Sincerest Apologies

My sincerest apologies to both customers (and stallholders who attended really!) for the rather poor showing at Stroud farmers market last Saturday. The dismal cold drizzly weather was the perfect background to the sight of a totally vacated central square and what can best be described as a smattering of stalls, including my worst nightmare; empty tables, where even those due to attend failed to show. It causes a few problems that first market back; to some stallholders the period between Christmas and New Year is the only downtime they get and to attend the first market in January means working throughout. On top of that 3 stallholders were hit by the flu!

We are back to some semblance of normality this week with the return of Newark Farm organic vegetables and also Carey’s organic vegetables, Adey’s organic meats, including hot Lamb and Beef burgers in a roll, Forest Mushrooms, Days Cottage Apple Juice and Cider, Horton’s Bees and trees, White Lake Cheeses, Stroud and Gloucester Breweries, Stainswick Farm Oil, NG Leather, The Stowe Herd, Saira’s South Asian Savouries, The Cotswold Pudding Co, Fair and Square Brownies, Plenty! Pies and, wait for it, Pippin Doughnuts!

One stall that would have been there this Saturday that won’t be ever again is Donnington Trout Farm. Sadly the trout farm has been sold and it is not clear whether the new owners intend to continue with the farming side of the property. We will be bringing trout back to the market soon, however, as we have been in contact with the Bibury Trout Farm who are very keen to start. We hope they will be in attendance on the 4th Saturday of this month.

Finally I have been asked by one of the stall holders, namely Ann from Ascott Gardens, to thank customers who bought her fabulous dried flower arrangements, wreaths, table decorations and ceramics during December. Ann returns this Saturday with the fruits of her labours on her amazing smallholding.