The Forage is being held this Saturday 12 September at the Old Bus Depot markets in Kingston. Don’t know what The Forage is? It’s a street style food event with food vans/stalls galore! A must visit for all the foodies out there. The Hustle and Scout markets are also part of the party so there’s plenty to see, buy and eat.
The last few events have been held at Hanger 47 near the airport. However, the Forage are looking for a new permanent home which I understand is being unveiled shortly for the December event.
This post is about my visit to Hustle and Scout and The Forage back in April. There were about 30 food stalls available – way too much choice! German Wurst van caught my eye with bratwurst, kransky, currywurst and a mega burger on the menu.
Dinner Rush, created by local Canberran and qualified chef Siobhan, had a stall with some healthy fresh food where everything is sourced locally.
Hardcore Carnivore was extremely popular selling confit duck, a pulled pork roll, the lambwich and pork belly banh mi all around the $10-$15.
I was excited to try out the Boathouse by the Lake‘s stall as it was their first time at The Forage. The bacon popcorn and pumpkin cheesecake ice cream stood out for me!
Then there was Pod Food that had 4 food options which all sounded great.
The Fizzle and Pop stall offered homemade fizzy drinks with your choice of flavouring. Another popular stall on that warm afternoon.
The New York Minute offered schnitzel, chilli dogs, and ravioli and mushroom arancini.
It was a very warm day so my friend and I started off with Trader Nic’s homemade lemonade. Refreshing and tasty! There’s just something about getting a homemade drink that makes it taste so much better.
Food-wise, I decided on Pod Food’s lobster corn bread ($10) as my first snack. This was easy and quick to make with the premixed lobster, corn, chives and mayonnaise combination in a big plastic box ready for scooping out. The corn bread was a little dry so I didn’t eat most of the bread. I also didn’t want to fill up too quickly with so many other yummy food to try.
The Boathouse by the Lake’s bacon popcorn ($3) didn’t really taste like bacon which was disappointing. It was salty but I think it needed more fine tuning. Maybe it was just the first batch they made. Great concept! Looking forward to what they come up with this weekend.
Hardcore Carnivore’s pork belly banh mi was pretty average and there wasn’t much pork belly in it. Plenty of freshly grated carrot and a nice crusty roll. I should’ve chosen the confit duck. Food regrets! From memory, there were two other stalls that sold banh mi.
The Boathouse by the Lake’s dessert of pumpkin cheesecake ice cream with black sesame custard and praline ($5) was fantastic. Unusual flavour combination but it really worked. Delicious.
Pod Food’s ricotta pancakes with Pialligo apple and double cream ($8) was my favourite dish of the day. Absolutely fantastic fluffy pancakes with stewed apple and maple syrup on top. Wow! Really impressed with it and would highly recommend to those that love pancakes. Hopefully these are still on the menu this weekend.
My friend tried New York Minute’s mushroom arancini ($12) which were crunchy on the outside and served with yoghurt. Very satisfying but a little expensive for just three arancini balls.
He also ordered the glorious chanchito from Mr Papa. Filled with the most mouthwatering slow cooked pork belly, sweet potato, and salsa criolla. If you haven’t tried this, you haven’t lived!
B Street Bakery was tucked away inside the Hustle and Scout markets. This was a favourite last time with a thick crowd surrounding the stall that I couldn’t actually what flavours of cupcakes were available. Better get there early!
Other food vans/stalls include Bentspoke Brewery, Pialligo Farm, Sweet Bones Bakery, East Street, The Muesli Bar, The Brathaus, Poachers Pantry and more. Food prices ranged from $3 to $20 so there should be something to suit most people’s budgets. Do what I do and walk around to see what’s available first. I usually take photos of the menu so I can remember what food item came from which stall! I believe there are tickets ($50) still available for The Forage Ultimate Beer and Cheese Tasting Experience with two sessions on during the day.
The next Forage is on this Saturday between 2pm-7pm at the Old Bus Depot Markets. Don’t miss out!
Foodgasm 7.5/10
Value for money 8/10
Service 8/10
FPJ score 23.5/30
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