Tetsworth Farmers Market

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Well here we are back in business. When the Farmers Market closed last year, it was sorely missed, so after much hard work on the part on many people it's back to business for the merry band of farmers, growers and producers that stock this wonderful little market.

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A guided tour of the first market.

Welcome to Tetsworth Village Hall.

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Step in the door and first on your left you will see Carolines' wonderful array of plants, trading as Swan Gardens she works her magic on many local gardens and in her spare time (!!) she produces this wonderful selection of flowers, bedding plants, veggies, you name it she will have a replacement here for all your slug nibbled plants.

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Good strong plants at very realistic prices.

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As she is brilliant at multi-tasking she will also serve you with a freshly baked loaf from the table next to hers.

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Lovely bread at affordable prices, from Cornfield Bakery.

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Can you smell the aroma of the bacon butties yet......step forward to the hatch and place your order with the most welcoming of hosts Alan and Jane, ready to cook your butty to order and supply the gallons of tea and coffee needed to keep us stall holders working behind our tables, as well as the customers refreshed and ready for another sweep of the hall. Cheerful faces and the most necessary of refreshments, what more could you ask for early on a Sunday morning.

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Moving round the room clutching your bacon butty we come to the raffle table, at the start of the market the stallholders all donate an item of produce and then with every purchase from us we give you a raffle ticket, at the end of the market one lucky person goes home with a shopping bag bursting with fresh market goodies, completely free of charge - what a bonus.

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Next we come to Carolines' (another Caroline this time) gorgeous array of fresh fruits and veggies. Based at The Old Farm Shop in Abingdon, Caroline takes her fantastic selection to numerous Farmers Markets in the area. How she keep up with demand I have no idea, the freshest of seasonal produce just flies off her stall.

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I'm in awe of her wonderful red rhubarb (mine is still quite sadly very green, although tasty) and those carrots just ask to be nibbled.

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Moving swiftly on before I get into trouble for pilfering carrots for on the spot snacking, you reach Sheila and Colins' wonderful array of red meats. Beef, Lamb and Venison, temptation of the highest degree for all you carnivores out there. Freshly butchered for each Farmers Market and ready for immediate eating or for filling your freezer, their wonderful produce doesn't have food miles, you can see their stock grazing in the fields a stone throw from the Market at Harlesford Farm.

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Tempted by the quality?......I know Lovely Hubby often is.

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Moving on you reach the fantastic array of wines laid out by Martin and Tessa, trading as Peter Osbourne Fine Wines Ltd. A wine to go with whatever food you have just purchased. Stuck for an idea? Tell Martin and he will recommend the perfect wine to go with your meal. He also has a good selection of wine based gift ideas ideal for the wine connoisseur in your family.

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My favourite - a selection of whites.
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Next we have Caroline's Homemade, yes yet another Caroline, but this time with the most delectable array of home produced jams, chutneys and marmalade. She also has the most local of honey, with the bees buzzing around in fields just outside the village.

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Made with loving care, with local produce and in small batches, this is the best jam to spread on your just bought bread. Can't make up your mind which to buy...buy a couple... with prices as reasonable as these you are getting handmade quality and freshness at supermarket prices, with no nasty additives or colouring.

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And next to Caroline, it's yours truly, with my selection of Lavender goodies, handmade soaps made with the purest of essential oils, handmade cards for every occasion, Free Range Eggs straight from our farm and LHs' Worm Tea, the BEST plant food for your flowers, fruits and veggies.

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The sweetest smelling stall in the room (although LH will say that the bacon butties pipped me at the post!!).
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And finally......before you sit down for a refreshing cup of coffee, peruse the delights of Bruces' stall. Trading as The Berkshire Pig Company, Bruce has THE finest selection of bacon, sausages and joints made from Rare Breed Pigs. A man after our own hearts, he is raising the stakes when it comes to fine produce. Putting rare breed pork back where it should be, on the plates of the great British public.

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When you see pigs frolicking in woodlands you realise that's how it should be. At prices comparable to supermarkets you can have instead the finest tasting pork and bacon imaginable. The difference is there to see from the moment it hits the pan.

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Well that's it, a tour of our very first Tetsworth Farmers Market, I hope you enjoyed it. You're welcome to visit next time, our doors will be open on the 3rd Sunday of every month, from 10 - 12 with the freshest of fresh and the most seasonal produce available locally.

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Not in our area..... then look out your local Farmers Market and support it well. To be able to buy your foodstuff off the very people that produce it, make it up or source it on your behalf, to be able to ask them for more information on the products you choose to give your family is the way to go. One thing the supermarkets cannot compete with is the friendliness and knowledge shown by the folks that are working hard to produce the food and goods available at these markets.

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Use them or lose them the choice is there.

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Sue xx