour the store’s exclusive range of Valrhona chocolate not to be found anywhere else in SA.

East

Market: The Food Market  

Story: The Food Market came out tops in the East region thanks to its selection and commitment to uplifting and showcasing locals ingredients. Self-proclaimed ambassadors Nick Papadopoulos, Eric Edwards, Emma Dunk and Karen Brokensha established the market in 2009, and continue to go to great lengths to ensure there is no doubling up of products. A superb balance of predominantly KZN-produced vegetables; pork, duck, venison and trout; deli wares; cheese; and baked goods is maintained.

Insider tip: Go early on the last Saturday of every month between 8am and 1pm to stock up on jams, relishes and pickles; chicken, rabbit and duck; biltong and charcuterie; and sweets like nougat, biscuits, fudge and cream products.

Store: Spice Emporium  

Story: A fragrant Eastern treasure trove, Spice Emporium lives up to its name. The shelves are jam-packed with exotic spices and blends, as well as all the trappings for authentic Indian cooking, such as dhal, linen bags of rice, beans nuts, seeds, poppadums, oils, pickles, paneer and ghee. There is nothing quite like the whiffs of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, tumeric and black pepper when you enter this shop. Look out for lumps of black sugar that resemble something out of a precious stone scratch patch, the traditional Indian wooden ice cream churners, and bags of candy-coated fennel.

Insider tip: Be guided by the friendly and knowledgeable staff. On your way out, be sure to get some sabja seeds to soak in ice-cold milk and flavour with sweet rose syrup to make a delicious Bombay crush.

North

Market: Pretoria Boeremark  

Story: Situated on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum, this farmers’ market is held under tall trees with resident ducks, geese and turkeys wandering about. From very early in the morning the stallholders offer the region’s absolute best fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, flowers, fresh breads and other baked goods, including traditional vetkoek, koeksisters and more. It’s the epitome of a farmer’s market, run by Johan van Wyk. It starts at around 4.30am during the week and 5.30am on Saturdays, and has been going since 1992 without too many aesthetic changes.

Insider tip: Arrive after the breakfast rush and seek out the stall of Alida Ryder’s sweet treats. If you’re in luck, this cookbook author and award-winning food blogger’s peanut butter brownies might be there.

Store: Braeside Butchery

Story: With a focus on free-range and grass-fed products, all of Braeside’s meat comes from specially selected farmers who understand that the best meat comes from the happiest animals. Caroline McCann and her team visit suppliers frequently and have built up strong relationships based on honesty, trust and the highest of ethical business practices.

Insider tip: Show up hungry and open-minded, and let Caroline guide you through what’s on offer – and how best to prepare it. She’s a champion of lesser-known cuts of meat, so trust her expert guidance.

Central

Store: Polkadeli’cious Deli  

Story: Probably the most unlikely location for a hit deli, this spot inside the Solomons Mica in Bethlehem stocks local award-winning produce such as Karma Jams (winner of 2012 Eat In Award for best new product and this year’s winner in the grocery category) as well as local bokmelkkaas (goat’s cheese) from Fouriesburg. Owner Gerard de Boer also makes sure there’s stock of fresh sushi ingredients as well as a selection of dried goods like pasta and some imported meats.

Insider tip: Take a break from your hardware shopping list and head to the deli. Here you can fill your basket with delights to take home for a decadent ploughman’s platter of local products.

Pictured (from top): Pepe Charlot Cheese Maker, Wild Peacock Food Emporium, aubergines from Pretoria Boeremark, root vegetables from Magic Herbs, cookies and cupcakes from Neighbourgoods Market