Crediton Farmers Market News

October 2009: The market is delighted to announce that we have reached the final in the Best Farmers Market Category in the Devon Life Food & Drink Awards. Thank you to everyone who voted for us. We are now awaiting the results of the final..... The market is very proud to congratulate two of our producers for winning prizes at the recent Taste of the West 2009 Food Awards. Norsworthy Dairy Goats won a Gold Award for their hard dairy cheese, produced from their own goats. They will also be selling goats milk on their stall from October onwards. Gratton & Oldridge won three silver awards for their Lemon Curd, Strawberry and Gooseberry Jam and Caramelized Onions in Red Wine. There is a bargain for coffee gourmets this month at the Traidcraft stall with 227gm Medium roast Fairtrade Coffee Beans reduced from £3.20 to £2.00. The market also welcomes new producers Ishbel Ramsay who will be selling her naturally made soaps, and SB Stanbury Game Dealers who will be selling seasonal wild game from Oct 2009 to Feb 2010. The Crediton branch of the Royal British Legion will be selling poppies for their annual appeal at the October market.
Award winning preserves from Gratton & Oldridge	Dave Johnson and his prize winning goat cheese.
The new card stall at the market	September 2009: The September crops at Linscombe Farm Organic Vegetables are fantastic; full of ripeness and superb taste. It is a bountiful month for produce, as we have both the high summer and early autumn crops to tempt you. Aubergines, brandywine tomatoes, peppers and sunburst squash are at their absolute best right now. Organic Fortnight runs from 5-20 September so come to the market and enjoy the taste of Linscombe's wonderful seasonal vegetables. The next few markets up to and beyond Christmas will really demonstrate what it is possible to grow in Devon, despite the poor summer. This month Traidcraft is giving away their New Autumn Catalogue FREE with any purchase from their stall at the market. Plus FREE Geobar tasters! The market welcomes several new stalls this month. Kay's Cakes who produces delicious homemade gluten, wheat, dairy and sugar-free cakes and biscuits. Marlena Roth will be selling handmade cards and photographs. Bite Me will be selling homemade pies, quiches and cakes. And for one month only Eastcott Vineyard will be selling fine English wines produced at their Devon vineyard. The market now has 35 stalls so there is bound to be something for everyone!
August 2009: You will be able to vote for us in the Devon Life Food & Drink Awards at the August market, using paper voting forms provided. Or you can vote on the website - see the details at the top of this page. Teasmetea is now selling teabags as well as loose tea. Helen will have teabags in Teaheehee, Mintea and brand new Zestea Zinger, a tongue tinglingly lemon and ginger, at the August market. Traidcraft stall holders Laura and Barbi are on holiday this month and say 'We look forward to seeing our customers in September'. Linscombe Farm Organic Vegetables will have the usual range of superbly tasty summer vegetables including new potatoes, a great variety of lettuce and salad leaves, fragrant basil, colourful summer squash and courgettes and the first of our tastiest and most popular variety of heritage Winningstadt cabbage perfect for coleslaw and great cooked up with runner beans! July 2009: The Devon Life Food & Drink Awards are here once again. The market has won the Farmers Market of the Year award three times now, including last year. You can vote for us by clicking on this link www.devonlifeawards.co.uk and then clicking on the VOTE option on the left side of the page. This will bring up all the categories, including Best Farmers Market, where you can cast your vote by filling in these details: Crediton Farmers Market, Chairman Barny Butterfield, Lower Parks Farm, Fordton, Crediton, Devon EX17 2BP Tel: 01363 777822. You can also vote for your favourite Crediton Farmers Market stall holders in other categories. Many thanks to all of you who cast a vote for the market. The market welcomes some exciting new stalls this month. We have Cakeadoodledo hand baking fabulously decorated cupcakes; Granny's Meadow selling beautiful shrubs, climbing plants and roses; and Pyman Pates selling their wide variety of free range pates; Tracey Mill Trout Farm, selling all sorts of trout products including gravadlax and fish cakes, and Naphat Groves selling decorative rustic trugs, lavendar and herb bags, placemats and cushions. We have some foodie news from existing stalls as well. North Down Farm will have some delicious Country Pork Terrine this month, made from their Gloucester Old Spot pork with cream, brandy and spices, as well as traditionally cured bacon that won't shrink in the pan and lots of other pork cuts and sausages. Welland Down Farm says that the warm sunshine and balmy evenings mean that barbecues and picnics must be the order of the day. Steaks, chops, cutlets, racks, sausages and burgers, including gluten-free, beef, lamb are readily available from their stall. You can order a barbeque pack with variety built-in to select your own cuts. Do order to ensure your exact requirements. Also Shetland Lamb boxes or taster packs - last opportunity until next year. Normally £110 but just £80 for now only. Linscombe Farm Organic Vegetables says our new season produce is available now including broad beans, new potatoes, carrots, beetroot and sugar snap peas as well as a great range of salad, perfect for the hot weather! The Crediton Lions Group will be at the July and August markets selling their popular summer quiz. The proceeds will go to the Children's Hospice and other Lions charities.

