Jan Powers Farmers Markets Manly

Jan Power started her farmers markets in Brisbane in the 1990s, built on a simple idea: put shoppers in direct contact with the farmers and producers growing their food. Three decades on, the business she founded runs three sites across the city, and the Manly market remains one of its most scenic, set right against Manly Harbour.

A market that outlived its founder

Jan Power was born in Glen Innes, NSW, in 1939, grew up on a sheep property near Stanthorpe, and trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London before returning to Brisbane to become one of the city's best-known food personalities. She died in August 2024 at age 85, and the family business is now run by her daughter Astrid Gates and granddaughters Emily, Olivia and India Gates, who have kept the Manly market on its long-standing first-and-third-Saturday schedule at Royal Esplanade and Little Bayside Park.

Jan Power was known as much for her personality as her produce. Her own philosophy, often quoted by those who knew her, was simple: "Life is uncertain, always eat dessert first."

Good to know before you go

Because it only runs twice a month, it's worth double-checking the date against the first-and-third-Saturday pattern before planning a visit, since it's easy to assume any Saturday will do. The Manly Harbour setting makes it an easy pairing with a coffee or breakfast by the water, and it's dog-friendly if you're bringing one along.