Farmers’ Market at Loewen Gardens Dempsey

June 6, 2010

Jun 6, 2010 @ 14:38

Here are the photos of the new Singapore farmers’ market organized by The Pantry. It is also the largest farmers’ market in Singapore as far as I know. Contrary to my fears, the farmers’ market is very much like the farmers markets you see in NZ, UK and USA. They had lots of stalls selling fresh produce, artisan breads and jams, brownies, cakes and muffins of all colours and sizes. Go hungry, because there are lots to sample and how else can you tell whether what you’re buying is good?

My only grouse is that most of the items on sale are more expensive than what I am used to when I visit the farmers markets overseas. This is undoubtedly because a lot of the premium ingredients have to be shipped from overseas.

Despite the initial drizzle I’m glad I did make it to Loewen Gardens in the end. You can see the roads are wet, but it’s fine because all the stalls are under tents. In fact, it was pretty cooling even though it was noon. I had a wonderful time taking in the vibrancy of the place as well as taking photos.

For such an ”off-the-map” location by Singapore standards (you really need a car to get here or risk walking uphill for at least 20 minutes?), the market was pretty crowded. Most of the people there, be it customers or stall-owners were Caucasian. I wonder if this is because Singaporeans are not interested in Farmers’ markets. Does the average Singaporean even know what a Farmer’s market is? Or is just because the farmers’ market was the brainchild of a Caucasian woman, and the word-of-mouth has yet to spread to the locals? Whatever the reason, it’s definitely a treat to spend a Saturday morning at Loewen Gardens whoever you are.

The Pantry - Inside

Inside The Pantry cafe. I love how the goodies are stacked on the counter top in full view.

The Pantry close up shot of muffins

Closer shot of the muffins. Now tell me you can resist this and I’ll tell you you’re lying!

The Pantry - Scones

Scones from The Pantry

Wild Honey baked goods and jams

Wild Honey — They sell jams and loaves of cakes here. They also have a cafe at Mandarin Gallery along Orchard Road.

Wild Honey baked goods and jams close up shot

Close up shot of the Wild Honey goodies — According to their facebook page, they were selling brioche breads, granola, jams and honey, doughnuts, chicken pies, tea breads etc The stuff is not cheap. We tried their delicious jam and wanted to buy some but it cost $18 per bottle! The tea breads cost $15 I believe!

Zenxin stall

Zenxin — Zenxin is also available at Shop & Save. In my opinion, Zenxin sells the cheapest organic produce in Singapore.

Unnamed organic vegetables stall

Imported Organic vegetable seller

Unnamed fruit stall

Another stall selling organic veggies and fruits

The Pantry Baked Goods

Baked goods and artisan breads. No more generic Gardenia or Sunshine for me.

Open air cooking of paella

Open air cooking of Paella (seafood rice dish) $5 per serving

MadzChef

MadzChef — Baked goods of all sorts

Freedom Eggs

Freedom Eggs from Chews I believe— No more battery hens. About $2.50 for half a dozen

The Pantry's alfresco area<br />

The Pantry’s Alfresco area for you to rest after a hard day’s marketing, or to watch the shoppers haggling

Farmer's Market kids playing

The little ones can be amused at the painting area, or the trampoline

More pictures below and directions on how to get to The Farmer’s Market

Little ProvenceOlive sellerMeat off the bone seller

Meat off the bone guy — 25 cents per gram

I can't remember what on earth they were selling now Brownie Seller

Brownie seller — 3 small ones for $8 or 1 entire loaf for $18

The spanish pantry chocolates

The Spanish Pantry selling lots of chocolates

Aussie guy selling jams and chutneys

Australian with his jams and chutneys

Free parking area at Loewen Gardens

Free parking!

