Farmers Markets

filigree_2

I would shop in local shops if:

• There were any local shops, all we've got is Alabama Fried chicken and kebab bars
• They were open in the evenings after work, because I've got better things to do at the weekend
• The food was decent quality - the meat stall in the market just sells pre-packaged meat that is delivered by a freezer truck every morning and it's no better than the supermarket
• They were close together, so it wasn't necessary to drive all over South London to buy items one at a time from an array of shops
• There was somewhere to park, because if I have to shop on foot I can't stagger home with a week's worth of shopping

We have to drive to Tesco in any case to buy things like toilet roll, dried and tinned goods etc. Might as well get the food while we're there!

We do use other shops when it's convenient - for instance we go to the giant oriental supermarket for cheap noodles, and there's a reasonable butcher nearby. Every so often I go to Borough Market and get something fancy for a treat. OH recommends the local ironmongers for DIY stuff and I take his word for it

When we visited Stratford on Avon last year we found a nice market square and a proper butcher that looked really popular - if I lived somewhere like that I'd gladly use the local shops.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

filigree wrote: »

When we visited Stratford on Avon last year we found a nice market square and a proper butcher that looked really popular - if I lived somewhere like that I'd gladly use the local shops.

we go to stratford on avon every year for the bulldog bash.... yes you are right the little market on the square is lovely.......not exactly a farmers market,but some great stalls.... we pass there to go to the pub on the bottom corner. to have breakfast for only £2.49 for a lovely fry up......alot cheaper than on the bulldog site.... plus its nice to have a look around stratford......we bought some fruit from th fruit and veg stall there on the saturday..... and it was reasonable......

the farmers markets around our area.. comprises of about 3 0r 4 people trying to sell their produce...etc.... and i must admit... are a bit pricy...but thinking about it.... are we soooo used to supermarket prices....and the products that we buy there are sooo full so additives and fillers etc... to bring the prices down......and import cheap food.... that now the locally produced/made food seems expensive.. but in reality its the true cost of proper produced food...

but even though i have said the above...... i still get get away from judging prices by the supermarkets prices....

badkitti

Just visited the leeds farmer's market again and bought:

-10 chicken drumsticks for £2.70 (large ones too)
-2 duck breasts for about £5 (this is a treat for tonight)
-5Kg minced beef for approx £10
-3 packs of 6 sausages for about £8 - H's treat he eats about 4 a time for weekend breakfasts
-rump steak (would feed three) for £6
-massive jar of borage honey for breakfasts £2.90
- bag of veg for £4 inc. aubergine two onions, good couple handfuls of peas, large leek, chunk of celery
-large bag of maris pipers for £2

So, whilst i bought some expensive stuff, I could shop there on a smaller budget especially those chicken drumsticks. Its definitely worth a squizz round the leeds one

sleepymy

itsmylife wrote: »

Our local butchers is extremely expensive, so I go to the Market in Belfast on a Friday. The butchers there do fabulous package deals on their meat which you can then freeze. The fruit and veg stalls are also great with many of the goods being a bit cheaper, and if they aren't cheaper than the supermarket, they certainly are better quality and therefore last longer, so less wasted!

Is that St George's? I've been to their farmers market on a saturday to get organic veg but hubby isn't too happy at the prices, I reckon it costs us about a 3rd more. We're also finding the stuff only lasts about 3 days in the fridge. I'd rather give them my money but I'm not sure I can afford to. Do they have the organic stalls there on a friday?

p-pincher

We've got a fantatic market in Leicester, yesterday I bought
3 very large lemons 10p each
2 punnets of strawberries 75 p each
1 pineapple 75 p
3lb new potatoes 99p
Large cauliflower 60p(compared to tesco £1.87)
Purple and green grapes 75p per punnet
1 dozen large eggs 86p
1lb strong double gloucester £1.75

The quality is great but form the local greengrocers down the road is way to expensive and we dont have a local butcher. I try to but my meat from the indoor section of the market. They also have a farmers market once a month thats cheap.

Mrs_A_4

We went!
The FM was pretty tiny, perhaps 8 stalls altogether, and was all meat except for one plant stall. Pretty disappointed with that as I had planned to buy loads of fruit and veg!
Anyway, we got:
Chorizo sausages (£3 something)
Two big pork chops (£2 ish)
Buffalo (!) burgers (£3 ish)
Buffalo and chilli sausages (£4 ish)

So not exactly a freezer full but enough considering there wasn't a huge choice! Never had buffalo before, but it tasted like beef when we tried it, and the lady said it had half the fat of beef so I was sold:dance:

Still on a mission to find a new FM on weekends and get lots of "decent" stuff rather than boring watery supermarket drivel.

ckerrd

Before I moved to where I lived now I tried using my local fruit shop.

I gave up after the third attempt as their fruit and veg was truly awful. I am all for supporting the local community but I expect a decent product/service for my money.

odds-n-sods

ckerrd - it really depends on where you are in he UK it seems. WHere I am I buy local over supermarket, but my local is great! Ahve you tried getting a box of veg delivered??

moanymoany

My local farmers' market is on the whatever thursday of the month. I find it impossible to keep track. Our only local greengrocers are the asian shops and they can be very hit and miss and expensive. We have no local butcher - again except halal meat and although it looks good quality and is not that expensive I have concerns over the method of killing.

When we did have independent greengrocers, they didn't deserve to survive as the produce was very poor. Same with the butcher.

We have a farm butcher in a nearby village. The meat is expensive, but it is biodynamic, which goes beyond organic. It is fab meat and we go there for special treats.

The best sausages I have ever eaten are Tesco finest pork. I'm not keen of mixed up sausage. Beef or pork - plain and simple.

ckerrd

odds-n-sods wrote: »

ckerrd - it really depends on where you are in he UK it seems. WHere I am I buy local over supermarket, but my local is great! Ahve you tried getting a box of veg delivered??

I have a great local fruit shop now, which uses the same wholesale market as the rotten one used too. That shop is no longer there. I did try deliveries of organic veg/fruit for a while but the contents were variable and the delivery erratic.