Relaxed sunny shopping at Crediton Farmers Market
June 2009: This month's market heralds the start of the first ever Crediton Food Festival. Come and buy delicious local food, support your local farmers and producers and keep a low food-mile score! Click here for the Crediton Food Festival 2009 website for details of the food festival weekend 13-14 June and the Food Festival Big Sunday Lunch where many of the Crediton Farmers Market producers will have stalls. There are lots of new things at the market this month. Sandford Orchards would like to let people know that our new range of soft drinks are available at the market. Traditional lemonade, traditional ginger beer and pure orange. Derived from original Victorian recipes these old family favourites are recreated by hand on the farm and brought to the market ready to drink. Linscombe Farm Organic Vegetables will have a range of early new season salads and vegetables available at their stall in June and also on the following day, Farm Sunday 7th June, they are holding an open day at Bidwell Barton, Upton Pyne, EX5 5HY from 1.30 to 4pm, including a farm walk, childrens' activities and refreshments available. North Down Farm will be selling their new air-dried Chorizo sausage - a yummy blend of their Gloucester Old Spot pork with chilli and dried red peppers from Andalusia, together with a full range of pork, traditionally cured bacon and gammon and sausages. Shetland lamb will feature again on the South Ham Lamb stall alongside the regular Dorset Horn and Poll Dorset lamb. To those of you who are new to the delights of Shetland lamb meat it is a fine grained, lean meat with a great depth of flavour. It is very much a seasonal product and only available at certain times of the year. Make sure of the opportunity to sample it by ordering now by telephone or by email. There will also be Shetland yarn, woollen gifts and woven goodies for presents or self indulgence! With the outdoor eating season coming up there will be plenty of barbecue produce with eight different varieties of lamb and beef sausages as well as burgers and picnic pies and pasties. The Traidcraft stall will give away free Bikers' Bites to cyclists who visit our stall on 6 June and 13 June for National Bike Week event in Newcombes Meadow. On behalf of Traidcraft producers, who are already experiencing effects of climate change, we are saying THANK YOU and PLEASE KEEP IT UP to cyclists! Tiverton and District Country Market would like to say: 'We are very sorry to say that due to producers' incapacity June will be our last market at Crediton. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking our customers who have loyally supported us for over 10 years. We shall miss you. We are able to continue at Tiverton Pannier Market where we shall have a stall on a Friday, and would welcome seeing you there'. For further information please contact Dorothy Anderson on 01884 259971.
May 2009: This month the market will be celebrating its 10th birthday! There will be cake and balloons as in all good birthday parties so come along and help us celebrate our vibrant award-winning market. Ridgewell Dairy will be demonstrating how to make butter on their stall this month with the chance for (a limited number of) kids to have a go themselves. They will be adding butter to their range of soft cow's milk cheese from their own herd. Other new things this month include Shetland lamb which will be available on the Welland Down Farm market stall. Orders are already being taken so be sure to place your requirements as soon as possible by email or telephone. If you have not already tasted Shetland lamb it is a lean, fine grained meat with an exquisite flavour. Shetland yarns, woollen goods and gifts as well as sheepskins will also be available. And North Down Farm will be selling Cider Ham and two types of Salami (a red wine and garlic sausage and one with white wine and spices) as well as smoked and green bacon and pork from their pedigree outdoor herd of Gloucester Old Spot pigs. New from the Traidcraft stall for healthy packed lunches are: Apricots and Raisins 30g at 20p, Paradise Fruit mix 40g at 40p, banana guava and kiwi. Half of one pack is ONE of your FIVE A DAY. Plus Geobars, apricot, chocolate, honey nut and mixed berries - 6 for £1.80	Prince Edward chats to Helen Lynch of Tea's Me at the 2009 Devon County Show. Tea's Me is one of the stall holders at Crediton Farmers Market
April 2009: The April market was a sunny affair with customers being invited to enter a free raffle for a hamper of market produce. This delicious prize is to be presented to the winner at the May market at which we will be celebrating the 10th birthday of the farmers market. We hope you will all come along to enjoy the celebration. The annual market Easter Egg Hunt was very popular, with one egg in particular being very hard to spot. From this month Westons Farms will be selling Weston’s Rose Veal on their stall at the market. Their Jersey and Guernsey bull calves are reared to high welfare standards and are farm assured under the Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb (FABBL) scheme. The calves are reared in small groups with ample space and bedded on straw. They are given a balanced diet that contains all the nutrients they need and are fed milk twice a day. This produces rose veal (pink meat) which is hung for about two weeks.