Address: 75 Loewen Road, Singapore 248844

How to get there (courtesy of The Pantry’s website): via Dempsey Road, follow signs to Loewen Cluster. Easiest access is from Tanglin Road. Turn into Ridley Park towards Tanglin Village. Road becomes Loewen Road. Loewen Gardens is on your right in Block 75-81. Free Parking! Click on this link for a map on how to get to the Farmers Market.

It is not possible to walk in from the main road (ie Tanglin Road) because it would probably take 20 minutes or more and it is steeply uphill!

16 Comments

  1. This doesn’t look like Singapore at all. Oooo the muffins and the icing!!! Wonderful photos…everything looks so good!!

  2. Thanks for the comments, I hope that you enjoyed the farmer’s market as we did. It was fantastic to meet so many people who are as passionate about cage-free eggs as we are. Just to clarify, Freedom Range Eggs are produced exclusively for us by Chew’s farm according to our specifications and ethos, which is to put the welfare of our hens first and foremost. We believe that a happier hen lays tastier eggs and that premium barn laid eggs need not come with a premium price.

    The best news of all is that you need not wait until the next farmers market to get your hands on our eggs. We are now available at the following Fairprice stores:

    Fairprice Finest Bukit Timah Plaza
    Fairprice Finest Thompson Plaza
    Fairprice Finest Marine Parade
    Fairprice Finest Century Square
    Fairprice Finest Somerset Tripleone
    Fairprice Hypermart Ang Mo Kio hub

    We are also available at Jones The Grocer and will be in Cold Storage by the end of June 2010

    We welcome any comments or feedback.

    Adrian
    The Freedom Range Co.

    • Thanks Adrian for stopping by, I am definitely all for cage-free eggs, especially since I used to have a pet chicken. I hope that as more organic or ethically derived food is available in Singapore, more people will start insisting upon meat/eggs being derived from sources which take the animals’ welfare into account.

    • THANK YOU!!! i’ll try to find them at Fairprice Finest 🙂
      I’m so sick of eggs coming from battery cage hens.
      I hope it catches on, so companies will stop using cages.

  3. […] A RECENT post on the food blog 365days2play features several photographs taken at a bustling farmer’s market. There are some of tables heaving with fresh organic greens; a few baskets of artisanal breads; and yet others of cartons of barn-laid eggs. And then, at the bottom, a comment from a reader: ‘This doesn’t look like Singapore at all.’ […]

  4. Farmers’ market in the U.S. and in Europe are places where you can buy fresh and cheaper produce because you buy direct from the producer / farmers. Since we have no farms in s’pore, the greens are all mostly imported. So prices at supermarkets are inevitably cheaper! I’ll say buy with your eyes wide open. Besides the artisan breads and jams, brownies, cakes and muffins are priced way too high. Ok for the expatriate pay package but indulgent for the locals. As the blogger reports that the customers, stall owners are westerners, it is clearly an expat watering hole. Since it is founded by a caucasian woman, it is obviously to provide a venue for bored expats to bake and sell, and expat customers to feel that they are buying things from their “home producer”. Locals do go and have a look, but you can buy as good produce from your neigbourhood supermarkets at probably 1/3 of the price. The trick is to choose your products wisely.

  5. I like to eat organic, free-range, grass-fed foods but as Sylvia has rightly commented the prices of these items are really at a premium. But with some planning, it’s not entirely out of reach. I’d love to know of any good places in Singapore that sell affordable whole (minimally processed) organic foods including meats, vegetables, eggs etc other than Cold Storage & Fairprice. Please drop me a drop at my website. If the list gets large enough, I could even publish it on my site. Thanks!

  6. Wish this had been there when I lived in Singapore. I know Jane Glascow from my time there. Alas, we have lost touch but it is good to see her doing so well at something she has always enjoyed.

  7. Hi Teri, thanks for stopping by my blog. When was it that you last lived in Singapore? It’s really nice to have a western type farmers’ market in Singapore. I loved those that I’ve been to in the UK and NZ.

    You can try contacting her at thepantrychef@gmail.com, if you haven’t already done so. 🙂

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