The Coconut Shop

You have ben part of the Organic Food Markets mob for quite a while now.  When did you become a "family" member and how did you find us initially

Just over three years ago after a trip to Fiji that inspired us to start The Coconut Shop we attended our first market at Riverside as it was our local market.  Shortly after we started at Marrickville and lucky for us, we have now become a member of Frenchs Forest Market!

Why coconuts?  And can you tell us a little bit about why they  and their derivatives are important to our overall wellbeing

Coconut is one of the traditional foods of the Pacific Islanders and is called "the tree of life".  They have known for generations the nutritional and medicinal benefits. Coconut oil can kill harmful pathogens like bacteria, viruses and fungi and is made up of mostly medium chain triglycerides which the body uses for energy.

Where do you source your products from and are the coconuts harvested in an eco-friendly manner

As our range is large and varied, we source the products from several countries.

Certified Organic, Fair Trade and Sustainably Grown is our preference.

What would be your biggest seller at market, or does it depend on season

Coconut oil is now receiving great media attention so is in high demand along with young drinking coconuts.

How would you describe marketeer life at Frenchs Forest Market

It's like a festival every Sunday: the kids,  the happy customers and the new and evolving friendship with our fellow marketeers.

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Listen up!  These amazing people are SO inspirational they have occasionally bring the odd self-indulgent-got-it-from-Frenchs-Forest-Market-treat!  How could you not want to gobble up one of these:

Or perhaps you need some guidance as to how best produce on of these:

Whatever your fancy or desire, make sure you swing by, keep with what's hot and what's not and we assure you, you will NOT be disappointed!

A very merry almost nearing towards the end of winter...possibly....sooon!

Michaela

Edge Wellness

Ben

Jada

www.greentai.wordpress.com

Eri

Addiction Food

Picky Porridge

Eve

fermentitgood

studio2103

ekfairy

Megan

Jess

Roberta

Aoifes Kitchen

Rustic Sands

Pepe Saya Butter

And now for some Flower Tree Health

Can you give us a little bit of background about Flower Tree Health and how it came to be an integral part of your lives

We started making superfood power smoothies, eating organic wholefoods a couple of years ago because we anted to become healthier and lead a healthier lifestyle.

We were startled with our results physically and mentally and began to tell our friends and work colleagues about the benefits of superfoods and healthy eating.  Before long, we became known as the "health food people" amongst family and friends. 

Then we realised that there were very little options available for organic superfoods and wholefoods that were packaged in glass and also in an attractive package that 'did superfood justice'.  We could only find superfoods and wholefoods packaged in paper or plastic which we found inconvenient: the packaging never seemed to retain the freshness and quality of the product and was wasteful.

The name "flower tree" came to be when we asked our 1.5 year old son what we should name the company.  He replied with the only two words he knew at the time which was "flower, tree"....and the rest is history!

Your products speak for themselves in a stunning marriage of branding, packaging and product.  How long of a process was it to get to "that" point: the juncture where all converge to convey that one single message and are you specific about which products you stock and sell or do you let your customers guide you

The "flower of life" logo was born out of an intent to not attempt to brand the products with our personal mark, because quite honestly they are not our products: 99.9% of the work that goes in to our products happens on the farm where the foods are grown.

We want to be as honest as possible and try not to sell or convince a customer that our product is the best: we simply "know" that if we present honestly, the customer will resonate with us and know that we are dispensing things that are good for them.

The "activated nut" has gone from being a "what on earth is an activated nut" to a growing awareness of not just the name but the beneficial health properties it brings. For those who may not fully understand what they are, can you give us a easy-speak summary of these creatures and why we should incorporate them in to our daily nutritional intake

Almonds have a particularly high concentration of vitamins and minerals that can only be released easily into the body by soaking them in water before consumption.

Basically nuts and seeds are a tiny packet of nutrients that are designed to provide the growing plant with the nutrients it needs in its early stages of life (much like an egg yolk is to a chicken).

We can harness those nutrients and energy with a little bit of human ingenuity.  The body requires vitamins, minerals and base load energy to operate without disease (dis-ease): the reason so many people are facing dis-ease is because they have low levels of organic vitamins and minerals.

