Counter one
Weekly Special Bays
The weekly special bays are the first thing set each Monday. Four crates are pulled to the front
of the hall, each marked with a hand written paper flag, and the produce in them is chosen for the
price and the condition rather than for a glossy display. What we look for is simple: fruit that
holds for the week ahead, greens that still snap at the stem, and roots that will not turn soft by
Thursday. Because the flags are written by hand, the bay staff can change a price mid week when a
supplier moves, and the counter will read the same number all the way to the till.
The bays also carry a small note for anyone buying for a family. If a crate is running low, the note
says so, and the counter will offer the next crate over rather than pretend the first one is full.
Weekly specials are the easiest way to try the hall for the first time, and they are the service we
recommend for anyone who wants a short, honest basket before committing to a larger run.
Counter two
Bulk Order Runs
Bulk order runs are booked at least a day ahead and pulled from the back of the market hall where
the crates sit in cool shade. A run is counted twice: once when the box is filled and again when it
reaches the counter, so the two numbers have to agree before the bag is sealed. If a line is short,
the counter calls you before the run leaves the hall, and you can swap the line or drop it without
paying for a crate that was never there. Boxes are built flat so they stack in a car boot without
crushing the produce on the bottom.
Kitchen teams and family gatherings use the same service. A bulk run is not a wholesale pallet; it
is a sensible box or two, packed with weight noted on the outside, and priced at the counter rate
for the week. We keep a written record of every run so there is no confusion about what was counted
or when it was collected.
Counter three
Deli Platter Desks
The deli platter desks sit behind a cold slab near the middle of the hall, and they build trays to
a written sheet rather than to memory. Each platter is tagged with the build date, wrapped level in
a crate liner, and carried out on a flat board so nothing slides on the walk to the car. We keep the
build simple: a cold base, two or three cheese lines, a savoury note, and a small stack of crackers
that does not go soft before the table opens.
Platters can be ordered for two, six, or a larger table, and the desk will tell you plainly when a
tray is too big for the box. If you need the platter for a specific hour, say so when you order,
because the desk builds in the order the trays are booked and not in the order people arrive.
Counter four
Fresh Cut Windows
Fresh cut windows are the short hours when the cutting board is open, clean, and set with a newly
sharpened blade. They run at set times during the day so the counter can clear the board, wash the
surface, and change the blade between windows. Whatever is cut during a window is weighed right
there and bagged on the counter pan, not carried to the back room where the weight can drift.
The window system exists for people who want the cut visible. If you are cooking for the evening and
want a tray of prepared pieces, the window is the right service. The board is open on a first come
basis, and the counter will tell you honestly when the window is nearly closed rather than take an
order it cannot fill well.
Counter five
Pantry Staples Reviews
A pantry staples review is a short sit down at the end of the counter, usually ten minutes, where we
look at what your kitchen actually uses across a month. Rather than hand you a fixed box, the counter
staff open a simple sheet: grains, tins, oils, and dry goods, with a column for the amount bought and
a column for the amount still sitting. The point is to catch the bag that was bought twice and the
tin that never got opened.
The note we write stays with your counter card, so the next basket can skip what is already on your
shelf. Reviews are free, they are not a sales pitch, and the staff will happily tell you when the
cheapest option is to buy nothing at all until the old bag is finished.
Counter six
Catering Quote Sittings
Catering quote sittings happen at the tall table close to the awning, with the current crate sheet
laid flat between us. We count servings, weigh the options, and write a quote on the spot so you
leave the hall with a number in hand. The sitting covers the platter lines, the cut lines, and the
staples that would make the table work, and it names the day and hour the crates would need to leave
the hall.
Quotes are held for a week, which gives you time to check the date with the rest of the family. If
the catering quote window is busy, the counter will book you the next available sitting rather than
rush a number that later changes. Every quote is written down, so it can be read back without relying
on a memory of the conversation.
The process
Pick, weigh, bag, and write it down
Every service above follows the same four step process. First we pick, which means the crate is
brought forward and the produce is checked by hand. Second we weigh, which always happens on the
counter dial in front of the customer and never in the back room. Third we bag, folding the kraft
paper flat so the produce settles instead of rolling. Fourth we write it down, either on the crate
flag or on the counter card, so the next visit starts from a known point.
The order of work matters more than the speed of it. Bgd Food Market Inc. would rather run a short
list well than a long list badly, and the counter will tell you when a service is booked out for the
day. That honesty is the reason the six counters share one hall and one scale.