News

We have taken the very difficult but necessary decision to suspend our Farmers’ Markets with immediate effect. It is challenging to achieve the necessary social distancing measures at our markets. It’s important to us to protect both our customers and traders.

We understand many of our customers will be greatly disappointed. Many of our food and drink producers are adapting their businesses and hopefully, by contacting them directly, you will find a way to continue to support them. You will find their details on our website; www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk

We hope by taking this action we will be helping everyone get through this as quickly and as safely as possible. We look forward to seeing you at our markets again very soon.

Stay safe,

The Somerset Farmers’ Markets Team

The SFM Market community are taking steps to respond to the current health risks of the Coronavirus ( Covid 19).

We understand that our customers and the wider public may be concerned,please be reassured that all of our traders already adhere to the highest standards and best practice when it comes to food hygiene.

However we are taking further steps and you will see extra precautions and changes introduced at our markets.

• Handsanitizer available on stalls,
• An increase in contactless payment options,
• Food may be covered/sneeze guards used and less tasters available.
• Customers can also help by sanitizing hands at our markets.

We greatly apprIeciate your continued support of our farmers and small food proucers.

Somerset Farmers Markets

W’ed like to do a big shout out to Somersets meat, poultry & dairy producing farmers who attend our farmers markets such as Brown Cow Organics,Wookey Goat Farm,Westcountry Water Buffalo,Loves Lane Farm,Mikes Pork ,Chewton Farm and The Story Pig.

There has been a recent backlash against eating meat in the wake of climate change & factory farming concerns.

However it is difficult & unfair to compare the mass destruction of rainforests in Brazil to keep fast food outlets in beefburgers & supersized farms where cows don’t see a blade of grass with the small scale Somerset family farms we select for our farmers markets who have animal welfare and environmental sustainability at their core.

The best advice is to make informed decisions when you  purchase meat make sure you can trace where its from and take opportunities to visit Open Farm Sunday events and support Somersets small family farms.

The choice you make when choosing your meat is one of the most powerful you can make against Factory farming.

As you may know 2019 has been our 20th Anniversary and this milestone has been celebrated at each of our 8 venues with lots of cake,bunting,live music and even sunshine!

At Crewkerne the event took the form of a collaboration with ‘Eat Festival’ for a whole day of festivities.

The last 20 years have been quite a journey from those optimistic pioneering early years and it is true to say that we have weathered many metaphorical,literal and financial storms but we have survived when many Farmers Market organisations haven’t and are ‘Fighting fit’ for the next decade.

We have strengthened our collaborations within the communities we serve and remain thankful for the continued support of Thatcher & Hallam Solicitors www.th-law.co.uk who finance many of our annual leaflets,banners and adverts and who offer our members free legal advice regarding their businesses.

Similarly Midsomer Norton & Keynsham Town Councils provide grants for leaflet distributions,canopy repairs adverts and live music.

This year has seen us establish a new link with The School of Social Enterprise’ based in Dartington who offer support and free training to not for profit businesses such as SFM. They have given us £1,200 to make our web-site mobile & tablet friendly and to commision a designer to give us a marketing makeover with a fresh re-brand….watch this space over the next 6 months for the results.

We are also ‘crossing our fingers’ for lottery funding to finance creative ways to enhance our markets and encourage the wider community to participate in and benefit from our events.

We have also reviewed and updated our Criteria and now insist on Free Range Eggs for sale or use in Baked products. In reality this was just a formality as all of our existing members had a free range egg policy.

We are also asking that new and existing members help to reduce single use plastics in their packaging where possible.Also in the light of recent high profile tragedies we insist that members provide information to customers of potential allergens in their products.

We are also excited to have become members of ‘Visit Somerset’  and are looking forward to working with them to promote  local food and drink.

We wish all our customers a happy New Year and look forward to seeing you at our Farmers Markets.

On Sunday December 22nd  the ‘BIG CHRISTMAS FARMERS MARKET’ takes place at the Cheese & Grain in Frome from 10am-2pm.

Tradition dictates that everyone shops for the big day with Turkeys & chipolata’s to be collected ,cheeses to be tasted, Christmas tipples to be chosen and boxing day chutneys selected!

We also cater for vegans in the family and have a stall dedicated to plant based desserts!

Always a great source of last minute edible gifts for unexpected visitors and a wonderful sociable experience at the Cheese & Grain with the cafe open for refreshments.

& no one should go home without their brussel sprout tree!!

A severe storm is headed for the south West and so the organisers have been forced to cancel the Frome Independent event- we will be however holding a farmers market at Boyles Cross next Saturday 9th March!