By far, your hot chocolate would have to be one of the singularly most deliciously decadent yet incredibly healthy and full of superfood qualities there is to be had around. What is the secret to creating not just a ridiculously healthy drink that really boosts you physically and mentally and really wants you to keep going back for more

The ingredients are pure, organic and healthy and are in their concentrated form.  The body knows when it has taken something into it that is really, really good for it and it responds with feel-good chemicals into the brain instantaneously to reward the consciousness telling it a resounding YES!

We know that part of the reason our hot chocolate tastes so good is because good healthy food is so rare to find.  People are surprised that something healthy can taste and feel so good!

How would you sum up with the world of Flower Tree Health in 5 words

With much love flower tree

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And on that note (and because Buddha is smiling so beautifully and warmly...a bit like the hot chocolate you read about above) we thank Bel & Bob for not only bringing their goodness to Frenchs Forest Market every week, but for sharing a little bit of their world with us and you!

From Silvia - Gluten Free Cuisine

Gluten Free Cuisine has been a part of (and more importantly) a firm favourite of our markets for many years.  What first inspired you to start experimenting with recipes that were gluten free but still yummy at the same time

My daughter was diagnosed with an intolerance to preservatives, all those years ago now, and we began a journey of creating "loved" foods with NO added preservatives (or "no numbers" as we like to put it), thickeners or additives.  With a background in research, it was not long before we recognised there was a need for great tasting QUALITY foods that could be made readily available to the many with special dietary requirements, intolerances, or simply wanted to eat well with and enjoying great tasting foods!

You have a few "signature" pieces (eg: lemon meringue pie being top of the pops).  As you do 3 of our markets (Hornsby on Thursdays, Orange Grove on Saturdays and Frenchs Forest on Sundays), is there a particular favourite per location or are they as equally popular no matter which postcode you are at

Good question!  We seem to sell across the range pretty much throughout the year at every market we do.  Over the years we have built a fantastic relationship with our customers and we are a weekly "one stop shop" for many - across our Freshly Baked Artisan Organic Breads (all soy free, dairy free, canola free, animal fat free)

Savoury offerings such as Handmade Fresh Pasta, Classic Pesto and of course our Sweet Treats.

Actually our range has evolved based on our customer waitlist, including more dairy free options, larger celebration cakes and the latest offerings are our NUT FREE Organic Banana Bread & Cookies: All Gluten Free!

There is no denying market life can be trying at times, particularly when the weather doesn't play nicely; yet you are always there with a smile, rain, hail or shine, which not only do we appreciate but we KNOW your customers do as well.  What has been one of the more memorable experiences of market life for you

We have so many memorable moments & experiences: all so special in their own ways. We received a text from a customer just before Easter last year saying his wife was going in to labour and had requested our GF (gluten free) DF (dairy free) Hot Cross Buns and please save him one, he was on the way!

Over the years, it has been our privilege to be part of families as they prepare to welcome precious new borns with weekly Lamingtons to help them on the way, then of course we get to create Special Celebration Cakes.  

We have created Signature Wedding Cakes and  that Special Birthday Cake for the 90 years young whose special request is the Lemon Meringue (of course!), and for it to be large enough for her 90 guests!!!

We get called upon for that Bespoke Catering that meets special dietary requirements and more frequently provide GF (gluten free) WF (wheat free) NF (nut free) treats for the school lunch boxes!

From your personal stance, what is it about markets like ours that play a pivotal role in the local community

We love that our customers are able to purchase products from us that are literally hours from leaving the oven.  It is so special to get to know our customers who eat our food, to hear their stories, their sincere appreciation for what we make and to know we can really make a difference.  Our customers in turn love to hear our stories too.

The pivotal role in the local community (as you put it) is that markets provide for that quintessential experience of what nurtures people socially, and communities economically and all this whilst providing produce straight from the producers.

How would you sum up the world of Gluten Free Cuisine in 5 words

Dedicated Gluten Free for Everyone!

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Fantastic story behind a firmly entrenched, much loved and ever evolving producer of all things Gluten Free.  Swing by and say a massive "Hi" to Sylvia and her team every Sunday and trust us, from what we have seen..the sweet treats are getting more delicious by the week!

My French Food ... ooh la la!

