Easter treats galore this week at the markets

The excitement of Easter is well underway at the EQ this week. With school holidays starting, our wonderful Wednesday market on today, and the fantastic Sydney Family Show beginning on 1 April, it’s all warm, buttered hot-cross buns, sparkly chocolate eggs and fluffy bunnies over here! Come along and start the holidays on a feelgood note with plenty of treats on offer at the market to stock the pantry for the coming weeks. You’ll find festive goodies from our specialty providores, fresh produce from our local grocers to create an Easter feast, and plenty of snacks to fend off the inevitable cries of “I’m hungry” from homebound children.

There’s also excellent family fun to be had at the show, from carnival games, rides and an animal nursery to performances, rabbit hopping competition and, of course, the never-ending, agonising thrill of which showbag to choose. On Saturday, grab a bite at the market before sending the kids into the show with some pocket money and a promise to join them later, while you take your time to stroll the market stalls.

Joining us both days this week are the incredible seafood merchants at Fish Face. Selling mostly all-Australian seafood, Fish Face brings the flavour of the sea to your table with their fresh-caught daily catch from the coast of Wollongong, along with staples of Tasmanian salmon, gold band snapper, NT (Humptydoo) barramundi, a selection of cooked and green (raw) Australian prawns, and South Australian mussels and Pambula oysters. Your good Friday feast is about to get flappingly fresh. We also have Great Cheese Co peddling their dairy goods at the market on Wednesday and Saturday, just in time for your holiday entertaining. With everything from blue, bloomy white mould and wash rind cheeses to vegan iterations, as well as charcuterie, olives and other antipasto, you’ll be able to throw together a cheese platter that pleases all comers.

On Saturday, we welcome Hunter Valley winery Savannah Estate to the market. Once you’ve filled your basket with fishes, cheeses and loaves, stop by to choose a vino made from premium fruit selected from the best grape-growing regions in the country. Savannah Estate’s sparkling range, featuring a Moscato, cuvee and malbec seems fitting to pair with the inevitable celebratory Easter feasting about to take place this weekend.

The fragrance of Easter delights fill the air with at the stalls of our wonderful bakers and artisan chocolatiers this week, offering all your festive favourites. Hudson’s Bakery has delicious gluten-free hot cross buns going in and out of the oven at a great rate, while Scrumpets have ingeniously fused a hot cross bun with a crumpet then paired it with Drunken Sailor Canning Co’s blood orange and saffron marmalade. Of course, it wouldn’t be Easter without a silky, handmade chocolate, so head to Emporium of Chocolate and give the Easter Bunny a helping hand by selecting your own confection for gifting, or, if you’re like us, for secret-eating.

If you’re exiting the city for the holidays and taking a northward route, be sure to stop by the Maitland Regional Market at the Maitland Showground, which launches this Sunday from 10am to 3pm. As with all our markets, Maitland will have a beautiful array of local food, produce and passionate makers and curators selling everything from hot treats to homewares and fashion. Swing on by and support this creative community of Hunter Valley artisans.

Thank you and have a lovely Easter!