Market manager Kardien Gerbrands talks about Swindon farmers' markets

WHAT with the terrible weather they are having down in South East Spain (they’ve nicked our snow!) and the subsequent loss of what we would understand here in the UK as summer crops — lettuce, cucumber, courgettes, broccoli, aubergines etc — there is a need arising for customers to turn their attention to the seasonal winter vegetables we grow here in England.

We have plenty of vegetables growing here so rather than rely on foreign produce, customers should turn their attention to such greens as Savoy cabbage, red cabbage and purple sprouting broccoli.

These vegetables easily outstrip the health benefits of the imported salad vegetables and buying local seasonal vegetables is both massively beneficial to the environment and helps our farm businesses to thrive.

Swindon farmers’ market at the Designer Outlet every Sunday has an excellent reputation for local vegetables with Paget’s Produce of Bromham (all year) and Styan’s Family produce (April-December) both supplying super fresh farm vegetables.

This week’s Market Manager’s Choice is the frankly superb Wiltshire beef square pie from Eat Square. It contains free range ground beef mixed with spices and stock to make a rich, full flavour, gravy.

This is their version of a chip-shop pie, only with free range quality Wiltshire Beef and their own shortcrust pastry.

All the meat in their pies comes from Church Farm in Broughton Gifford, just a couple of miles from the bakery. They have cold pies to take home as well as a small oven with hot pies ready to eat.

Markets

  • Bradford on Avon, third Thursday, 9am to 1pm at Westbury Gardens, BA15 1DE.
  •  Bradford on Avon, last Sunday, 10.30am to 2.30pm at Lamb Yard, BA15 1FG.
  •  Calne, second Saturday, 9am to 1pm, near the library, SN11 0JU.
  •  Corsham, third Saturday, 9am to 1pm, High Street SN13 0HB.
  •  Devizes, first Saturday, 9am to 1pm, Market Place l Malmesbury, second and fourth Saturdays, 9am to 1pm, Market Cross 
  •  Royal Wootton Bassett, fourth Saturday, 9am to 1pm, High Street.
  •  Salisbury, weekly on Wednesdays, 9am to 2pm, Poultry Cross.
  •  Swindon Farmers’ Market, every Sunday, 10am to 4pm, Swindon Designer Outlet, Kemble Drive, SN2 2DY.
  •   Trowbridge, second and fourth Friday, 9am to 1pm, Fore Street, BA14 8HX.
  •  Wanborough, third Saturday, 9am to midday, Wanborough Village Hall.
  •  Warminster, first and third Fridays, 9am to 1pm, central car park, BA 12 9BT