(Group photograph kindly taken by Paul McLoughlin)
Why visit the Farmers’ Market?
The main reason to visit Crediton Farmers Market is to buy food that is local, fresh, full of flavour and at its best. Our stallholders are the primary producers, working from field to fork, and at the market they sell only what they grow themselves or otherwise create. You can find out exactly how the produce came to be at the market, how it was reared, where was it grown, how was it made, whether it is organic, what breed or variety it is, how to cook it. Just ask the stallholder! They will all be willing and very happy to tell you how they farm and produce their wares.
Virtually everything at the market has been grown, reared, harvested, baked, cooked, smoked, or processed well within 10 miles of the market site. This has obvious benefits for the consumer. For example, fruit and vegetables can be picked the day before the market and driven the few miles to the town square, instead of being flown halfway around the world to a central packing house before then being driven hundreds of miles to a supermarket. There are also many environmental benefits to the shopping at your local farmers market – the food-miles are lower and the carbon footprint is smaller than the equivalent produce might be at an out-of-town supermarket. And market produce isn’t covered in layers of unnecessary plastic packaging.
Food doesn’t have to be organic to be high quality. Many of our producers don’t use chemicals or pesticides and have very high standards of livestock welfare without being certified by the Soil Association. Some are also certified by The RSPCA Freedom Food Assurance Scheme. Many rear free-range animals. If you want to know what is in your food and you want to be confident that it has been reared and grown to the highest standards and values then visit Crediton Farmers Market.
Wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables
Another advantage of shopping at Crediton Farmers Market is that there’s more to a cooking apple than a Bramley! Our producers are free to grow all sorts of seasonal varieties that have real taste, such as: juicy strawberries that don’t taste of water, apples with flavour and crunch, more than one type of potato. You can find them all at our market. In addition, you’ll find things that you might not even have known exist, such as Kohl Rabi, or the weird-looking Farmer’s Long Aubergine. They’re there and they taste yummy. If you don’t recognise something or don’t know how to cook it then just ask the stallholder or the person next to you in the queue. It’s very friendly and the stallholders are people who have devoted their lives to producing what they’re selling. So they know what they’re talking about when it comes to their produce and they’re very happy to tell you.
The same thing is true of the meat that you’ll find at the market. Meat gains flavour from the livestock having an excellent diet and the freedom to exercise as well as from being hung properly. Generally speaking, the longer meat is hung, the better its flavour and texture is. Our meat producers strive to rear their animals in non-intensive, traditional ways. The animals live outside wherever and whenever possible and the meat is hung for a decent length of time to ensure the best possible flavour. You’ll find many varieties of meat and poultry at the market, often pedigree, rare breed and traditional native breeds that are well looked after.
Not all the produce is available all the time. Many things are seasonal and it’s impossible to grow everything all year round in this country. However, this is not a problem because when one variety finishes, a different type is ready to take its place. The advantage here is that when it is in season you can be sure that fresh local produce tastes delicious! Go for what is in season that month and if you can’t decide, or don’t know what it is, or how to cook it, remember just ASK THE STALLHOLDER! Frequently, the whole family helps run the stall and friendly service is the norm.
Crediton Farmers Market is a lively, bustling community hub, linking the rural and urban environments and enabling each to better understand the other. Come along and wander among the wide choice of stalls and sample our produce before buying. With such a variety there is bound to be something for everyone. Meet up with your friends and have a natter in the seating area over breakfast, coffee or soup. It makes shopping a fun experience and when was the last time you heard that about a supermarket?