Grocery shopping doesn’t have to be a crowded weekend slog. We all get into our routines of weekly food shopping and, the majority of the time, it’s probably not going to be the highlight of the weekend. However, buying fruit and vegetables or having a meal at a farmers market can not only make the shopping process more fun, but also help you eat healthier and more organic foods and get to know the producer of your food. Since farmers markets are all locally sourced, there will always be new and tasty surprises! So why not change up your weekend shopper market trip and try a farmers market instead? We’ve compiled a list of the three best weekend farmers markets to make sure to visit in and around the Dublin area.

The SuperNatural Food Market

• Location: St. Andrew’s Resource Centre, Pearse Street, Dublin 2
• Hours: Saturday 9:30 – 15:30

The SuperNatural Food Market (SNM) has been in St. Andrew’s Resource Centre for 9 years running. However, there has been an organic food market in that spot since 1987, and a few of the original stallholders are still there! SNM prides itself on being a one-stop-shop organic market that is inclusive to all types of people and supporting sustainable practices. Organic food should not only be accessible to the elite, and SNM provides clean and organic foods at terrific prices. SNM’s mission statement of “,Shake the hand that feeds you” gets to the heart of the market as they want to make food an experience for people, and they truly succeed in doing so by having customers interact with the producers of their food. Buying your veg from the farmer who grew and harvested it is a vastly different experience from buying a prepacked veg medley at Tesco. As a completely organic market, the health benefits of the food sold at SNM are much higher than preservative filled food. As Beihbinn Byrne of the SuperNatural stall in SNM says,

“Our interest is in selling people products that are gourmet in taste but untampered in therapeutic benefit. We want to sell health and taste.”

While we highly recommend checking out all the stalls at SNM as together they give the entire experience of the market, a few that are definitely not to be missed are Donegal Fresh Fish, Urban Kitchen Foods, and the SuperNatural.

Donegal Fresh Fish supplies fresh fish from northwest Ireland. And it really doesn’t get any fresher since Sean Blaine of Donegal Fresh Fish gets up bright and early on Saturday mornings to drive into Dublin and sell his catches at SNM. Getting fresh fish in the city is no easy task, especially at a reasonable price, so make sure to pay Donegal Fresh Fish a visit for the best fish at the fi-kasino-online.net.

For all you chocolate lovers out there, Urban Kitchen Foods’ Cocolat is a necessity. Cocolat is made with only 3 completely natural plant-based ingredients: cocoa/cocoa blend, coconut oil, and maple syrup. So it is dairy, gluten, soy, preservative, and additive free, but full of nutrients, therapeutic oils, and decadent chocolate flavor. Cocolat is essentially healthy chocolate. Now that really is a dream come true!

The SuperNatural shop is an incredible dry goods supplier of both food, household items, and specialty Irish goods (including raw honey, porridge, oats, and more!). They will sell any item in bulk to help the environment and your pocket. Not only can you buy products in bulk, but they’ll do refills at an even greater discount if you bring your container back. Visit the SuperNatural shop in SNM or now online as well!

The Green Door Market

• Location: 18 Newmarket, Dublin 8
• Hours: Tuesday-Friday 12:00 – 19:00, Saturday 9:30 – 16:00

The Green Door Market (GDM) turns food shopping into an enjoyable event. On Saturdays there is live music and more people – friends, producers, and new people – to strike up conversations with. Everyone is extremely friendly, which making GDM nothing like a crowded supermarket on the weekend. At GDM, the more people means the more people to engage with about food, nutrition, or whatever you feel like! These relationships formed through friendly conversations make customers become regulars and creates a sense of community within GDM that cannot be found at a big impersonal supermarket. With mostly organic and all local products, a lot of work goes into service and quality at GDM. GDM goes above and beyond many markets and tries to provide customers with products they ask for, even if the market doesn’t normally stock them. Christy Stapleton, an owner of GDM and Christy Stapleton Organic Fruit & Vegetables, says

“It’s a great feeling to provide customers with exactly what they want and makes the market a very enjoyable place to work.”

