CY Market 2016

Come to the CY Market and See Why

 This year's CY Market was held at Meerendal, a scenic 300-year-old wine estate just outside of Durbanville on the Vissershok Road, popular among cyclists because of the biking trails it offers. The CY Market website painted an inviting image of what to expect at this year's market: "Imagine walking along a picturesque patchwork of (local) creations. Expect everything but the standard same olds. Get excited about spaces containing a range of home comforts. Every inch will be filled with carefully curated items inspiring you to create...Surround yourself with beauty, while appreciating local wines and culinary delights in a laid back atmosphere." This was certainly not a case of false advertising; there was a plethora of creative and inspiring creations and the beauty of the venue and its surrounds certainly made me feel relaxed. Not to mention the fact that the entry fee was a reasonable R40.

Visitors were spoilt for choice when it came to the gift and decor options on sale in the first tent. Items included wood frames, cushions, printed linens, bowls, cups, laser cut-outs, ceramics, glassware, jewellery, clothing, and bags. I love the ceramic bunny that I bought. But, as the sign at the exit read, there were still two more "rooms" filled with incredible gifts and decor, as well as a deli section offering scrumptious sweet and savoury treats. I don't know why but the fudge sold at markets is unlike the fudge found anywhere else, so that is always one of the first sweet treats to make their way into my basket, closely followed by those custard biscuits with the ripples on them. This year I selected an assortment of biscuits from Swartland Bakery - mini custard dreams, mini minti dreams and mini velvet dreams (I do love mini things!). Another favourite was the delicious sundried tomato mustard courtesy of Nicky's Preserves.

The great thing was that most of these items were affordable and good value for money. I did not feel that customers were being ripped off by inflated prices. Moreover I was impressed by how efficient the centralised payment system was. At first glance, the line for the payment tent seemed on the long side but it moved quickly and before long, we were at the very friendly cashiers.

One part of the market that could be improved is the number of food options. There were a few food trucks, all which had very interesting and diverse sounding menus so it was unfortunate that some items were sold around the time of the lunch-time rush when most visitors were on the peckish side after all of their shopping. In addition, from what I could see, there weren't many options for beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my pepperoni pizza from Eezi St Pizza as well as the cannolo (singular form of cannoli) I had from Holi Cannoli (love the name too!).

 

I can not think of a more enjoyable way to spend a Saturday, surrounded by the natural and historic beauty of Meerendal, with the inviting aromas of food and the sounds of fellow Capetonians enjoying the hashtag capetownlife.