Running for the last five years, the Gathered Design Market has been a hot spot for local Australian food, clothing and art. Showcasing up and coming small businesses looking to make their mark with creative and ingenious designs and ideas.

This being Adelaide Food Central our eyes were clearly fixated on the food vendors that were on offer at the Gathered Design Market. That said beyond food the market is still an amazing place to find a number of wonderous products in fashion, beauty, drinks and even birdhouses.

The food though is a highlight. With the stalls all set up in a enclosed area an enticing smell of a dozen different dishes waft through the Queens Theatre, it makes for a great place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. To start things off we tried a Cheese and Mushroom Gozleme from Ozzie Gozleme. A scrumptious grilled Turkish pastry is great way to start the day as a pseudo breakfast dish. A tasty Feta and Cheddar mixture with sliced mushrooms barbecued in a golden fresh pastry makes for a melted cheese delight.

Next on the chopping block is Ragini’s Spice. Ragini’s has been a staple of Hutt St for some time now and a popular fixture at the Royal Show and other markets. At Gathered, Ragini presented some of her famous dishes as well as her new crowd-pleasing Naanchos. Deep fried crunchy Naan with a Butter Chicken sauce and coated in cheese that is blow torched to a molten perfection. I would happily replace nachos with this forever.

Following the Indian fusion trend is Fusion of Tandoori and their take on the cheese toastie, the Shaslik Sandwich. A Wholemeal Jaffle filled with a Tandoori Marmalade of Panner Onions and Bell Peppers, layered in Cheese with a hint of Mint. This is a welcome update to an old classic. Cheese toasties are the bees knees but this is even better.

Finishing up the hot food section is Bao+ a street food stall which has been just about all over Adelaide in the last few years and with good reason. We tried their expertly fried Pork Dumplings. A simple dish enhanced with Vietnamese sauces and flavours. Another example of a staple improved upon.

Of course, you can’t have a market without desserts which is where GG’s Cupcakery comes in. Vegan friendly cupcakes with a luscious base and firm and devilish icing in a number of enticing flavours. From Lamington with Jam, Choc Nutella and my favourite Choc Turkish Delight. GG’s Cupcakery are artisans in their craft and their carefully decorated cupcakes are proof of this.
This is only a sample of what the Gathered Design Market has available. There were plenty more in the way of snacks, desserts, drinks and plenty of crafts to go around.

The next event of the Gathered circuit is the Hahndorf Christmas Market which will run from 11th to the 13th of December. Check out the Gathered website for more info.

Words by Jonathon Tonkin