Baaaah!
“A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go…” I sing quietly to myself. Never mind that my version of hunting doesn’t quite involve a rifle but instead involves a different kind of activity. For this day Mr NQN and I are following Liss and her husband A and their adorable troop of girls on their monthly Farmgate pilgrimage to find the freshest meat, fruit and vegetables. Every month they visit the following farmgate producers and through smart shopping they manage to find food at very competitive prices with the produce lasting them for 3-4 weeks. It would be an adventure for us and we would end it off with a session of apple, lime and fig picking!
Awards upon awards
We take the drive out to the M& A Butchery in Wilberforce (which featured briefly on last week’s episode of Masterchef) where Liss points out the live lambs in the back. This is a truly paddock to plate experience and it is the only abattoir in NSW that has a retail shop attached to it. M& A are fourth generation butchers Michael and Angela Diasinos who work with their two sons Dean and Sam. Local farmers also bring in their livestock (beef, lamb, goat and pig) to be processed. Hilariously, speeding away from the front of a shop is a yellow car with the license plate “BBQ“.
Inside the shop is busy. There is a cool-room where you can buy ribs, rissoles, shoulders, corned beef, steaks, chops and all kinds of cuts including New York steak and sides of lamb with some stretching across two trays at a very reasonable price. As you are buying straight from the abattoir, you are effectively cutting out the middle man.
We buy some premium mince which is a steal at $5 a kilo, some sausages in “bush tomato and bacon” and “sweet chilli and mango” flavours and some double smoked garlic rissoles at $6.50 a kilo. They’ll also offer to carry your meat to the car too which is a nice touch.
Carrying a customer’s meat to their car
After that we take the drive to Riverview Produce which is a farm that has been supplying produce to Sydney markets for 50 years and who now have a store in which you can purchase produce. Liss finds that the produce here is so fresh it lasts for 3-4 weeks. She also buys herbs with the roots intact and replants them in her own herb garden. I buy some Royal Blue potatoes, Dutch carrots, golden nugget pumpkins and white nectarines.
Outside there are hydroponic lettuces being grown. Inside there is a constant stream of buyers. On the noticeboard wall there are signs offering sheep shearing services, calves, Boer Goats and an antique petrol bowser for sale.
Hydroponic lettuces
Our next stop is an exciting one and one that the girls were waiting for all day long and one in which they had the perfect outfits for. We were going apple picking at the Bilpin Springs Orchard! Cedric shows us where we can pick the fruit and the varieties available. He shows us large quinces which he says will grow larger to be ready in two month’s time. Then there is the nashi which he has to train to sit at a picking level as they want to grow up to the sky otherwise and he explains that the recent wind has kept many of the bees away which affect pollination.
Nashi tree
Quince tree
Chalk covering to protect apples from sunburn
It’s a twelve acre Pick Your Own farm and there are rows of fruit which has saves for people to pick on other weeks. We learn that whilst apples have a natural sunscreen, when the sun is very strong, they spray them with a liquid chalk to protects them and this chalk wipes away easily.
Lessons on how to pick apples
The girls are eager to start picking so he gives them a quick lesson in how to pick the apple from the branch. The motion is to curl the apple over so that you retain the stalk which helps to preserve the freshness of the apple. For a red delicious apple, you want to look for a white background colour rather than a green background as this shows that they are ripe. The red foreground colour isn’t as important as the white background shade.
Bramley Apples
When we’re done picking he shows us another row of fruit where flying foxes and other creatures have already helped themselves to the fruit. He then shows us the prized Bramley Apple which are from England. They bruise very easily and come off the branch easily and we have to be careful when picking those. The markings on top are russet which are said to be prized in Bramleys.
Eloise who says “This is the best apple I’ve EVER eaten!”
Cedric tells us that 22 years ago, the advent of cool rooms changed the apple market drastically and meant that before long, apples were coming from Perth and from Queensland. We take a bite of the apples and they’re sweet, crisp and juicy. Similar to our cherry picking adventure in Orange, many ethnic groups enjoy fruit picking here and they get many Filipino, Chinese, Eastern Europeans, Italians, Greek and Middle East visitors. Some come once every 2-3 weeks and some come once a year.
As large as a large man’s fist!
Little Red Riding Hood with apples!
Granny Smith apples are due to be picked and the absolute best time for these is Mid May (PYO season ends in June) for the sweetest, crispest apples. Plums and persimmon are also set to be picked in May and they update their website every week with the picking details. Morello cherries are available just before Christmas and pomegranates have just been planted. We pick some limes too which are fabulously juicy and we save the most exciting for last: figs! Cedric tells us about the figs and how they grow in bunches and once a week one fig in the bunch will be ready and then the next week another will be ready as if taking turns. When they start to split is when they’re very ripe and ready to eat and we enjoy tasting these.