March 2009: Be part of the world’s biggest banana-eating record attempt this Saturday at 11.30am at the Crediton Farmers Market. FIFTY Fairtrade bananas will be given away to anyone who is happy to be part of a group banana-eating photograph at 11.30am. Organiser Laura Conyngham says “Fairtrade bananas are grown without poisons or pesticides. They are healthier for the farmers and for us. You can easily taste the difference. We’ll be giving out the bananas shortly before 11.30am this Saturday. More information from Laura on 01363 773000 and at www.fairtradecrediton.org We Need You To Eat One!
The Traidcraft stall at the market would like to announce that Geobars now come in a new size with new recipes and new price of 30p each or 6 for £1.50. Fairtrade Fortnight will be taking place between 23 February and 8 March and as the market is on March 7 why not come along and talk to Laura and Barbi at the Traidcraft stall. The South Ham Lamb Stall has these offers for the March market - New Season Spring Lamb from their pedigree Poll Dorset and Dorset Horn flocks. Pedigree Red Ruby Devon beef pasties and lamb pasties to eat straight away or take home. Woollen gifts from their pedigree Shetland sheep for Mothers Day or for Easter, jewellery and trinkets, woven and knitted scarves, pashminas, rugs and blankets.
February 2009: We are delighted to welcome Tea's Me to the market. This new stall sells 'ticklishly tasty organic herbal teas' that are hand made in Devon. You can sample the teas which range from Rosielea, a green tea mixed with rose petals, to Smartea which is a caffeine free blend of ginko and sage. From this month North Down Farm will be selling their new range of salami made from their pedigree Gloucester Old Spot pigs. This month's market was bustling despite sudden deep snowfalls the day before. It didn't put anyone off! Everyone was wrapped up warmly and buying yummy things to eat. January 2009: Happy New Year to all our customers! The beginning of this year brings a revamp of our website with lots of information about the market and all our producers. The Christmas Market was very busy and vibrant, with delicious free Christmas biscuits, courtesy of the Tiverton Country Market stall, and carols from the local choir and a clarinet player.	Stall holders get ready for customers at the Christmas Market
December 2008: The Christmas Market takes place on Sunday 21st December this year. There will be music and festive carol singing, fruit punch and mulled cider, as well as free mince pies! This will be an ideal opportunity to collect what you order at the usual monthly market on 6th December. The Crediton Fayre in the Square takes place after the market on 6 December from 2pm to 8.30pm. This is organized by Crediton Arts Centre (see www.creditonartscentre.org for details) and will continue the community atmosphere established by the Farmers Market with stalls, refreshments and a rolling programme of local entertainment from 2.30pm onwards.
Winner of Best Farmers Market for the third time!	November 2008: Once again Crediton Farmers Market has been voted the Best Farmers Market in Devon by readers of Devon Life magazine. This is the third time we have won which is a fantastic result and we'd like to thank everyone who voted for us. One of our stall holders also won a prize. Bread of Devon won the Best Baker/Confectioner of the Year 2008. See Devon Life Awards The November market hosted the launch of Plastic Bag Free Crediton. The mayor, Frank Letch, signed a special charter at the ceremony in the town square and 1000 free reusable jute bags were given away. These had been designed by students at Queen Elizabeth Community College. The campaign was organised by the environmental group Crediton Climate Action in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce. The market very much supports this campaign.
October 2008: The Royal British Legion will be at the November market selling poppies in their annual appeal. September 2008: The market warmly welcomes a new stall holder this month: North Down Farm who sell rare breed pedigree Gloucester Old Spot pork, ham, bacon, salami and sausages from their free-range outdoor herd, who live very locally just outside Yeoford, 4 miles from Crediton. August 2008: The Devon Life awards are here again! The market has won the Farmers Market of the Year award for two of the last three years, including last year - please help us make it three from four! Go to www.devonlifeawards.co.uk and vote for the market in the Best Farmers Market category (3/4 of the way down, on the left!) To vote, you need the name, address, and phone number of the market, these are: Crediton Farmers Market. Chairman: Glyn Comont, Southcoombe, Crediton, Devon, EX17 5BP. 01363 84343 Many thanks to all of you who are voting for us! While you're there, many of the stallholders also won categories last year and we're sure they'll appreciate a vote. June 2008: In June the Landscore Primary School Choir attended to sing some songs for us, while in July the QECC jazz band provided a musical accompaniment. May 2008: BBC Countryfile magazine have recently introduced a new regular feature - Farmer's Market of the Month. The magazine is inviting readers to nominate their favourite farmers market. Editor Cavan Scott said 'Our new Farmer's Market of the Month slot is a great way for you to rave about your local market, letting other people know why it's so great. We hope it will a chance to celebrate some of the best local producers that Britain has to offer.' To nominate the market, please submit a photo of yourself standing by your favourite stall, together with a hundred-word explanation of why the market is the best, to editor@bbccountryfile.com. The best submission each month will be printed in the magazine. Obviously publicity in a national magazine would be a great coup for the market, so if you feel strongly about the market, please submit us! March 2008: The prize draw winners collect their prizes, hampers of market produce. Roseanne Barker collects hers, while Pamela Bedford collect the other on behalf of Rosalind Hobbs, who was unable to attend.

