Farmers Markets we attend
| Market
Day of Each Month |
Location |
Contact
Number |
Wigan
1st Tuesday |
Outoor
Market
Wigan Town Centre |
01942 708
101 |
Lytham
St. Annes
1st Thursday |
Pleasure
Island Leisure Complex
South Promenade |
01995 670386 |
Cedar Farm
1st Saturday |
Farm Gallery,
Back Lane
Mawdesley, Chorley |
01257 515151 |
Rossendale
1st Sunday |
Rossendale
FM
Opposite Musbury Fabrics, Helmshore |
01706 244230 |
Manchester
2nd Friday and 2nd Saturday |
Manchester
FM
Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester |
0161 234
7356 |
Scarisbrick
2nd Tuesday |
Village
Hall
Smithy Lane, Scarisbrick |
01704 880
623 |
|
Lancaster
2nd Saturday
|
Market
Street
Lancaster |
01524 66627 |
Wirral
2nd Saturday |
New Ferry
Village Hall
Grove Street, New Ferry, Wirral |
0151 643
1393 |
Ramsbottom
2nd Sunday |
Ramsbottom
FM
Civic Hall, Ramsbottom |
01706 781
014 |
Holmfirth
3rd Sunday |
Market
Hall
Huddersfield Rd, Holmfirth |
01484 223730 |
Hoghton
Tower
3rd Sunday |
Hoghton
Tower, Hoghton
Nr.Preston, Lancashire |
01254 852
986 |
Liverpool
(Aigburth)
4th Saturday |
Lark Lane
Aigburth, Liverpool |
0151 233
2165 |
Smithills
Hall
4th Sunday |
Bolton
FM,
Smithills Hall, Bolton |
01204 496
552 |
Manchester
4th Friday
and 4th Saturday |
Piccadilly
Gardens
Manchester |
0161 234
7356 |
Southport
Last Thursday |
King Street
Southport |
0151 934
4283 |
Bakewell
Last Saturday |
Ashton-under-Lyne
Last Sunday Ashton Market Ground, Bow Street |
0161 342
3268 |
What is a Farmers Market?
A farmers' market is one in which farmers, growers or producers from a defined
local area are present in person to sell their own produce, direct to the public.
All products sold should have been grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked,
smoked or processed by the stallholder.
Farmers' markets, with their
emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce and their hands-on approach to shopping,
are a magnet for food-lovers. The first British farmers' market opened in Bath
in 1997 and there are now more than 500 operating throughout the country. Each
year we spend about £120m at farmers' markets.
What is the difference
between these markets and other forms of shopping and what they offer customers?
The public can be
confident of the origins of the foods, ask questions and get closer to the sources
of local foods resulting in a trust between the buyer and seller. The producers
get valuable feed-back from customers. Farmers'
markets are for all kinds of food producers and offer a low-cost entry point
for many farmers who have not 'sold direct' before. Farmers' markets are the
embodiment of the availability of home grown foods. They are the British farming
industry's most high-profile shop-window. The
benefits of buying at farmers' markets are clear: you can find just-picked,
seasonal vegetables, juices made from specific varieties of fruit, free-range
and organic meat and eggs, and specialities such as regional cheeses - things
you can't always expect to find in supermarkets. You can also taste many of
the goods on offer before you buy and enjoy the social buzz of a market day.
Are there standards?
The standards upheld at farmers' markets are not always clear, however. Around
half of the UK's markets are members of FARMA, the National Farmers' Retail
and Markets Association, which aims to maintain the true spirit of the movement.
Markets that are FARMA members will display a sign with the official logo. FARMA
insists on particular criteria: goods must come from a defined local area; and
they must be grown, reared, processed or caught by the stallholder. The organisation
is shortly to introduce a scheme of producer inspection to ensure that goods
are what they claim to be.
What about the price?
Even though farmers sell direct to the consumer, farmers' markets are not necessarily
cheaper than shops if the produce is of a higher quality. A slow-reared chicken
that has pecked its way around the farm on natural foodstuffs for 20 weeks will
cost more than one forced through quickly in six weeks in a shed and fed an
unnatural diet. But you can get bargains, especially if you are shopping seasonally.
And you can ask the farmers themselves about their goods to see if they are
worth the money or not. Many proudly display production details on their stalls.
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