There is probably not a better place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables than the Bunbury Farmers Market. I say that because I honestly couldn’t imagine how it would get better than this. Perhaps more parking would help.
The Bunbury Farmers market is located on the corner of Forrest Highway and Vittoria avenue as you approach the city of Bunbury from the north. Its success not only with the locals, but with travellers taking the opportunity to drop in on the way through is testament to the great work they have been doing there.
I’ll get onto the fresh produce in a moment, but first I must mention the cafe at the entrance. Serving up coffee, cakes, and the very best pies you will find in all of WA, this outwardly simple little eatery challenges your expectations. They have attracted a reputation as a grocery store you take your friends to.
One of the very unique qualities of the Bunbury Farmers Market is the layout of the store. The conventional grid of aisles that virtually all supermarkets stick to is thrown to the side in favour of a single snaking pathway from one end of the store to the other. After passing the cafe you walk through the fresh fruit, followed by the fresh vegetables, followed by the butcher and meat fridges, followed by the deli, dairy section, bakery, and so on.
It completely changes your outlook on food when you perform a blind shop for dinner. Fruit and vegetables become the basis of every meal.
The quality of the produce here is exceptional. Not only is the focus on local, with the origin of every picking being listed above the price for all to see, but store policies that mandate a limit on how long it can take to go from picking to supermarket shelf ensure it is also impeccably fresh.
I mentioned earlier about the pies. Oh, the pies.
I used to regularly drive up to Kalgoorlie to grab one of the famous Trahairs pies. I love a great pie.
So it is not without weight that I say that the Bunbury Farmers Market is selling the very best pies in Western Australia. Many people around Perth and the South-West are doing a great job, but in the end they are second best to the BFM.
Not only can you buy them hot to eat right away, but you can also buy them frozen to take home. And in family size.
It is great seeing Australian sourced seafood at a grocery store. I’ve always had my eyes open for local seafood. It is an easy win.
Whether you are in Bunbury, passing through Bunbury, or are completely willing to take a casual afternoon drive to do your grocery shopping in Bunbury, I urge you to check out the Bunbury Farmers Market.
