Exploring the Farmers' Market at Loewen Gardens

Sometimes, your morning can turn out to be more interesting than you'd planned, just by chance.

Feeling hungry after Noey's music class, I suggested going to The Pantry at Loewen Gardens for some brekkie. You can imagine my delight when, upon arriving, I discovered that it was a Farmers' Market weekend!

If you have not heard, the Farmers' Market is an initiative of The Pantry, a cafe in the Loewen Gardens cluster in Dempsey. Twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays, a Farmers' Market is held. This being urban Singapore, it's not so much fresh produce -- though there is some! -- but more baked goods and gourmet food products, as well as a number of other miscellaneous stalls. Going from reports, the mix of stalls changes from time to time so you'll never really know what you're going to get.

I've been meaning to visit for, erm, maybe 2 years now but just never got round to it. I'm just bad at keeping track of which week it was on, and gave up after a while. I was super stoked to have chosen to come on the right Saturday! Of course, my husband had the opposite reaction, once he saw that there was no parking in the carpark out front and there was a small crowd in the area. This man really hates crowds and would go to lengths to avoid them! But me, I was undeterred by his lack of enthusiasm and decided to power ahead anyway. And I think it paid off.

We grabbed a seat at The Pantry for some of the breakfast that I had come to have first. The kids got a couple of cupcakes and I got myself a very satisfying Quiche Lorraine.

Noey with his chocolate cupcake. I turned around and he had already crunched up the chocolate ball on top of the icing!

Quiche Lorraine with a sides of green and Waldorf salad. All very good.

After I had wolved down my food, it was time to explore! There was certainly much to check out, sample and touch! 

Noey contemplates a Lamington at The Pantry stall.

Italian pastas and bread sticks from Cucina Gaia

Fresh organic veggies, beans, teas and jams from Organic Himalaya.

Fresh baked goods from Cocotte.

Me browsing with Noey in hand in a shot fortuitously taken by Beverly who I amazingly did not see or meet, despite us being there at about the same time!

And what were the husband and the kids doing while I browsed? They were exploring the play equipment. (Ok, my husband was supervising while the children explored, but you knew that.) One of the reason why I had decided to head to The Pantry that morning was because I figured the kids could entertain themselves playing while I ate. They have a playset with swings and a slide, and also a trampoline, together with some ride-on cars that patrons are free to use. But for some complaints about ants, the kids were kept well entertained.

Noey horsing around with the rope ladder.

"I am the Queen of the swing!"

I had a fun time browsing and chatting with stall holders and eventually came away with some bread sticks and some natural insect repellant. I wish I had bought one of the smoked beef burgers from one of the stalls but I wasn't up for something that substantial after having eaten.

To me, it wasn't really a Farmers' Market, but there was a nice vibe to it. I would love to go back on another weekend just to try some other food and check out other products. Maybe this time without the husband, who would be all too happy to have me go on my own, I reckon!

Farmers' Market at Loewen Gardens is on every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, from 9am to 2pm, at 75 Loewen Road. Look out for White Lodge when you drive along Loewen Road, walk in the gate and you're there! You can check out their Facebook Page for updates (and to make sure it's actually happening before you head down!) or you could, like me, just happen across it one fine Saturday morning.