“On a fine, frosty Saturday morning there is no more cheerful place in Gloucestershire than the farmers’ market in Stroud. At Cornhill – a small colonnaded square – low sunlight streams over the crowd of shoppers; delicious hints of frying bacon and mulled wine drift on the air; and through the hubbub come snatches of music from an accordion and violin.” So says Duff Hart-Davis' Country Matters column in the Independent.
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 Jasper Conran and Isabella Blow open the market |
The “Made In Stroud” Farmers’ Market operates strictly to the National Association of Farmers Markets rules. It only sells things that are produced locally; for famers’ markets this means within 30 miles of the market. So everything you see will have been grown, reared, made, pickled, smoked, baked or brewed by the stall holder. The market is so successful and vibrant it has been nominated for “Best Farmers Market” in the National Farmers Union Presidents Awards 2001.
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| Organic
vegetables from The Prince of Wales "Duchy Home Farm" |
By dealing direct with the farmers you have the chance to discuss how the food was produced, indeed many stalls have information boards or leaflets that explain the unique character of their products. So the market provides quality food from sources you can trust along with samples you can taste. Yet, by buying direct from the producers, and cutting out the middle man, you'll find that the prices usually beat the supermarkets - especially for organic produce.
Stalls sell a huge range of goods including free range eggs, fish, lamb, pork and beef, cheese from goats and milk from sheep as well as cows, fresh seasonal vegetables, apple juice, jams, bread and honey - you'll be surprised what grows locally and is made in and around Stroud.
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| The Bagle Fish Orchestra |
In addition there is always free entertainment, drawing Stroud’s rich community of musicians, street entertainers and storytellers, not to mention craft demonstrations and the ever popular open air café.
The market is now well established having been running for almost two years. On the first and third Saturday of each month the market helps transform Stroud, turning it back into the bustling market town it was before supermarkets ruled the retail world.
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| Jo Saunders of Folly Acres |
The market is so popular that Stroud as a whole is benefiting from it. A recent pedestrian ‘footfall survey’ showing an increase of one hundred and forty percent; put another way, that is an increase of ten thousand on the streets of Stroud on a farmers’ market day. Once people have enjoyed the market they can explore the town and visit other shops or cafés. Most visitors find there is much more to Stroud than they ever realised.
For more information see: www.madeinstroud.org/market
