Le Marché Willoughby - a Franco-Australian market coming to Sydney's North Shore

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Le Marché Willoughby is a new French-Australian bi-monthly market being held from this weekend at Club Willoughby on Sydney’s North Shore. There you will find fresh and gourmet products such as cheeses, crepes, French style charcuterie, breads and pastries.

The French stalls that you will find at Le Marché Willoughby are:

Saucissons Australia
Choux Pâtisserie
Tonton bread
French oven bonjour
Cheese on wheels
Frencheese Australia
The French Counter / crepes
2 Ducks Trading and Co
Sacrebleu
La Truffière

We spoke with the organiser of Le Marché Willoughby, Solveig Coulon-Legay.

How many stall-holders will there be at the first Le Marché Willoughby?

For the first market, we have 26 traders. We are going to grow the number of stands as things progress, all while maintaining a great variety of products.

Which traders will we find at Le Marché Willoughby?

Mostly fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, eggs and organic milk)- organic meat, locally produced honey, and gourmet products (French and Australian), that you won’t find in large supermarkets; bakery and some cooking and tableware artisans.

Does Le Marché Willoughby have the same organisers and the same stalls as the other French markets that have taken place at Club Willoughby such as the Bastille Market?

Yes, I am also the organiser of BASTILLE MARKET and XMAS IN PARIS. There are some stall-holders who come to sell at my French markets who will also be at this bi-monthly market.

Where did the idea for Le Marché Willoughby come from?

A part from the market in North Sydney, there are no fresh produce markets in Sydney’s lower North Shore: there is a real need and demand for a small local market with good products and farmers, artisans and local producers

The idea is to create a friendly market, like in a small village, where locals meet on Sunday mornings to drink coffee, eat and shop, while supporting small businesses and local producers. I want to encourage our customers to come and shop at the market rather than in supermarkets.

With COVID 19, small businesses need the support of their community more than ever. My team of Bastille market stands (60 stands) also encouraged and supported me a lot in this project -thank you, guys 🙂 It’s important to surround myself with producers who have the same passion as me and who work in the same state of mind.

Apart from organising Le Marché Willoughby, what do you do in life?

Organising a bi-monthly market takes much longer than you might think, especially during COVID because there are so many new and strict rules to follow. It is necessary to recruit and retain good stands, as well as the clientele, promote the market on social media etc…

The BASTILLE MARKET events also take up my time, as we have an event in NEWCASTLE, but for the moment everything is at a standstill because of COVID 19. Since 2013, I also have a small tablecloth and table linen business, 100% made in France.

How is Le Marché Willoughby different to other markets?

I am Franco-Australian/Frozzie. It’s a market that brings together my two countries, France and Australia, and it’s a concept that doesn’t exist yet. With a selection of unique, good quality products, but also with friendly, passionate salespeople who will talk and share their passion with our customers.

For those who don’t know Club Willoughby, where the market is being held, where is it?

The market will be held in the heart of Willoughby, at CLUB WILLOUGHBY, 26 Crabbes Avenue.

Why did you choose this location?

It is an easily accessible place for visitors, with free parking and it’s secure for children as we are on the bowling grounds, away from the road. Willoughby is in the heart of the Lower North Shore, so we are about 10 minutes drive from all the small towns nearby.