This Issue

We have a look behind the scene at Gourmet Deli

A cake recipe using fresh walnut, eggs and pumpkin

Whats coming and whats going, in produce

What Else is Happening

• Unfortunately we say goodbye to La Rucca, but they will be back next year in March
• Pedro has 9 flavours of empanadas, also take home packs, just heat and eat, try matching them with Three Cats chutneys and vinegars
• Strawberries are here, available from Dave's Produce and Golden Mile
• Lothlorien attends every second week and have new release honeys, one is Autumn 24 and has a smooth sweet consistency, citrus overtones and an undercurrent of vanilla
• Fantail Fields has the waited for peonies, a very short season flower,  also ranunculus which is on special for $30/doz 
• Low's Orchard has sold out for the season, but will be back with stone fruit and strawberries mid December
• Limrose are also nearly sold out of limes, get in quick before they are gone

Our Busker This Week Is

Matt McNelly is back, Matt plays on cruise ships and always a favourite

Come down at enjoy the best of local produce and delicious homemade specialties this Sunday! 

The Story Behind Gourmet Deli – Margaret McHugh’s Journey

For 46 years, Margaret McHugh has been a force in the food world, and her stall Gourmet Deli is a reflection of her lifelong passion. Margaret’s journey started as a professional chef and caterer at the young age of 19, though her roots run deep into the farming world, having grown up on a dairy farm in the Deep South of New Zealand. She spent a decade (1980-1990) as the contract caterer aboard the steamship TSS Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu, and from there, she never looked back—remaining self-employed and thriving ever since.

Margaret first brought Gourmet Deli to the Marlborough Farmers Market in 2008, starting humbly with a gazebo and two trestle tables. However, it wasn’t long before she upgraded her setup. By 2012, she had a custom-built 5-metre-long gas-operated deli trailer, specially crafted by a shipyard company in Picton. She was the first to introduce a fully mobile cooking facility to the market and nearby vineyards, pulling up with tables and chairs to serve a hearty breakfast featuring bubble and squeak, homemade sausages, poached eggs, and her famous salmon omelettes—cooking a record 165 in one day at the Marlborough Garden Fete!
Over time, Gourmet Deli has grown in popularity. Margaret’s food—from pork pies to beef pasties and frittatas—has always drawn a crowd. Her lively banter, paired with freshly sourced local ingredients, has been part of the attraction too. Today, she runs a more manageable trailer after downsizing three years ago, allowing Bill, her husband, to relax, and now she gets help from her right-hand man, James McCullum, who sets up the trailer for her.
For Margaret, work is a joy, not just a job. “My work is my hobby,” she says, a sentiment that shines through every dish she prepares. Though she only works at the market every second Sunday and takes four months off in the winter, the relationships she’s built with loyal customers, some for over 18 years—keep her coming back.
When she’s not at the market, Margaret enjoys spending time on creative hobbies like hand-moulding edible icing flowers and crafting jewellery, as well as tending to her "over-the-top garden".  She also runs a boutique accommodation and fine dining house in Picton, where she and her husband Bill have hosted guests for the past 16 years.
Through it all, Margaret remains dedicated to simple, delicious food.  “I’m a great believer in simplicity, taste, and presentation,” she says. That philosophy has kept Gourmet Deli thriving, and though retirement isn’t on the horizon, Margaret finds peace in her craft, and a refreshing gin and soda at the end of the day.

Come see Margaret and taste the difference at Gourmet Deli—where food is prepared from scratch with a local flavor and a whole lot of heart.

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PS Do you have a friend who would benefit from being on our mailing list? Please forward this newsletter, and they can email us at marketmanager@marlboroughfarmersmarket.co.nz or go to our website to join our mailing list.