One our way home we stop by the Bilpin Fruit Bowl for some Bilpin cloudy apple juice and a slice of apple cake. Mr NQN loves the slice although it isn’t quite sweet enough for a sweet tooth like me. On top is a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and a sour cream layer. We buy a box of plums to make plum jam with (but of course Mr NQN finishes these before I get the chance to make jam).
Apple Cake
A few weeks later we make the trek back to the Richmond Markets. Housed in two halls in a large building, they’re small and perhaps not worth a specific trip out for them but if you happen to be there they’re filled with great produce at great prices so if you make it to Richmond on the Farmgate trail, they’re worth a visit. We walk into the first hall where Liss is buying Saltbush lamb and we take a walk around. Apart from the Saltbush lamb, there’s all kinds of Angus beef cuts and sausages as well as Murray Valley moisture infused pork which are all very well priced.
There’s also a Mamre Plains which is a community project of the Sisters of Mercy. This stall sells a fabulous range of unusual produce at incredibly reasonable prices. A pack of 14 heirloom tomatoes are $4, apple eggplants retail at 4 for $5 and small acorn squash for 50c each amongst other unusual goodies.
Apple eggplant 4 for $5
Heirloom tomatoes $4
The olive stall sells lovely small olives and they tell us that the cure the olives using a traditional method which is different from many of the commercially produced olives which are processed using caustic soda.
No market would be complete without cupcakes or cookies. The Hummingbird Bakery stall has cute little sugar cookies in ladybird patterns as well as cupcakes in delicious sounding flavours.
Exhausted but with a swag of goodies, we drive back to the Big Smoke with grand plans for our produce. Our time out here has been relaxing and the drive feels like we’ve gone on a little holiday!
So tell me Dear Reader, what’s your favourite thing to buy food-wise? Cheese? Chocolate? Jams? Or something else entirely?
M& A Butchery
62 Kings Street, Wilberforce NSW
www.mabutchery.com
Tel: +61 (02) 4575 1233
Riverview Produce
198 Yarramundi Lane, Richmond, NSW
Tel: +61 (417) 695 845
Bilpin Springs Orchard
2550 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 4567 1294
Bilpin Fruit Bowl
2093 Bells Line of Road, Bilpin, NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 4567 1152
Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Fine Food Markets
Corner of West Market & March Sts, Richmond
Tel: + 61 (02) 4567 8424 or 0438 731 712
Held every 2nd Saturday of the month
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48 Comments | Add your own
How cute are Liss’s little girls – adorable and what fun to go to pick your own
Lorraine, thank you for this informative post! The link to the pick your own orchards isn’t opening though? So much produce within a short drive of Sydney – just wonderful!
I am so entirely jealous! What wonderful meat and produce to choose from!
These places aren’t to far from me so I think I will be making a trek out there very soon. I’ve always wanted to pick apples and you can’t beat fresh produce…
My favorite thing to buy will always be fresh fruit – just yesterday I spent a ridiculous amount on my first ever fresh mangosteens, as well as some star fruit and a very ripe dragon fruit.
And let me just say that I’m incredibly jealous of the price of passion fruits there. That’s less than a fourth of the price of one here!!
What a lovely market! I actually think that butchery is my hubby’s heaven…he could probably happily spend days in there without coming up for air, lol! My favorite food items to buy are weird (or unique
) specialty items. 
Dean and Sam… just like off Supernatural!
My favorite fruit to pick is strawberries. But I have a bad back so I let others do the picking for me.
Looks like you all had a lovely day. I am amazed by all of that wonderful fresh food! The girls are adorable and look like they had a good time.
I love to buy flowers, silverbeet, celery – anything at a produce market that spills out over the top of your basket and makes you feel as if the world is stocked with an abundance of wonderful fresh things to enjoy!
hi NQN you were in my neck of the woods.
Did you know the butcher brothers are identical twins !
I will have to check these out more throughly I only knew of a few.
I couldn’t decide my favourite but it would be FOOD related.
Ps I love the avenue of trees photo. All your photos are gorgeous.
Loved your farm gate experience .
Does any one know if there is an equivalent in Melbourne?
Lorraine – one of the best posts you’ve ever done! I can’t wait to get up there and start picking and stocking my freezer & pantry with all those delicious goodies. YUM & FUN!
Seeing this makes me wish I lived somewhere cold. In Cairns, your bread goes mouldy in two days if you leave it on the bench!!
