- Saturday 19th September
- Over 25 stalls selling local produce and products
- Workshops including a cooking demonstration and kids bike track to be announced on Facebook
- Te Puna Village Bike hub and Kākano Art Gallery open
The wait is almost over for those craving local produce and products, as Te Puna Market sets to reopen as a physical market on Saturday 19th September. Since May the market has been operating a click and collect service, offering local fresh produce, artisan products, baked goods and organic seedlings.
Te Puna Market coordinator, Jason Dodunski, says the current COVID-19 climate isn’t going to hold the market back from reopening [under the current alert level 2], but it will be a different experience.
“We are spacing the stalls out, so people can remain physically distanced. Stallholders will be wearing masks, and customers need to hand sanitise and register using the COVID-19 tracer app or manual list.”
The market will reopen with several new stallholders, including freshly baked bread and pastries, seedlings, food trucks and natural skincare products. EcoMatters bike hub will also be open, alongside the Kakano Art Gallery.
Community have expressed their delight in the reopening of Te Puna Market, with one resident saying:
“It’s an awesome little community market with a cool range of fresh veggies, as well as locally made items. We’ll be making it a regular weekend thing for our whānau to do. Tautoko!”
The market’s mission remains to reconnect the local community with local sources of affordable and healthy kai. Kai West spokesperson, Megan Beard, explains.
“COVID-19 has placed considerable strain on the food system, exposing the shortfalls of global supply chains. Te Puna Market is working on localising food supply here in West Auckland, helping to grow more resilient communities.”
Te Puna Market is funded by Panuku Development Auckland, which also provides the venue free of charge.
For information on becoming a stallholder contact: Jason
About Te Puna Market
Te Puna Market was launched by Kai West in 2019, in response to community concern when the primary supermarket closed, limiting access to affordable and healthy food. The market aims to reconnect the community with local growers and producers and in turn, shorten the food supply chain in West Auckland. The market is funded by Panuku Development Auckland and takes place every Saturday on the corner of Edmonton Road and Alderman Drive (click and collect only until spring).
About Kai West:
Kai West is a collective of organisations embedded in the West Auckland community with a shared kaupapa of strengthening local food systems to increase food security and resilience. Current membership includes Healthy Families Waitākere, WEST, MPHS, Massey Matters, EcoMatters and Community Waitākere.
