Cape Town - Down-to-earth, somewhat Bohemian, with a relaxed, fun vibe.
Welcome to the Blue Bird Garage Food and Goods Market in Muizenberg, where it’s not unusual to find surfers and students mingling with grandparents and toddlers.
One of the regulars is an oversized golden Labrador who is always willing to make friends with those snacking on food from the various vendors.
It was opened by Dylan and Kim Speer in November 2010 as a platform for specialist cooks, bakers, artists and designers.
Kim describes the market, housed in a spacious old postal airplane hangar, as the cornerstone of the community while also drawing tourists and people from other parts of the city.
It is not unusual to hear a variety of accents and find people from diverse backgrounds getting to know each other at the communal trestle tables.
Muizenberg local Nomtha Macala said she loved the vibe.
“It’s good to come and relax on a Friday when I don’t want to cook.”
She said the food was good especially the samoosas and the brownies.
“Our target market is anyone who likes great food, enjoys craft products and wants to have a little fun before the weekend starts.
“Our demographic is anything from one month to 80,” Kim says.
The couple are very hands on in all aspects of the market: “We have a relationship with every one of our vendors. Everyone is unique and has a story to tell.”
Like Thinus Ras who gave up a career as a mechanical engineer to indulge his passion for cooking. “I didn’t hate engineering but it was second best. Food is my default setting,” he confides.
Ras sells dishes like beef curry and holy cow goulash from his stall which is called Ragamuffin. His most popular dish is a pulled pork bun which goes for R50.
He said the Muizenberg crowd were quite accommodating: “One evening I forgot to put salt in the rice, and only at the end of the night someone came up and told me. No one else even mentioned it.”
Debbie Herrmann sells samoosas with fillings like Nguni beef, bacon and three cheese, and brinjal and mushrooms.
She was in the corporate world before being retrenched: “I was angry when I lost my job, but now I couldn’t be happier.”
Herrmann works several markets with the help of her mother.
She said the Muizenberg market was like a family: “There are lots of free spirited people, surfers, gypsies, exchange students from all over the world, and even business people.”
Lauden Kirk’s free-range steaks, which had been cured for 22 days, and which he gets from the Eastern Cape, where he grew up, had the Banting brigade salivating.
He moves anything from 50 to 100 an evening from his stall called the Bunga Bunga Grill. He is an old hand at markets, having been at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock for nine years where he runs his Simply Italian restaurant and also has a stall at the Earth Fair Market in Tokai.
Kirk has worked in fancy restaurants and written recipe books. But what he likes about markets is the opportunity to get quality products to people at good prices.
“I also love coming up with new concepts.”
Elisabeth Bergskaug, from Norway, and Basya Klinger, from the Netherlands, were trying out the Muizenberg market for the first time on Friday.
Bergskaug said there was nothing like Cape Town’s food and craft markets in her hometown. They are both studying at UCT and arrived at the market after a surfing lesson at Muizenberg beach keen to tuck into some hot food. Jewellery designer Natasha Wood creates African-inspired pieces.
She has a studio at home in Lakeside where she does everything from scratch including melting the metal and rolling it.
Wood uses porcelain from old plates to make rings and sometimes people bring in bits of ceramic from which she custom designs pieces for them. Andrew Berki’s vintage collection at Rattlesnake books is also a drawcard.
There is anything from JM Coetzee, to township art, music and American literature for sale: “I bring interesting and quirky books to the market – a nice mixture.”
He also has a book shop in York Road in Muizenberg.
“I don’t drive a Porsche but I get to talk to people all night long,” he says of his attraction to the market world.
It’s easy to be seduced by the aromas from the just over 40 traders and the only dilemma for patrons is what to eat and drink. The bar stocks some of the Western Cape’s finest craft beers and there is also a selection of wines including organic ranges.
There is also an area for children, with minders, so parents can kick back and relax for the evening.
Although the market is only on Fridays, Kim says they host other events like festivals and weddings.
l The Blue Bird Garage Food and Goods Market is at 39 Albertyn Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town
Helen Bamford, Cape Argus