I look forward to reading your blog everyday Lorraine, I’ve lost my cooking spark up here in the heat, but your pictures help me to dream of what I’ll cook when I can convince the boyfriend to move to Tasmania
um, you mention the Hummingbird Bakery in you post? Is there a branch in Sydney? Is it related to the one in London?
wow look at all that hydroponic lettuce
Oh! What a wonderful post!
Brings some lovely memories.
I stayed in Bilpin for a few days after the long easter weekend. The drive there is amazing!
I loved the apple pie from the Fruit Bowl.
Must go back soon. Really missing Bilpin.
I’m normally all about the food, but those apple coats are the best. I wonder if they come in big girl sizes.
That looks like fun, and I can’t believe a whole tray of eggs is $4. We’d really save some money here. Do you think they were free range?
I might have to follow you guys out there if you ever do it again. x
Lovely farms and markets! And, the girls’ apple picking jackets are adorable. My favorite shopping is at farmers’ markets and just being surprised by what’s available each time.
Lorraine, as usual you posted a wonderful and accurate account of the day – I love the trip there each month – we look forward to it, and it’s a pleasure and a privilege using quality produce where you know where it comes from!
AND all the guys at M&A, Riverview and Cedric from Bilpin Springs are LOVELY people who extend that old fashioned customer service – with a warm smile.
The raincoats are from gymboree – they aren’t available anymore in the online store (deliver worldwide) but you could find them on ebay if you search for ‘gymboree prep school raincoat’. We get lots of compliments on them!
‘Telle we will be heading up in a couple of weeks – let me know if you want to tag along and we’ll go convoy!
I’m always willing to convert people to farmgate!
what a fantastic place – wish they had something like that near me!! Well they do, but every time I have tried the farmers markets they havent had gems like that!
That just looks like the most fun and I would enjoy it as a holiday too.
I cant believe you found Okra if you look at my blog I have been searching for fresh Okra and the best I could get was in a tin.
Great report NQN =) I may take my mum and dad on a road trip this upcoming weekend!!! =)
This is my kind of day, and the apple eggplant took my breath away. Never heard of it. I think this may not sound very “foodie” of me, but a day like this beats a five-star restaurant, especially. Those little girls are so lucky they get to do this every month. You know this is so much of what I believe in.
I’ll bet you sure made those little girls’ day a lot of fun too!
Oh my gosh those fruit and veggies look incredible! Definitely worth the trip!
lovely pictures! especially the quince and nashi
Chocolate, but that’s a no brainer! I’m definitely getting into cheese at the moment, though… is it wrong to be eating an entire wedge of cheese every night by myself? How can it be wrong when it feels so right?
(Jindi Blue tonight
)
I so wish I could go apple-picking right now. Having eaten apples off the tree, I actually don’t like supermarket apples anymore…
Agggghhh! You found Bramley apples!! Even after 30 years I miss the best cooking apples in the world. Thanks for another great post, Elaine
)
Great post. I love doing things like this. I’ll have to make a trip out. Love buying good fresh produce. I love buying jam, unusual ones witn real fruit. Thing is, I’m not really a jam eater, but I love the thought of it. Love buying good vegetables. Those pumpkins you featured, made me excited, I’ll have to go out there just for those.
Oh wow! I started emailing my friends to organise a trip like yours straight after reading your review
Can’t believe how cheap the meats are and all that vegies and fruits!!
ohhhh thank you for all those links! I had seen the apple picking on someone else’s blog and told hubby we had to do it but combining the other lovely spots is perfect! What a great way to spend your weekend!!!! and you couldn’t get cuter models in your pictures there.
Corrie:)
This looks like awesome fun!
My favourite thing to buy would probably be chocolate – followed by snacks in general
so much fine, fresh stuff, i can hardly take it all in. meanwhile, i want to be a meat toter when i grow up.
Absolutely nothing better than a foodie road trip! What a great opportunity to show the kids where real food comes from!
Cheese for sure.
But I always buy too much & too many varieties then can’t get through it all.
I love fresh produce markets and when I have the opportunity to go to one, I get very excited at the prospect of finding a food ‘gem’. I end up buying so much of everything , hubby gives me the weirdest looks but it’s worth it for quality alone.
Wow, sounds like great fun! Will definitely try to get apple-picking before the season ends
Wow…everything looks so fresh! The girls are so pretty and adorable
Urgh – I”m such a sucker for the markets – not only do I love fresh produce and eating things that are in season – but I love supporting farmers. I always buy WAY too much and end up gorging myself silly!! But it’s definately worth it!!
