The Market Shed on Holland

Jono Kaitatzis’ family own and operate Gilbert Street IGA and noticed the disconnect between customers and the origin of the food they were buying. When the mechanical workshop behind the supermarket became available, they created this provenance-driven market, with an organic and sustainable focus.

Kaitatzis says that it’s important to not have two of the same type of stall so stallholders instead can collaborate and work together. This dynamic results in customers being able to buy a bagel, salad or burrito from one stall, then walk past two more and meet the farmer who grows the ingredients.

Many stalls are geared towards vegan and raw produce, often with one or two biodynamic meat stalls thrown in for good measure, but the set up is always changing. A wood oven has a permanent place in the corner of the shed and the Walnut bar, selling nut milks and products, seems to be a steady fixture.

Gentle live music plays from the stage, surrounded by pot plants, antique furniture and a diverse range of patrons that transform the concrete floored shed into an environment bursting with personality.