Glastonbury Farmers Market on the Move

An exciting new opportunity has opened up for Glastonbury Farmers market.

Glastonbury Farmers Market is set to vacate the St Johns Car Park location and transfer to the Market Cross in the High Street which has been the historic & traditional trading place of local farmers over the centuries. Saturday 28th April marked the first market in the new location and Somerset Farmers Marker are all very excited at the prospect.

However, the railway canopy in St Johns car park has served SFM well for nearly over 14 years and will hold very happy memories of the 160+ markets held there. It has without doubt been an extremely convenient location for producers who have many boxes to unload and has provided SFM with a cool and dry market venue without the need to erect canopies.

Despite being very well established on the 4th Saturday each month, being tucked away from the High Street means that SFM do miss out on potential customers who do not realise markets are running. Visitors to the town are thrilled to find genuine farmers market but increasingly comment that SFM markets are hard to find.

The recession has hit all markets and independent shops in the area and SFM need to ensure that farmers and small food producers are being given the best chance of making a living from selling at our farmers markets in these difficult times.

SFM investigated the possibility of re-locating to the Market Cross and received enthusiastic support from customers, the Town Council, the Transition group and local High Street Shops and cafes. After gaining permission from the necessary authorities SFM are very excited about the positive benefits of being so centrally located.

The market will be highly visible with green and white striped canopies surrounding the market cross and adjacent to the pavement café tables of Heaphies Café who also pride themselves on using local ingredients such as cheeses and chutneys. The cafe will be available for breakfast and refreshments for customers and farmers alike which will be a welcome addition.

Feedback from all consulted was that the market would be an attractive and very positive addition to the town centre and a recent canopy dry run attracted a great deal of attention and kind words of support from passers-by and shop keepers.

The market itself will continue to comprise of the best in local producers including cheeses from both Wootton Organic Dairy and the Somerset Cheese Company, Taylors Bread and Beech Ridge farm whose slow grown free range poultry is very popular at the market.

The 28th of April launch will also be the debut of ‘ Torganics’ who comprise local organic vegetable growers Colum Pawson and Robert Macbeth based at Paddington Farm –filling the shoes or should that be wellies of Peter from Flaxdrayton Farm who is taking a break from growing vegetables.

This entry was posted on Friday 25th May, 2012. Edit this entry.