After a successful Food & Wine Fair with the Stellenbosch Wine Festival, I am sure that our regular patrons will be pleased to hear that we have resumed business per normal. Yes we are still open rain or shine… On very rainy days we will move the outside section of the market downstairs into the fire-warmed cellar, so please enter from the bottom cellar door so that you do not miss out on your regular traders fair.

Eventually the children are back at school and soccer fever has died down to make way for the winter rugby season. Guess we do deserve National Women’s Day after all the sport. Another “ long” weekend? The perfect opportunity to get rid of unwanted items in your house. Spring is just a month away so we thought at Slowmarket TO START THE FRIENDLY AUCTION LOT for your yearly winter spring clean.

Start clearing your clutter and bring your goods that you don’t need– any goods! Bring it to us. We can auction it out of your car’s boot close to the belltower and have ample space. For those who simply which to donate, we will auction it off for you and donate the proceeds to the Pebbles Project or other various community forums that we keenly support.

First Public Auction date: Oude Libertas 5th September Between 12h00-14h00 - WEATHER PERMITTING! AUCTION LOT OUTSIDE – AT BELLTOWER

Your goods will be auctioneered off by Andre Vrey, experienced accredited auctioneer by the SA College of Auctioneering. Over 10 Years of experience managing the Friendly Auction in Potchefstroom he is clearly passionate about selling. Antique furniture, crockery, clothing, vehicles, wine collections, tools, camping gear, gym apparatus, chickens, mother in law’s – he has seen and auctioned it all. How it will work? Weather permitting, bring your items between 9h00-10h00 around the back to the belltower where your items will be displayed. Your items will be on view from 9h00-12h00 to the public. At 12h00 the auction will commence. Please remove all items no later than 15h00. Contact Andre on arrival on 082 443 3496 to meet you and to show you the ropes. If you wish to book him to manage a private auction for you he is contactable on andre@property- rescue.co.za.

The Hearth Fair is 1 year old - Happy Birthday! Congratulations on being such an integral part of the Slowmarket. Themed … let’s spring clean, Retha will once again be sourcing interesting furnisher designers who can give you some great ideas on how to re-invent your findings and revamp someone else’s old ball and claw table. An opportunity to re-decorate before summer, reduce your carbon footprint and to live green.

WINTER SPRING CLEANING TIPS – IN TIME FOR OUR FIRST AUCTION

• Make a list of everything you’d like to have done around the house.
• Set aside twenty minutes per day for spring cleaning.
• Pick one room or closet to start with.
• Use the “love it”, “hate it”, “like it” system for getting rid of things.
• Sort out your clothing cupboard and get rid of the “fat cloths”.
• Come to the market and buy lemons to make your own green cleaning products.
• Commit to making your bed every day.
• Get everyone involved.
• Throw out anything that is broken.
• LAST AND FINAL STEP: Bring your items to the market at 9h00, display so that the public can view all your goods until 12h00. At 12h00 the auction begins. Have fun doing it!

Use the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon, a teaspoon of baking soda and off you go. This is not only gives your home an invigorating fresh smell, but lemons also have antibacterial qualities, do not contain harsh chemicals and is great on the budget.

Rickety Bridge Gourmet Products from the boutique Wine Estate in Franschhoek will present speciality salts, salad splashes, squeezes and sambals. The brainchild of Lannice, one of the most prominent South African food icons, author of 17 books, publisher, journalist, restaurant critic and culinary consultant. She created an innovative range of co-branded gourmet products. Sadly Lannice passed earlier in the year and Tamsin her daughter will take over her mother’s dream. No additives, colourants or preservatives are used, and ingredients are, where possible, grown on the home estate (for example fruit, chillies and herbs) or sourced from local producers.

The African Potato fresh vegetable stand who will be offering you a wide selection of seasonal organic fruit and vegetables. They also operate a box scheme in the Helderberg, Strand and Gordon’s Bay areas so you are welcome to place orders with them during the week. Passionate about organic they will deliver to your door which is ideal for those wintery days.

West Coast Venison will be joining us in August with a wide selection of springbok, impala, kudu, warthog, ostrich and venison products. Sourced from the Eastern Cape Chris Botha prides himself in offering the highest quality products packaged plain and marinaded to absolute perfection. He is a wealth of knowledge and will advise you on the best techniques to prepare venison. Try your hand at Carpacio. He will show you how.

Divine treats also offer a wide selection of infused honey. Interesting flavours such as rose and vanilla honey just to mention a few, fresh garlic infusions and oils.