Can you give us a little bit of the story behind My French Food and how it came to be a part of your world

I could call it a long story but I'll try to make it short.  I have lived in Australia since 2011 and have met many wonderful people and a culture that I love.  But I have been missing a few things since that day: my old mates, my family and a lot of French delicacies such as wine, cheese, baguette and of course saucisson. 

A few months ago I came across Jean-Marc (aka "Mr Saucisson") who was looking for someone to help with his market stalls.  After a short conversation it became obvious that I'd better create my own business stocking his saucisson and other produce...and that is how I came to be part of Frenchs Forest Market!

And here's a little bit about me which will make it easier to understand the logic behind why I ended up with such a market stall.

I was born in Arles in the South of France, at the heart of Camargue, 50 years ago.  I lived in Port Saint Louis du Rhone, the last village on the bank where the Rhone river flows into the Mediterranean Sea.  From the age of 4, I went fishing with my great-uncle 6:00 am in his little rowboat.  We would go down the Rhone River and come back for lunch with mullets still wriggling.  A little flour and a frying pan, some tomatoes Provencale and a good baguette et voila!  I think I fell into an olive oil barrel when I was a baby!!

I spent my childhood with my mother and my aunt in the kitchen... "But will you go and play with your mates,” she would say.  "No Mum, I want to see how you prepare these steaks with anchovy sauce, it's so good"!  It took some time before my mother let me touch her cooking implements, but from the age of 10 I already knew well how to choose ripe tomatoes and zucchini flowers on the market. 

We lived in front of the butcher.  Wednesday there was no school, luckily, as it was the day when the truck delivered the lamb and cattle.  I was allowed to go into the cold room and watch the butcher cut meat and would spend hours in his shop, fascinated by the way he sharpened his knives... I know by heart the gestures to de-bone a lamb shoulder, cut a rabbit or a chop steak with two knives to make a fresh tartare.  What memories!

Around the age of 12 I went to hunt ducks with all the men of the family, I went fishing for rock fish, crabs and mussels. I knew the recipe for the perfect bouillabaisse and the various fish you put into it.  By the time I was 15, I was cooking with my mother all much loved Mediterranean dishes.  We had family everywhere in France, and I spent my holidays in the Bordeaux region, Normandy & Brittany farms.  Again, while the other children were running in the fields, I spent my time in the kitchen. When I finally turned 18, I had my first car and my first job and I worked on the ports. I spent my weekends and my holidays touring France to find good food from the country.  I think I could have been a chef, butcher or fisherman.

Where do you source your Saucissons and Viande des Grisons and is there a noticeable difference in taste and method between regions 

My Saucissons and Viande des Grisons are from La Bastide, Jean Marc's company.  They are made in Australia with high grade meat with the Saucissons being made from Berkshire pig meat sourced in Byron Bay.  When I first tried these Saucissons, I was delightfully surprised to find such a beautiful taste.  Jean Marc puts a lot of efforts into sourcing his produce: his expertise and passion are the reasons for this success. 

In France, you would find many different tastes of Saucisson, different shapes, thin or thick depending on how dry you like it.  You would also find Saucisson with hazelnut, walnut, Beaufort cheese. These are regional specialties. 

But the Saucisson you will find at My French Food is made according to the traditional French recipe, with peppercorn. The only noticeable difference with France is the amount of fat which is around 20% in our Saucissons whereas in France it would be close to 35%. 

How have you found market life so far 

Market life is very interesting.  When I was in France I used to hold a market stall with jewels and semi-precious stones at night markets during the summer and I already liked it. 

Being a French in Australia makes it even more interesting.  It appears that Australian people really like France and French things and I come across very nice people with whom I have chats not only about food, but also French culture, travelling to France etc. I give them tips and advice or recipes.  I think I am lucky that I’ve found my ideal activity in Australia…

From your perspective, what is it about markets like Frenchs Forest that keeps it real for you

What I like at Frenchs Forest is that even after my first few Sundays I now have regular customers which then tells me they not only enjoy my stall but the produce as well. 

Some of them simply stop by to say “Well, I still have a bit of Saucisson left at home, but for sure next week I’ll buy more of it, will you be here?”.  It’s incredibly rewarding to see how in such a short amount of time I am part of this great community.

