Farmers Markets

Badger_Lady

Our local market includes loads of local farmers, and I always buy fruit, veg and cheese there cheaper than Tesco (although sometimes I treat myself to a more expensive but really beautiful cheese!). I don't eat meat or fish.

I go to the market first, then Health Food shop for anything unusual, and finally Tesco for the bog standard stuff.

No problems normally, but last week I went and was faced with a sign saying "WE WILL SERVE YOU - PLEASE DO NOT HELP YOURSELF", so I asked for 6 mangoes. Chappie placed them in a paper bag for me, and when I left and opened it up they were 50% bruise/mush. Ugh!!!

ckerrd

We have a farmer's market about 30 minutes walk away twice a month.
Usually do buy a lot of nice meat and fruit and veg. Not cheap mind you but, generally excellent quality.

One thing that annoys me. There are a couple of stalls that sell eggs. Both free range and both charge £1.50 for half a dozen extra large. I can walk to my local shop, less than 5 minutes, and buy the self same eggs for 99p for 6,
that is one hell of a mark up on produce.

I am also within walking distance of two major supermarkets, a number of fruit and veg shops, a reasonable fishmonger (the really god one is a bit of a drive away) and one, and only one, butchers. There used to be a few butchers near me but they all closed down over the last few years. The excellent one that is left does a roaring trade and at Xmas the orders for Turkeys, Hams etc etc means that they have a fleet of lorries outside the shop with all the extra stock.

daisyroots_2

What an interesting thread - it really proves that location is key. I live just off the Holloway Rd., in North London which most of you would probably think is a pretty rough neighbourhood. But I can walk to Boots, M&S, Waitrose, Morrisons (just as well, as I never learned to drive) and to dozens of local shops including a wet fish shop, an excellent Algerian butcher (does all the French cuts of meat) and loads of Turkish, West Indian etc., greengrocers. And about five or six fruit and veg stalls within walking distance. Not to mention the Kosovan Nut Man at Nags Head - cheapest nuts ever.

As you can imagine, a high proportion of people shopping round here are from ethnic minorities, and you don't generally see them in Waitrose. I think that's not just because they might not have much money, but also because they like to buy food in a state they can recognise. But I rarely see any white people under 50 shopping for food outside the supermarket, especially not at the fruit and veg stalls (my DH came home with 2 kilos of damsons for £1 the other day, recently I got a tray of 36 fresh figs for £1)

I shop in Waitrose sometimes with a (younger) friend, and she chucks food into her trolley as if she hates it, and never looks at prices. (She's on her way to 20 stone, btw) As we queue to pay she says "We can't really afford to live in that big house, it costs so much to run, I'd really like to stop work, but..." When I explain that she could cut her veggie bill in half by simply stepping outside and walking 50 yards, she gives me this indulgent look, like you give to pleasant, but entirely mad people.

So while I know I'm really lucky to have access to all this, I also know that loads of people live here but shop as if they have no choice, and consider queuing at a market stall to be beneath their dignity.

dianadors

Location is definatley the key. Where I live, all the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers have been put out of business by Asda, Morrisons and Tesco. I now buy my meat direct from a farm shop - it is much more expensive, but it tastes and looks like meat. The way I save is by buying better quality, but less of it. We now have more vegatarian meals in the week (and the family have not noticed!!!) and I am much happier with the way that we eat. I wish we had a fishmongers near.

willow_girl

I have a fantastic and reasonably priced local butcher (only 5 minutes walk away). I generally like to go in daily/every other day to get what I need. I don't tend to freeze alot of my meat (DH can tell the difference!:rolleyes: ), and I just prefer to do it that way.The meat is always excellent and fresh. As previous said mince is done as you wait, the sausages and burgers are all home made in several varieties, and there is always a suggestion of what to make for for tea from the boys, oh yes and a chat.

Wouldn't and don't buy my meat any other way

floss2

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

fillet of beef for £36 (£26 odd per kilo:eek: ), a whole salmon for £18,

We paid about £30 for a 4-rib piece for beef at Christmas from our butcher that gave 4 adults about 5 meals, and £11.04 for a whole seabass the other day...... it's almost obscene to pay all that for a small family for a weekend!

