Mr Ramsay on Foodie Island
Gordon Ramsay loves the seafood and fish in Tasmania. And Hobart loves visitors on a budget, with a big cookbook collection.
If you are staying in an Air BnB in Hobart and eating at home, shop for exclusive Tasmanian food and drink to stock the kitchen.
In fact, buying Tasmanian (and self-catering) is now part of the holiday for many people.
It’s very easy to buy boat-delivered fish at Salamanca Wharf and stroll home with it. This is a walker’s city.
What Gordon Ramsay Knows
“Some of the best whiskey in the world” is what Gordon says about Hobart, along with his fandom for the fish. Even if you’re not a whiskey drinker, you’d have to agree about the seafood.
Ramsay even dived for spiny lobster in the Tasmanian kelp fields – risking the attention of a 14-foot shark – near his fishing boat.
You don’t have to dive to find your lobster, though. Or the ingredients for Air BnB gourmet dinner.
Here are three great shops and one outstanding market, within a short 20-minute walk of each other.
Not the City of Gastronomy
It’s true that Launceston, at the other end of Tasmania, is the UNESCO City of Gastronomy (Hobart may have been miffed) but these jars of local island honey, whisky marmalade and dukkah travel you see here, can be found on the shelves of both cities.
Hobart and the Conde Nast Traveller Awards
Hobart is the only small city in the Asia-Pacific Conde Nast Traveller Awards to rate a listing. They called it “The laid-back Aussie city at the bottom of the world.”
Correct. In fact, Hobart is now up there with Victoria in Canada, Florence in Italy and San Sebastian in Spain, on the Conde Nast Traveller list.
Expedia named Hobart in its 2026 Destinations of the Year, in 2025.
When half a million Conde Nast Traveller readers voted in the Readers’ Choice Awards Tasmania was the #2 best island in the Australasia and Pacific. And this is the capital.
And Then There’s That Market…
Hobart also has the outstanding Farmgate Market on Sunday. Once visited, tried and tasted, never forgotten.
This market is behind the State Library of Tasmania from 8.30am on Bathurst Street.
If you want to bypass Coles and Woolworths supermarkets and buy free-range fresh lamb chops and cured bacon; organic vegetables; home-made crusty bread; free-range local eggs; Tasmanian wine and spirits – this is your market.
There’s a sensational Bloody Mary mix in a big glass bottle and the vodka that goes with it, on offer. Divine fresh-cut bush flowers for your Air BnB table. Evil doughnuts.
You can also buy breakfast or lunch here from international food caravans and eat on the lawn or at the big, shared trestle tables. All cooked while you watch.
If you are lucky enough to be here when the island oyster caravan calls, you can buy them for lunch and watch them being opened, served with rock salt and lemon.
This is Ma Oysters, from Bruny Island, by van, to you.
Buying Presents For Home
If you are buying foodie presents for a host or just shopping for yourself, you can walk from Farmgate Market down to the waterfront, from Salamanca Fresh, the big, open alternative Tasmanian supermarket (with great local wine at the front door).
If you miss Farmgate Market on Sunday morning, start at Salamanca Fresh anyway. The basics are all there but so is the Tasmanian foodie shopping list, at the end of this story.
Wursthaus Kitchen Pork Pies
Leave space in your backpack, bag or suitcase on wheels, for Wursthaus Kitchen, which is steps away from Salamanca Fresh, on a side street – with its famous pork pies, sharp Tasmanian blue cheese and foodie import French Pommery mustard.
Don’t forget to leave even more room for delicacies from Eumarrah, later – the luxe hippy wholefood shop in the centre of Hobart.
What to Buy
Chemical-free (enormous) juicy grapefruit, crunchy Tasmanian pickled onions, award-winning Tassie Bush Dukkah for bread, Walnutter (walnut butter) and Westerway Farms raspberry juice are good for picnics or lunch in your Air BnB.
If you do happen to be here on Sunday, make that the shop-and-stroll-and-dine day as you can happily start the morning at Farmgate Market, have breakfast there, do your weekly food shop then stroll down to the water, to finish at Salamanca Place for lunch.
There are dozens of excellent bars, restaurants, cafes and the legendary Tasmanian bakery Banjo’s to choose from, at Salamanca.
Eumarrah for Oats, Nuts, Bushwalking Supplies
If you want to avoid packaging, and meat in general, hit the grain bucket scoops and vegetarian food at Eumarrah.
Generations of Tasmanian bushwalkers, hikers and hippies have found their Chai tea, beer bar shampoo and chemical-free fruit and vegetables here.
There is also a good vegan/vegetarian takeaway lunch counter.
Pick up organic Tasmanian wine and real craft beer.
This is where the Tasmanian foodie shopping list comes into its own. Small batch production, local fans, choosy visitors – it all adds up to self-catering which is part of the holiday.
What’s Different About Hobart?
Scallop pies at Banjo’s or at Salamanca Market. Crumbed or battered scallops and chips.
This is the seafood of any chef’s dreams in Paris, but it’s inexpensive in Hobart and cooked to perfection, casually served from caravans on Salamanca waterfront.
Free-range, farm-produced, hand-smoked maple bacon? Check. Weird and wonderful gourmet mushrooms for a sensational spaghetti dish? Check.
Bunches of little Peter Rabbit carrots to nibble on from Farmgate Market , stashes of fresh coriander there for Asian stir-fry and even a big bag of fleshy Tasmanian potatoes, for the week – are hard to go past.
If you run into Gordon Ramsay, let us know.
Your Hobart Foodie Shopping List
Westerway Farms Raspberry and Blackcurrant juice
Tasmanian Wasabi Mustard
Tasman Sea Salt (also a good present to take home).
Emma’s Dairy – Tasmanian Creamy Raspberry Yoghurt
Mures Prawn Bisque
Tasmanian Wallaby Shanks – Lenah Game Meats
Tasmanian black truffles
Truffle stuffed spatchcock
Robbins’ Island Wagyu Beef
Pumpkin risotto cake
Persian potato cakes
Egg and bacon pies
Shakespeare Hills eggs – (Huon Valley)
Shelduck Farm Oatcakes
Tasmanian Affair Relish
Tassie Tom dark chocolate smoked almonds
Wursthaus Pork Pie
Hot English Truffle Mustard
Tasmanian Hemp Flour
Huon Me Crumpets
Wellington Apiary Hobart Wildflower Honey
Tasmanian Whisky Marmalade
Pink Lady Apple Juice
Tasmanian Olive Oil
Tasmanian Coaldale Walnuts
Organic Tasmanian Oat Grain
Organic Tasmanian Raw Buckwheat
Tasmanian Wattleseed Roasted and Ground
Tasmanian Hazelnuts
Tassie Bush Dukkah
Addresses
Salamanca Fresh
41 Salamanca Place, Hobart 7000
Wursthaus Kitchen
1 Montpelier Retreat, Hobart 7004
Eumarrah
39 Barrack Street, Hobart 7000
Farmgate Market
104 Bathurst Street, Hobart 7000