Oh NQN, thank you so much for this post. I live right near Bilpin (Kurrajong Heights), and it’s like you’ve handed me all the foodie info I need about my local area on a silver platter! I drive right past the driveway to Riverview Produce and for weeks now, I’ve been wondering whether or not it’s worth a visit – ditto to the Richmond Growers’ Market (although Saturday mornings I am always at work, it just so happens that this month I will be able to go!). Thank you so much!!!
Great post, got to love those locavore options. The butcher link especially a good one. Bilpin holds a special place in my heart as my grandfather lived there.
Hi Gourmet Chick-Aren’t they adorable?
I know, I love picking my own!
Hi Celia-Oh let me fix that, thanks for letting me know!
You’re more than welcome!
Hi Lisa-It’s fantastic isn’t it! No wonder they go there!
Hi Rhiannon-Oh fantastic! Have fun and I’d love to know what you think of it!
Hi anna-Oh how wonderful! I love mangosteens! :O Oh really? I had no idea!
Hi Faith-Hehe I know, such a man place isn’t it!
Ooh yes unique vintage things are great aren’t they 
Hi Jess-haha and before its time
Hi Julia-Oh yes they’re hard to pick aren’t they! so hard on the back. Raspberries are easier
Hi Cakelaw-We sure did!
We had a great time-it felt like a holiday!
Hi Shan-Oh what a lovely way to describe it!
Hi trish-Oh cool! Oh I had no idea!
thankyou so much! 
Hehe food related for me too 
Hi miranda-that would be great to know I think!
Hi Claire-thankyou so much!
I hope you have a great time and please let us know what you think of it! 
Hi ljb-Oh I didn’t know that! Although I do crave the warmth, especially now that it’s Autumn
thankyou so much! That is so sweet 
Hi jess-Oh no it’s not related to that one, it’s a different one
Hi Betty-Yes indeed!
Hi Jules-Oh fantastic!
Ahhh that’s great that you still remember it all so fondly! 
Hi Conor-I know, we all need one
Hi fat mum slim-Crazy isn’t it!
No I don’t think so (or I would have bought 3 trays and made Mr NQN egg sandwiches 
)> Absolutely! 
x
Hi lisa-I know, those girls are so well dressed!
I love that too!
Hi Liss-Aww thanks for taking us! It was like going on a really fun holiday! Yes the raincoats are so, so cute!
hehe you should work for them! 
Hi Sarah-Ahh yes you never know what you’ll get do you!
Hi Saphire-Yes a drive out there is like a really cool little day trip or holiday. Have you tried Harris Farm? We used to get it in Mosman
Hi Brianna-Thankyou so much! I hope they enjoy it!
Hi Angela-I know, I saw it ona blog for the first time and then there they were!
yes it’s a lovely experience and teaches them where the food comes from! 
Absolutely! hehe they are such joys to be around!
Hi Alex-I totally agree!
Hi Veggie Belly-Thankyou so much!
Hi Hannah-absolutely not! I say go with it!
I know, they taste so different don’t they?
Hi Elaine-Yep it was very exciting indeed! You’re more than welcome!
Hi Portuguese Kitchen-Absolutely!
hehe I have ajam buying compulsion 
If you go I’d love to know what you think of it!
Hi foodie-central-Oh fantastic! Have fun, it’s such a fun road trip!
Hi corrie-you’re welcome!
Yes if you’re going to go all the way out there you may as well buy lots right? Hehe aren’t they dolls! 
Hi Karen-thankyou, it was!
Hehe that’s a good choice! 
Hi grace-hehe you are hilarious!
Hi Moya-I know, they definitely understand that which is really good!
Hi Phunk-hehe Mr NQN would eat it all if I started on cheese
Hi Matilda-I know, it’s exciting isn’t it!
Oh I bet he loves it when he eats it!
Hi shaz-It’s so much fun and I think it’s fun for everyone!
Hi Mary-Yes they are so cute!
Hi Joy-yes supporting famers is a great idea and everything is so much fresher! hehe!
Hi Jen-You’re more than welcome! Oh fantastic, you are so close!
Have fun and do let me know how you find it! 
Hi cityhippyfarmgirl-thankyou!
Aww how sweet-a nice connection indeed! 
We are planning a trip there this weekend! looking forward to it!
I live in Richmond but the Hawkesbury Harvest at Castle Hill is much bigger and has more variety than Richmond (They are held on the same day) so we drive out to Castle Hill every month!
Could you please send me an email to see if you would do a booking for a Vacation Care group for fruit picking? If this is possible could you also please include in your email what activities the Children would be involved in and how much it would cost per child/adult. We would be looking at bringing 30 Children and 4-5 Adults.
Regards,
Lamia
do you know when the bramley apples are available as i’m not sure how long they last in australia? – in england the perfect apples will last right through winter
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