Honest2Goodness, I’m converted

It takes a lot for me to break my lazy Saturday morning ritual of pottering, pyjamas and papers. But, since my first trip to Glasnevin’s Honest2Goodness market about a month ago, I’ve been making the quick flit out to the Dublin Industrial Estate earlier and earlier each week, and I’m kicking myself for not having paid it a visit long ago.

The main market hall

The market – located in two warehouses just off the Finglas Road – was launched in November 2009, and takes place every Saturday. There’s a real focus on quality Irish produce, thanks to market curator Brid Carter, who works closely with a dedicated group of producers and suppliers, including the Dublin-Meath Growers Association, the Gleann Gabhra goat farm, Glebe Brethan, Ryan’s butchers, and the Elmhurst Organic Farm (who knew there was a farm on the Ballymun Road?)

Lovely veggies

Shopping at the market is a real treat – there’s lots of space to mooch around, great chat from the stallholders, and even a little background music. It’s entirely indoors and self-contained, so the weather is never a problem (except, perhaps, for the gent who mans the wood-fired pizza oven in the van outside the front door. Great pizza, though!). Uniquely, there’s also a well-stocked pantry area, and a range of wine imported by the H2G team.

Just one of the bread stalls (excellent sourdough)

Essential drinks and vittles

The second of the market warehouses functions as a cafe, with teas, Ariosa coffee, Paris bakery breads, and Brid and her team’s own sweet and savoury treats on offer.

The market cafe

It’ll be a couple more weeks before I make my way round every stall, but I’m really pleased with the quality of the food I’ve bought so far – almost all of it Irish. It’s an affordable alternative to the supermarket, too – this week’s haul came in at around €45 (including a rather tasty bottle of rose), and a bumper haul it was too.

Market goodies

(clockwise from top: Irish little gem lettuce, Irish carrots, corned beef from Ryan’s farm [currently boiling away on the stove and proving hugely distracting], Ryan’s farm streaky bacon, Irish broccoli, sourdough baguette, Gortnamona goat’s cheese, Real Olive Company olives, Kerrigan’s mushrooms, Gubbeen chorizo and salami, Real Olive Company smoked sundried tomatoes, Toonbridge buffalo mozzarella [so excited to try this], lovely Spanish rose, Irish courgettes)

We’ll be feasting all week here at Runcible Spoon HQ – check back later in the week for the results. And as for my Saturday mornings? Well, they’ll never be quite the same again.