Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Families and friends from across the kingdom, and the region, flocked to the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain for some fun in the sun and tasty traditional treats as part of its Farmer’s Market.
The pop-up event, which was held last Friday, included local farmers featuring fresh fruits and vegetables along with various vendors and artisans selling vibrant flowers and plants or homemade goods such as honey, spices, art pieces and sculptures.
Around 300 people attended the market that had been staged on the five-star-hotel’s lush croquet lawn and they were thrilled by it.
Fashion designer Hebah Al-Hasan, from Adliya, took her son Abdulaziz, seven, and Al Jawahara Fawzia, five, to the market to enjoy the scenery and have a fun-filled family outing. Both the hotel and the farmer’s market are near and dear to her heart. She said: “We love the Ritz in general. I have been a member for a long time and I’ve seen it change throughout the years. I love that they are making it more happening and interactive for guests. It’s gorgeous here.
“Also, we go to the Budaiya market every Saturday which is special to me because my dad was actually the manager of that space. That being said, this place is special to me too so I’m happy that they combined the activity and we have both options for markets.”
The hotel’s culinary team, led by Executive Chef Yann Bernard Lejard and Chef de Cuisine Abbas Jaffer, set up a bountiful buffet featuring an array of cuisine and Bahraini breakfast fare. There were also live cooking stations across the lawn drawing in huge lines of hungry patrons. The Bahraini breakfast was priced at BD5 per person
While some feasted, others started shopping for produce from the farmers or goods from the artisans.
The Shahad Alnahal Honey farm, which can usually be spotted at the Farmer’s Market in Budaiya’s Botanical Garden, were delighted to be a part of the hotel’s pop-up event.
Honey man Mousa Jaffar said: “The market was fantastic and attracted such a huge crowd. We offered people a variety of honey, some from flowers that signify the coming of spring and summer as well as some winter honey and pollen.” People appreciated that the honey is 100 per cent pure from the kingdom. Prices for the honey started from BD4 for the smallest jar.
Zainab Abduljabbar, a member of Bahrain’s Productive Families, featured her homemade spice mixes, achar and coffee. She has been giving dishes a punch of flavour with her eclectic mixes for the past six years. She said: “I support the local farmers as much as I can by using local vegetables for my mixes. It’s great to see others shopping local as well.
“The atmosphere at the market was absolutely beautiful with people picnicking in nature while admiring the scenery. I am also pleased with the amount of people that came out to enjoy the beautiful day.” Her prices start from BD1.
Effat Jawaheri, a housewife from Budaiya who attended the market with her family, couldn’t get enough of the fruits and vegetables. She said: “I enjoyed the market and am really happy that I came. I picked up so many things. We had a great breakfast and I ate from the different stalls. I also bought so many fresh fruits. It was really lovely. They should have more of these markets.”
As people indulged with the beachy backdrop, some shoppers snapped up leather bracelets and wallets from Adel Al Sahalawi’s leathered good stand while others picked up metallic figures made by artist Yusuf Rashidy.
Yusuf is known from transforming metallic hangers into artistic sculptures. He said: “I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands and creating. I noticed a lot of people toss out their hangers. I thought, why not put the old metal to good use and I began to create bikes, people and other designs with them. I make everything by hand, starting from BD7. The market was a good venue to feature my work and show people what I can do. I am also at Bahrain’s Farmer’s Market in Budaiya on Saturday’s too.”
There was also a craft section for children to create to their heart’s content, get their faces painted, henna done or have their comical portraits drawn by caricaturists. The petting zoo was another feel-good element for the little ones with a horse-drawn carriage ride along with ponies, bunnies and baby chicks to play with. There was also a bouncy castle.
Lina Al Naima, who works in human resource at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, feasted at the Ritz with her children Alma, nine, and Adam, six. She said: “I loved everything about the market. Alma really enjoyed the art section as she loves to paint and Adam had a great time with the horse and ponies.
“It was a great way to spend our Friday.”