We have a great butcher, and a wonderful greengrocer & fishmonger about 6 miles away. Still haven't found a farm shop, but am looking!

Newgirl_2

I love this thread...it echoes a conversation my OH and I had this afternoon, on our way back from a day at Chatsworth Country Fair. We try to find farmers' markets when we travel around and find them a bit hit and miss.

About 6 months ago, a friend was to get half a lamb and 1/4 pig for us direct from a butcher friend of hers. The lamb never appeared, foiling my plan to have a nice mixture of meat in the freezer. We have worked through the pork and I was still craving lamb so, today, when I saw the Chatsworth stall had a weekend special selling 1/2 lambs at £3.75 per kilo, my OH and I did some quick calculations on the spot.

They had different sized boxes ready to choose and as I sat in a nearby food area, I saw two butchers preparing more boxes. We discused it and bought one of the larger boxes (in for a penny, in for pound) and it is only when we called into Sainsbury's for bread and milk on our way home, did we see... wait for it... teeny weeny Sainsbury's BASICS NZ frozen lamb chops for about the same price per kilo!!!!! :eek: Needless to say, I'm glad I bought mine.

Yes it was an outlay in one go, but we have other stuff in the freezer such as chicken/pork/bacon/prawns so I don't need any of those this month.

We also bought some mixes for dips which save a fortune when compared to pre-made ones which sometimes get wasted/go off before we finish them, and some speciality breads on offer. My best buy was whole chorizo and garlic sausages for £2.00ish each which will be nicer than any shop bought ones.

BTW I think my OH ate the value of his entrance fee on the way round from all the tastings

Regarding farmers' markets overall, we try to find different ones when we are on hols/away for weekends so we have seen a few - overall, they are not cheap but, if you find a good one, the food is fresher, tastier and usually more local. As others have already said, it depends what you shop for - lowest price, convenience or quality.

Newgirl

Mrs_A_4

Newgirl wrote: »

I I saw the Chatsworth stall had a weekend special selling 1/2 lambs at £3.75 per kilo, my OH and I did some quick calculations on the spot.
Newgirl

I have no idea how much meat should cost per kilo - I just know how much I want to pay per "lump"! How much does that actually work out at for half a lamb then?

Newgirl_2

At £3.75 a kilo, that would be £1.70 per lb.

There were boxes from about £29 up to £45 ish, and the note says you could have it cut into different sized joints. We took a ready done one for £44 and I've just played the Krypton Factor to get it in my freezer. The packs included:

3 different leg joints, all huge
2 shoulder joints, both massive
breast of lamb for stewing, kidney and ribs and all the bits etc
about 12 decent chops/cutlets, all at least 2" thick (wen I last saw 4 cutlets, not half this size or as good, there were about £3-4)


When packing it all, I remembered the other poster's comment about how much blood in on supermarket meat, there was none on this at all, and no smell. How we are used to rubbish I fear!

Newgirl

lil_me

Some Farmers Markets and the sellers are great, some are not. All too easy to pretend to be from a farm when you are not, always be aware of this.

My local farm shop I love, isn't a massive range of goods, mainly meat and more meat sirloin steak that works out cheaper per kilo than Tesco value and actually tastes like meat, in fact it's fantastic! I ordered burgers both beef and the pork and apple ones for a BBQ I did last week, everyone commented on how lovely they were I was of course happy to pass on where they were supplied from. One guy brought his own, everyone who seen it on the place next to the others called it a 'rubber burger' :rotfl: Nothing quite like what we call 'farm shop breakfast' which I do probably too regular on a Saturday or Sunday

However a farm shop I visited that opened recently, all they seem good at is massive prices and posh carrier bags, seriously expensive and only one item from the hundreds they stock is home grown, the beef comes from a farm which has it's own shop 10 miles from this one and sells it cheaper. Why pay twice for a seller ?