GDM strives to sell high quality food at affordable prices so that everyone can enjoy eating healthy and delicious food.

The market is a full package experience. However, three stands that stood out to us as must-visits were Christy Stapleton Organic Fruit & Vegetables, The Pantry, and Coolanowle Organic Meat.

Christy Stapleton Organic Fruit & Vegetables has a terrific selection of the highest quality organic produce from Co. Wicklow. The shop also has a wide selection of wheatgrass, making it especially popular for smoothie drinkers as wheatgrass is a staple for healthy smoothies. What big supermarket would you find organic wheatgrass at?

The Pantry sells a wide range of goods that you wouldn’t expect to find at a farmers market including jams, milks, honey, pasta, teas, spreads, and many more. The Pantry is the compliment that many markets don’t have and what really makes GDM a one-stop-shop. Being able to buy delicious freshly baked brown bread and kimchi at the same place is uncommon for a farmers market stall, but not a feat too large for The Pantry!

Coolanowle Organic Meat is one of the highest quality butchers in Ireland. The Mulhall family has run their family farm in Carlow for over 30 years and has kept all their livestock grass-fed and organic. In addition excellent cuts and specialty sausages, Coolanowle even produces organic nitrate free sliced meat. Now try finding that in a supermarket!

Howth Market

• Location: 3A Harbour Road, Howth, Co. Dublin
• Hours: Saturday & Sunday 9:00 – 18:00

Howth Market (HM) combines the atmosphere of a large Christmas market in Cologne or Vienna with the local delicacies of Ireland at the coast. While HM has been around for eight years, the “new” (post-remodel) market has been around since September 2013 and continues to bring locals and visitors together in an appreciation for delicious handmade food, art, and toys. As Howth Market owner Greg Rickard told us,

“the ‘new’ Howth Market is proving to be a huge success.”

HM is set up unlike many other markets, where it has five permanent shops in the front that are open everyday, and twenty-five stalls in the back of the market that are open on weekends. The variety of handmade goods at HM is difficult to beat, especially in a relatively small coastal town like Howth. HM does not disappoint though, whether you’re looking for incredible cupcakes, jewelry, or even dog accessories, HM is the place to shop and enjoy yourself while doing so. The atmosphere of HM is one of the more friendly and energetic market atmospheres. Everyone, both vendors and customers, are bustling along with smiles on their faces engaging in conversation and enjoying each other’s company and products. The only challenge at HM is saving room for all of the tasty food!

If you can get to Howth on a weekday as well as on the weekend, we definitely recommend trying the five permanent shops, since who doesn’t love gelato from Amore Gelato that was described by Hotpress Magazine as the “best outside Italy”? However, if you go to see the full market on the weekends, we especially recommend paying a visit to Buns Cup-Cakes, Heart and Soul Bakery, and Breagagh Valley Artisan Meats.

Buns Cup-Cakes are not only mouthwateringly delicious, but also beautiful. These handmade delicacies will immediately catch your eye when you walk into the market and you’ll be drawn to them. Don’t resist that urge, they’re worth it.

Heart and Soul Bakery bakes fresh breads every morning before the market and sells an excellent variety of breads. Some of their breads are even dairy, egg, yeast, wheat, and preservative and additive free. They help make bread be healthier, so clearly their bread is a must-have. If you go early enough, some are even still warm!

Breagagh Valley Artisan Meats serves some of the best organic beef burgers and sausages in Dublin. They drive up from Kilkenny every weekend so they can serve the freshest and most tender meat possible. We recommend splitting a burger and sausage with a friend so you can try both as neither is to be missed!

Visiting a farmers market over the weekend is a great way to spend time with people while buying organic fresh groceries, talking with the people who produce your food, and trying a new scrumptious dish!