As the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” and that’s just what the Market Day stallholders of James Street Food & Wine Trail (JSFWT) did in early August – but the lemonade was swapped with Tommy’s Margaritas…

JSFWT is an annual street-wide event to highlight the work of local chefs, providers, and true tastemakers. This year, the moveable four-day feast began with satellite events on Thursday 29 July and was to culminate in Market Day – the ultimate alfresco picnic on Sunday 1 August. Alas, a local lockdown had other plans…

At the time of the announcement, resident chefs were busy slicing and dicing for what they thought was t-minus 24-hours until the BIG day. They (and we) thought wrong…cue a 4pm SEQ lockdown. In just 6-hours, stallholders rallied with event organisers and pivoted to Market Day ‘At Home’ to ensure that none of the prepping efforts or food went to waste. The result? Market Day feasts in takeaway form – epicurean enthusiasts within a 10km radius enjoyed delectable dishes and cool concoctions until sold out.

And sold out they did! We cannot thank the James St community enough for rallying their appetites in support.  Our gratitude also extends to the Market Day stallholders for their courageous effort in pulling off the last-minute pivot.

Looking forward, we’re saddened to confirm that the event will not be rescheduled for 2021 due to the ongoing uncertainty around restrictions.  This decision was not made lightly but allows us to pause, take stock, and focus on planning JSFWT 2022.

Our food community will keep on keeping on, and growing for that matter with four culinary dynamos, Gemelli, Bar Tano, Essa and The Green set to open in the coming weeks. We are proud of the local restaurateurs that call James St home – can you tell?

To dig a little deeper into What Made James Street a Dining District, Broadsheet Brisbane Editor-at-Large Matt Shea divulged his musing on what turned James St into a precinct, prime for eating and drinking. Read on!