It’s been a tradition in our family to head down to our local farmer’s market every week and pile up our baskets with delicious, locally grown and organic fruits and veggies. So imagine our delight when we discovered Abu Dhabi’s very own version, the Ripe Food & Craft Market at the Desert Garden Centre. Every Friday, from 9.30am to 1pm, you can head on over to the Garden Centre, located in Khalifa Park and check out all the goodies for yourself.

As we hop out of our car we get a hint of what’s in store as we see people with flatbed carts loading up their cars with fresh fruits and veggies. It’s a little late in the day, so we are a little worried we might have missed the good stuff so we hustle inside.

Once we’ve passed the gate we see an enormous array of fresh plants, water features and stalls displayed neatly on the grounds.

The sheer amount of foliage distracts us completely and as we have a gander through the cool and shady maze of green, we can’t help but wish we had our very own garden to adorn. We then take a quick detour inside to find anything and everything a green thumb needs to keep their plants lush. Asides from that, there is an indoor coffee café to refuel from the hot sun.

Our favourite part of the market however comes with a visit to the stalls, where our fellow Abu Dhabians are peddling away their delicious baked goods, vegetables, handmade jewellery and more. There are specialty products on sale from Italy, homemade tamales, burritos and all things á la Mexico - and if that isn’t enough to tempt you, plenty of works of art will. With something for everyone, this is one market you have no excuse not to visit. We certainly know where we’ll be next Friday morning. For more information: www.ripeme.com

Sawaiba Khan