Our Price is Right

11th September, 2010

A weekend in Brisbane is a refreshing change, but I have to admit we have it pretty good here when it comes to the cost of food.

A visit to the James Street Markets in Fortitude Valley is always interesting and if you are in the food industry and are a seafood, meat, bakery or fruit and vegetable retailer; it’s worth having a look at what is on offer there. Food is fabulously presented, quality very much assured and with numerous quick and easy take home convenience items. However, you pay for what you get and most meats seem to start at around $29.99kg and rise from there. ..and I was staggered to see our Skybury papaya at $6.69kg where here we pay around $2.59kg.

The restaurant scene in Brisbane is now giving Sydney and Melbourne a nudge with chefs such as Mat Moran and Ben O’Donoghue setting up camp on the river and the Spanish Ortiga this week winning the Australian Gourmet Traveller ‘Best New Restaurant’ award. Trying to get into any of these restaurants on the same weekend as ‘River Fire’ was not an option so we chose a trendy bistro in New Farm. Now some say that Cairns restaurant prices are high, however a dish of swordfish on risotto once you add the (separate) vegetables came in at a hiking $43.00, and the glass of wine that would normally be $9-10 in our region was $14 for the same.

So the reality is that we are not so bad off here and especially if you buy local produce, the transport costs are eliminated from the price.