Market manager Kardien Gerbrands talks about Swindon farmers' markets

MORE great local produce will be available from the farmers’ market at the Designer Outlet from 10am to 4pm this Sunday as we are joined by a new food producer from Bradford on Avon.

Our new stall is Eat Square, a pie company that uses fresh produce direct from the farm. The meats come from Broughton and the poultry from Radstock. This means all the meat in the pies is free range and reared on small scale farms, conditions that are proven to improve the taste of the meat.

There will be short crust pastry pies, such as steak and ale, free range chicken and mushroom; gluten-free and vegan pies such as the Indian spice pie and award-winner roast vegetable. There will also be new flavours such as chicken and stuffing and pork and cider.

They also do a range of gluten-free meat pies – just because you are gluten intolerant it doesn’t mean you have to be vegetarian!

Over on the seasonal vegetable stalls we’re into full-on squash season now. It’s one of humanity’s earliest crops – first domesticated in the Americas some time between 10,000 and 8,000BC and cultivated before maize or beans.

They tend to be highly nutritious, in particular as a source of vitamins A and C. You will find the bigger varieties like pumpkin and crown prince now, too, as the growers held back on bringing in the bigger winter varieties because they benefit from an extra month in the field after sizing and colouring up to improve their flavour.

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.
  •  Havelock Square Farmers’ Market, Swindon, every Thursday, 9am to 2.30pm.
  •  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