How would you sum up the world of My French Food in 5 words

It’s not fair to ask a French only 5 words… Let my try though… “It is all about passion”

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So if you want to be transported to France albeit by taste-sensation, get up to Frenchs Forest Market, find JP and sample some this amazing Saucissons, Viande des Grisons and some other exquisite produce!

 

Time to say THANK YOUUUUUU

Jelena

Dilis

Julia

Anastasia

Austyn

Savannah PR

homeland

keenwah

Singing Bowls and their powerful connection

When did Singing Bowl first come in to your life

When Anup and I were visiting family in Nepal we were walking up a mountain and came across a man playing singing bowls on the side of the road.  The sound surrounded and it felt like it came from far away.  We were mesmerised and knew we had to start bringing them back to Australia so share with more people.

Anup then had the idea of creating a global meditation for peace & harmony, with everyone raising their vibrational frequency by playing singing bowls.  This led to the need to share them with people and provide a better understanding and experience: so we started exhibiting at markets and festivals so more people could have this chance.

Each bowl has certain properties and purposes: why is that

Our bodies are affected by sounds and vibrations in different ways.  Some bowls have a high pitched sound: this is good for clearing energy in a room because the sound will cut through any dense energy trapped in the space.

The medium sounds have a soothing clear tone and are good for meditation or promoting good sleep as the sound is clear & focussed allowing your mind to be still and present.  The sound is usually deeper so it has a calming effect on the body as well as giving you a chance to become centered and relaxed.

The deeper vibrational bowls (which are usually beaten by hand) have a healing effect on the body: when we experience a lot of vibration, the properties of this particular bowl raises our own body's vibrational frequency and in turn allows us to heal better. In addition to this, the deep vibration is a wonderful form of massage (relaxing the muscle and joints) and can be used in Reiki and other energy therapies, as the vibration shifts blocked energies through the chakras.

What has been the reaction from folk who may have the "oh yeah...I've seen these things somewhere but never knew what they were about" vs those who are already in-tune with the bowls properties and purposes

I think ultimately everyone gets the same experience.  By "same" I mean that individual totally unique experiences you from tuning into your own self and centre. Whether you know much about them or only a little, the ultimate gain about singing bowls is the "in the moment" experience you have when you are playing them.

Some experience deep relaxation; some feel elated or enlightened...like they had a moment to forget their worries and stressors; others feel confronted because the sound is bringing up past wounds that need healing (which is a good thing if you are ready to heal) ;and for some, they feel like they are coming home: like they are being understood, especially when they find the tone that really connects to them. 

We all have our onset of frequencies that resonate with our body more than others. It really is a great feeling when you find that one which is "yours".

You are now a well entrenched and much loved stallie at Frenchs Forest Market.  How has market life impacted on you both personally and professionally

We love the markets because it's a way to bring ourselves and our business to people. Singing Bowls is a product that needs to be experienced in the holistic sense (as opposed to viewing in a photo) and  most specially in an environment where people are looking for new things to encounter. 

Frenchs Forest Market has such a lovely community atmosphere and people are interested in better health and wellbeing.  Personally, I love the wonderful friends I have made over the years and the comradery amongst the stallholders.

I also love the food: it would have to be the best food market that I know!  It is also a market where we have met many of our long term and much loved customers, and get to hear their lovely singing bowl stories!

If you could sum up the beauty that is known as Singing Bowls in 5 words, what would they be

Connection

Peacefulness

Sharing Experiences

Healing

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Could not have summed it up better ourselves.  We thank Anup & Brinley for sharing just a little of their story with us but more so for showing us how to connect with ourselves with the simple tone of a beautiful singing bowl which can bring peace & harmony to our ever increasingly frantic external world.

What exactly IS an activate nut? Well fortunately we have someone who can explain...

Can you give a little bit of an overview of how and when Edge Wellness came in to being

Edge Wellness is actually a medical clinic I created in 2006. I wasn’t satisfied with the model of general practice in Australia – ‘in and out in 5 minutes’! I learned that doctors are forced to do this because of the inflexible nature of our healthcare system whereby they are punished for spending any length of time with a patient, and discouraged from doing much more than write a script and treat the symptom. My medical clinic allows for much more comprehensive hour long consultations, and employs expert doctors who have the space to practise general, natural, environmental and nutritional medicine.

