Market veg prices!

feelingblue

Hi - I wondered if anyone else has come accross this. I usually buy my veg from supermarkets with my weekly shop. However, the other day I went into a local town where there was a market. I bought:-

2 x peppers
2 x little gem lettuce
1 bunch of spring onions
1 cucumber
12 small toms (on vine)

This lot came to the princly sum of £6.10!! I was shocked - especially when I visited Mr T and could have bought the lot for just over half the price.

This has put me off market stall buying ever again! I really want to support the 'local' markets but this has shocked me! What do others think and what is your experience?

The veg/salad didn't last any longer nor did it look particularly fresh. My hubby has delivered this stuff in the past and tells me it's often the stuff the supermarkets reject too!

Looking forward to your opionions

davetrousers

Markets (and green grocers) generally seem cheaper to me.

CheeseCat

Which market was that? :eek:

Any market i've been to is fab for Fruit and Veg.

In ASDA 2 x loose tomatoes were 61p... in the Market I got about 15 for £1!
Also got a packet of blueberries AND a pack of strawberries for £1 (for both) about 10 bananas for £1, 6 HUGE peppers £1, a bowl of mushrooms - so about 30 of them (£1) and various other crazy bargains.

Does your market not do the bowls for 50p/£1 that are full of a type of fruit/veg. I try to get most of mine from the market now (Unless theres a supermarket offer or I HAVE to as the markets shut) as its sooo cheap!

I think that we should try to support our local markets. I hear so many people complain about the supermarkets but they still shop there. I hate to think that one day they are all we'll have left!

meg72

Which market was this.

On Birmingham market i got

Box 9 mangoes 1.00
15 tomatoes 1.00
3 cucumbers 1.00
3 celery 1.00
3 lettuce 1.00
15 bananas 1.00

Shared this with two friends so my share £2.

Claire_Bear

I always find that if it's a 'farmer's market' in quite a posh town then they can be quite expensive, our regular market is cheap as chips though, 3 punnets of strawbs for £1, 15 satsumas for £1 etc I think if I'd been aksed for that much I would have put it down and walked away in disgust

meg72

Claire_Bear wrote: »

I always find that if it's a 'farmer's market' in quite a posh town then they can be quite expensive, our regular market is cheap as chips though, 3 punnets of strawbs for £1, 15 satsumas for £1 etc I think if I'd been aksed for that much I would have put it down and walked away in disgust

Of course I didnt think farmers market, some i have been too were quite OTT with prices, wasnt that impressed with quality either.

tessie_bear

i went through a phase of trying to support the local market but got fed up with paying same price as sainsburys for stuff that was on its last legs....i have largely given up buying from the market and go to the supermarket

Ben84

The market I usually shop at is generally much cheaper and the items are fresher. However, I've not been pleased with all the markets I've been to. I usually find farmers markets crazily expensive.

mcallister1

Our town has an old style covered market here for five pounds I can get 3 big bags of fruit beg and salad. In the town centre lately they are having another market with artisan bread etc. The fruit there is much more expensive. Town centre managers know people like markets but they want them to be more middle class.

Gigervamp

Ben84 wrote: »

The market I usually shop at is generally much cheaper and the items are fresher. However, I've not been pleased with all the markets I've been to. I usually find farmers markets crazily expensive.

The reason for that is that a *normal* market stall holder will be buying their f&v from a wholesaler, whereas a farmers market stall holder is usually also the producer with a small farm or smallholding. They're often also organic, so their costs are going to be greater.

antrobus

Gigervamp wrote: »

The reason for that is that a *normal* market stall holder will be buying their f&v from a wholesaler, whereas a farmers market stall holder is usually also the producer with a small farm or smallholding. They're often also organic, so their costs are going to be greater.

That explanation doesn't make any sense. It should be cheaper to buy something direct from the producer than to buy the same thing from a retailer who bought it from a wholesaler who bought in turn from the producer.

The 'organic' explanation doesn't work either, because you can buy organic products from both market stall holders and supermarkets for that matter.