February 08: The March market will be the Easter market, and there will be an Easter egg hunt: 20 numbered eggs will be hidden on the stalls, find them all to win a creme egg! (Eggs kindly donated by Mole Avon & The Green House). Entry forms will be available from Redlands Country Pork and Nicola Raffan Pottery; hand the completed forms in to Redlands Country Pork to claim your prize. Later on, we will be presenting the two winners of the leaflet competition with their produce baskets at about noon, hopefully with the Crediton Courier in attendance. Also, in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight, what better way to celebrate the growing prevalence of fairly-traded products than to attend a Fairtrade event at a farmers’ market? In an event organised by the Fairtrade Devon steering committee and the Crediton Fairtrade partnership to bring together fair trade for farmers in the third world and in the UK, Crediton Farmers Market plays host to Martin Odoch on the morning of 1^st March. Martin is a former field manager for Teadirect in Uganda, and will be at the market for an informal question & answer session at the Traidcraft and Country Markets stalls. Come to the market for 11.30 and, over a cup of Fairtrade tea or coffee, discuss the benefits of fair trade for smallholder tea growers at the Mpanga Growers Tea Factory Ltd, Uganda. The event is another link in the close relationship between the farmers market and Fairtrade, following the presentation of Crediton’s Fair Trade Town status at the market last year January 08: The February market is fast approaching, and hopefully the 5000 leaflets that have been distributed around the local area will attract in some extra customers for the time of year - of course, the potential to win a hamper of market produce will hopefully draw a few people in too! Completed forms can be returned to the stalls of Redlands Country Pork or Nicola Raffan Pottery, and we are hoping to have another collection box in the middle of the market by the notice boards. I'd also like to extend a warm welcome to the new fish stall, Jurassic Seafood, and a regretful goodbye to Mandy Jones baskets, who has decided to leave the market. January 08: Following the great success of the Christmas market, the January market was good for the time of year and the conditions, with a steady stream of customers, despite the rain, hail, and steadily growing puddles on the 'non-pooling' surface. The market, through Tiverton & District Country Markets, provided free soup until stocks ran out, an idea which garnered widespread praise from stallholders and customers alike! As part of the market's ongoing attempts to forge links between the rural and urban communities, market chairman Glyn Comont also presented Queen Elizabeth Community College student Rosie Childs with a cheque for £100, as her prize for designing the new market logo. This was the culmination of several months of effort: the market approached the school, who held a competition among the year 9 students as part of their school work. The school then picked 20 final designs, which were displayed at the December market, where they were voted on by stallholders and members of the public alike. Rosie Childs' design was the clear winner, and has become the official logo of Crediton Farmers Market, and can be seen at the top let corner of every page of the website. Market chairman Glyn Comont presents winning logo designer Rosie Childs with her prize.

Penny's Parties get into the festive spirit	The hot food of Tiverton Country Markets was very well received!
The Crediton Lions Club provided a Santa	The crowds were tremendous!
December 2007: At the January market (Saturday 5th Jan) we are hoping to have hot soup available to warm you up in this cold winter weather! In addition, we will be presenting Rosie Childs of QECC with her £100 prize for designing the new market logo December 2007: Remember the extra Christmas market taking place on Sunday the 23rd December! We have a local busker and choir singing, fruit punch and spiced cider, as well as free mince pies! This market is an ideal opportunity to collect what you order on the 1st at the usual December market. November 2007: For the December market, all the potential market logos, designed by QECC students, will be on display, and we would like all visitors and stallholders to vote on their favourite. The winner will be announced, and have their prize cheque presented, at the January market, and the logo will become the official logo of the Crediton Farmers Market. November 2007: Crediton Farmers Market has been voted the Best Farmers Market in Devon by readers of Devon Life magazine, for the second time in three years. On a good evening for Crediton, market stallholders Linscombe Farm won the Best Organic Product/Trader award and placed second in the overall Best Food Producer category, while the Best Baker/Confectioner category had market stallholder Bread of Devon placed second. They placed just ahead of local business Stevie B's Bakery, while Crediton shop Treloars Delicatessen won the Best Independent Food Shop award. With 5 contenders, Crediton was second only to Totnes, with 7, and our 3 wins meant the town won more categories than any other settlement in Devon! Winner of Best Farmers Market 2007