Twilight Eat Street markets return to Bulli Showgrounds from next Friday, September 28, but one vendor has brewed a storm.
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The monthly event, run by the force behind Foragers, is being sponsored by Adelaide brewing company Coopers.
Illawarra-based Five Barrel Brewing owner Phillip O’Shea said markets relied heavily on their community and such an opportunity should have been taken up by a local.
“It is part of an unfortunate trend,” he said. “I'm not singling out the Foragers’ market, there have been other events ... espousing to be community oriented that behave like this.”
Woonona’s Ana Waugh, a regular supporter of Foragers’ markets, said the move was not helping to “grow our local industries” and would now boycott.
“Supporting local was what made Foragers unique in the first place and helped them get to where they are now,” Ms Waugh said.
Foragers founder Kirrily Sinclair told the Mercury as the event was free it depended on sponsorship like this to help keep it running.
“Coopers are really the original craft brewers … sixth generation, proudly Australian owned and run,” Ms Sinclair said.
“They are a wonderful example of a grass roots business that has made great success – the same as many of our stallholders are hoping to do with their products one day.”
She did say local producers such as Darkes Forest Cider, Simall Wines, Siam Black Duck and Jimmy’s Burger Bar would be on board.
However, there will also be out-of-area vendors like Sugar Wheels – creators of the “Unicorn” ice-cream burger.
A full list of the 20 vendors was not supplied.
Illawarra musicians will be on hand to entertain crowds while money raised at the gates will go to local charity the Surfrider Foundation.
Eat Street Bulli runs from 5pm monthly over summer, starting next week.