Farmers markets are one of the best places to find genuinely local food when you’re travelling, and for those interested in dairy and fermented foods, they’re often the only place to find products made by small producers who don’t have the distribution to reach supermarkets. Here’s a guide to some of the best markets for food-focused travellers, and what to look for when you get there.
What to Look For at a Good Farmers Market
Not every market that calls itself a farmers market actually involves local farmers. In popular tourist destinations, what presents as a food market can be a mix of commercial producers, imported goods, and artisan pricing without artisan quality. The way to distinguish the genuine from the performative is to look for small quantities, seasonal variation, and producers who can tell you exactly how their product was made and where the milk came from.
Artisan dairy producers at genuinely good markets will usually have yoghurt, kefir, or soft cheese made from milk they produced themselves or sourced within a short distance. They’ll be able to tell you what the animals eat, what cultures they use, and how the fermentation is managed. If a yoghurt producer can’t answer basic questions about their process, it’s a sign the product isn’t as artisan as the presentation suggests.
Borough Market, London
Borough Market in London is one of the most famous food markets in the world and, despite its tourist popularity, still has a core of serious producers selling genuinely exceptional food. The dairy section includes small producers selling artisan yoghurt, kefir, fresh cheese, and cultured butter. La Latteria, which operates at the market, sells yoghurt and kefir made from the milk of cows at a single farm in Norfolk.
The market is best experienced on a Thursday morning when it’s less crowded than the weekend and the producers are more available to talk. Saturday brings huge crowds and a less pleasant experience. Go early, go hungry, and budget for more than you planned to spend.
The Green Bazaar, Almaty, Kazakhstan
For something completely different, the Zelyony Bazaar (Green Market) in Almaty is one of the great food markets of Central Asia. The dairy section sells fresh qurt (dried fermented dairy balls), fresh kefir, kumiss, katyk, and various local cheeses. The vendors are mostly small producers and the quality is genuinely high. This is the kind of market where the products are entirely unfamiliar to most Western visitors, which makes it one of the most interesting food experiences available in the region.
Marché des Enfants Rouges, Paris
The Marché des Enfants Rouges is the oldest covered market in Paris (established 1615) and still has excellent dairy and produce stalls. Small producers from the Île-de-France region sell fresh fromage blanc, yoghurt, and soft cheeses alongside vegetables and bread. It’s small, genuinely local, and much less touristy than the bigger markets in the city. The fromage blanc from a good producer here is outstanding.
Naschmarkt, Vienna
Vienna’s Naschmarkt is a long, outdoor market that runs along a canal in the sixth district. Among the many food stalls, you’ll find Austrian dairy products including fresh Topfen (similar to quark), yoghurt from small Viennese dairies, and a range of cultured dairy products from Central European producers. The market runs Monday to Saturday, with a flea market on Saturdays that attracts crowds. Go on a weekday morning for a more relaxed experience and better access to the food stalls.
Australian Farmers Markets Worth Travelling To
Australia has a number of excellent regional farmers markets that are worth building a weekend trip around. The Rocks Market in Sydney, the South Melbourne Market, and the Adelaide Central Market all have small dairy producers selling yoghurt, kefir, labneh, and soft cheese. The Bangalow Farmers Market in northern NSW is particularly good for local dairy, with producers from the Byron Bay hinterland selling cultured dairy products that are genuinely worth the drive.