Working with such amazing practitioners exposed my wife (Astrid) and me to all sorts of things like Paleo, Organic and our famous ‘Activated Nuts’!

They are the best nuts we’ve ever tasted; we love baking with them and snacking on them all day. 

Patients started buying them in clinic, and before you knew it Astrid had quit her job as an interior decorator to run our market stall. It carries our clinic name ‘Edge Wellness’ because it stands for more than a clinic. It’s about better health through the latest research and the best products and services. Our mantra is ‘live a better life’.

Our first exposure to the OFM was finding Marrickville Organic Markets in 2013. We were market virgins but it quickly became our weekly Sunday shop for meat, salad, vegies and smoked salmon. The cos lettuce lasts at least 3 times as long as supermarket stuff. Scary. The organic veg is actually CHEAPER than the supermarket. The meat is much fresher.

Marrickville is still our favourite. We’ve never had a stall there, and we do love the other markets, but you never forget your first!

Amongst some of your products is your "activated" nut range. What exactly are activated nuts and what role (in your view) do they play in our daily wellbeing

Well the chef Pete Evans made them famous, and copped a lot of uneducated flack in the process. I guess that’s always the way with trendsetters. Activated nuts used to be called ‘sprouted’ nuts. Sprouting grains, nuts and seeds is a centuries-old process proven in the archaeological and anthropological record. Nearly every food we eat requires some processing, either: cooking, sprouting or just washing. We don’t roam around like triceratops eating plants willy nilly!

Nuts and seeds cause digestive problems in quite a few people because they are full of phytates which keep them in a state of stasis. Sprouting enhances the nutritional component of nuts and seeds and often removes the intolerance. It’s the same as germinating a seed. We made a short video last year explaining it

On a more visceral level, it’s hard to enjoy the recommended intake of nuts when they are bitter (raw walnuts), soggy (raw almonds), tasteless (raw pecans) and metallic (raw brazil nuts). Cue our activated nuts: our almonds are super-duper crunchy, our walnuts are buttery smooth and our pecans taste sweet like they are coated in caramel (they’re not). Try them – nothing compares!

Always with a smile, always with friendly advice, and now a firm favourite at our markets. Do you find that each area has its own specific demographic as far as which is the best-selling product or is it more of once an Edge Wellness devotee always an Edge Wellness devotee

We’ve been introducing and removing products, always on the lookout to provide something unique and premium. Along with our regular paleo cookies, carrot/ginger cakes and pumpkin muffins we added ice- cold drinking coconuts. It was the healthiest drink we could find and we noticed that other stalls were selling them warm. Ours are better by being fresh from the importer every Wednesday, and always smothered in ice for maximum refreshment.

We’re excited to be replacing them with ginger kombucha in the coming weeks. This particular kombucha has a massive probiotic count and negligible sugar because it’s properly fermented (where the probiotics metabolise all of the sugar). It’s made by our good friends at Amphore who have the best kombucha we’ve ever seen. We’ll be serving it ice-cold in summer and warm in winter (when warm, it’s like a healthy mulled wine). This will be another unique product that we are proud to bring to the markets.

What is it about markets like ours that form an important of the local community

The post-modern rejection of metanarratives is evidenced in Sydney’s embracing of local, ethical and sustainable produce. Sydney is no longer buying the large narrative the big brands are spinning with their highly processed and mass produced products. Sydney is increasingly looking for the small narrative - the story of the local farmer, the local business, the authentic work of husband and wife teams like Edge Wellness. Our stories are personal, real, transparent, and usually include better products. I for one will no longer buy lamb in a tray at one of the large supermarket chains. I’ll get it from Ben the Free Range Butcher who can tell me what his lambs eat, where their paddocks are, and how they were raised.

Astrid sharing the joy of free range meat

How would you sum up the world of Edge Wellness in 5 words

Live a better life!

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So!  nothing left for it other than to say a massive muchos gracias to Matt & Astrid for sharing a bit of their world with us, demystifying nuts that are Activated and bringing a whole lotta sunshine every Sunday at our infamous and enormously popular Frenchs Forest Market!