The Sheds@1Fox

WORDS Biddi Rorke via MBLife.co.za IMAGES Anna-Belle Mulder via She Said

Deserted mining warehouses in a historic part of Joburg have been re-imagined into a thriving marketplace. Happiness!

Unlike many artisinal markets (think The Biscuit Mill and Neighbourgoods), The Sheds@1Fox boasts ample seating areas – meaning no elbow-to-elbow dining or awkward stand-up meals. Instead, expect roomy tables and timber benches (some made out of packing crates) in an airy space of trussed ceilings and exposed brick, steel columns and tin cladding. There’s also an outside courtyard dotted with veggie crates and potted trees that’s big enough to house a clutch of gourmet food vans and doubles as a gig venue for cool bands.

And it’s not just the pleasing architecture and coolly cosmopolitan selection of stalls – think Afro-Asian fusion cuisine, Mexican street food and traditional Serbian cuisine – that sets this newly opened market apart from similar ventures. The Sheds @1Fox also boasts an impressive heritage.

The gigantic brick-and-steel warehouses mark the district where intrepid miners first set up camp in their feverish search for gold. In fact, the centre part of the main shed is possibly the oldest industrial structure in Joburg – and the Good Luck Bar (one of three places to order a glass of sauvignon on the premises) pays homage to the original, eponymous 1895 bar.

But back to the stalls. From Contessa Exclusive Foods that sells vegan and wheat-free antipasti to Black Sam Smoque that offers wood-smoked beef, pork belly and ribs, The Sheds@Fox1 has got the culinary side taped. And for those who aren’t massive foodies, there’s a host of boutique design outlets offering anything from fresh blooms to ethically sourced, locally produced clothes and crafts.

Find this new addition to Joburg’s market scene just off the Selby off-ramp into town, just a short distance south of the Nelson Mandela Bridge.