Woking Farmers' Market

If you want a stall, contact

Ian Young 01483 743208 or 07770 536570

ian.young@woking.gov.uk

Link-WBC- Markets in Woking Square- Information

The Ripley Farmers' Market is located on the village green in Ripley

for dates, see the Ripley Farmers' Market website

Craft and Gift Market

Will next be held in Town Square on:

2009

Friday 27 November to Sunday 13 December*

If you are interested in becoming a stall holder at the Craft and Gift Market, please contact Eden Crafts on 0208 788 4434, or e-mail dina@edencrafts.co.uk or see www.edencrafts.co.uk

Link-WBC- Markets in Woking Square- Information

Woking Town Square on Saturday and Sunday 21 - 22 March 2009, Friday and Saturday 19 - 20 June 2009 & Friday and Saturday 4 - 5 September 2009

Traders come from Northern France.

If you are interested in becoming a stall holder at the French Market, please contact Bruno Girardeau on 020 8642 1792. or visit www.brunomart.com

Link-WBC- Markets in Woking Square- Information

Italian Market

Woking Town Square on Friday and Saturday 10 and 11 July 2009

Chobham Village Hall

every Thursday at 9.30-11.00 am

Lord Pirbright's Hall

Thursday at 10.30-11.30am

Woking's general market in Market Square,

Monday to Saturday

Links

• http://www.farma.org.uk
• http://www.farmshopping.net
• http://www.farmersmarkets.net
• http://www.pickyourown.info
• http://www.monthoftaste.info
• www.localfoods.org.uk
• http://www.farmacymru.org.uk
• http://www.monthoftaste.info

WINNERS OF THE FARMA NATIONAL FARM RETAIL AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Ripley voted Rural Farmers’ Market of the Year

The winners of the 2011 National Farm Retail Awards from FARMA were announced this week on Tuesday 25 January at an Awards ceremony at the Bournemouth Pavilion, Dorset. The ceremony was part of the FARM & MORE event, which annually attracts hundreds of diversified farm businesses from across the UK.

Fifteen awards in total were given out to a range of businesses from England, Scotland and Wales. The awards, which are unique in the diversified farming industry in that they are peer-assessed, recognise excellence in management, business skills, customer service, commitment to own and local foods, the local community and environment.

The 2011 award-winners were:

Farm Retailer of the Year Chatsworth Farm Shop, Derbyshire

Urban Farmers’ Market of the Year Winchester Farmers’ Market, Hampshire

Rural Farmers’ Market of the Year Ripley Farmers’ Market, Surrey

The Own & Local Award Lifton Farm Shop, Devon

Best Farm Retail Newcomer Knitsley Farm Shop, County Durham

Rising Stars – England Newlyns Farm Shop, Hampshire

Rising Star – Scotland Ardross Farm Shop, Fife

Rising Star – Wales Cwmcerrig Farm Shop, Carmarthenshire

Best on-farm Restaurant Cedar Barn Farm Shop, North Yorkshire

Best on-farm Butchery Blackerhall Farm Shop, Yorkshire

Best on-farm Seasonal Attraction
Pink Pig Farm, Lincolnshire

The FARMA Environmental Award
Daylesford Organics, Gloucestershire

Community Spirit Award
Headingley Farmers’ Market, Leeds

Stallholder of the Year W. Wilkes & Son, Malt House Produce, Worcestershire

The Awards’ judges based their decision upon detailed entry forms and documentation submitted by the applicants, a third party Mystery Shop, as well as visitng the businesses of all the finalists (finalists were announced in November). Richard and Mary Simkin of Essington Fruit Farm, Staffordshire, also received the FARMA Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of their contribution to the sector over the years.

For more information, or for a full Awards’ brochure, please call FARMA on 0845 45 88 420 or email laura@farma.org.uk

The sun’s out and around 600 pick-your-own (PYO) farms across the UK are now open for business. The original ‘local food’ outlets of the ‘70s and ‘80s, customer numbers for PYO are on the increase as people realise that it’s worth getting down to the farm for great tasting fruit at a great price. Pick-your-own is still a British summer success as it enters its fifth decade.

PYO wins for lowest prices – A survey of FARMA members has revealed that most self-picked strawberries will weigh in at less than £4 per kg this year, or around £1.80 per lb. Compare this with supermarkets where on-offer prices are about £6 per kg or £2.70 per lb. and the ‘official’ full price is around £12 a kilo. PYO has extra benefits too: an hour or two spent at a PYO is a low-cost and healthy outing for families. Most do not charge an entry fee – and those that do refund it when you pay for your fruit.

PYO fruit wins on taste – PYO fruit is picked when it’s ripe from the sun, with flavour that comes, in part, from absorbing micronutrients present only in the soil. The majority of supermarket fruit is grown in soil-less conditions and in a totally controlled environment under polytunnels.

Freshly picked fruit is as fresh and full of vitamins as you can get. Pick it yourself and you get fresh air and exercise into the deal.

Champion for the environment – Picking your own strawberries involves the minimum of packaging and zero food miles (apart from those you clock up when taking your harvest home). Growers also keep pesticides to a minimum, with biodiversity and beneficial insects encouraged by growing a wide range of varieties and crops.

Get a different strawberry every week – Despite being susceptible to pests and diseases, Elsanta is currently the most popular strawberry for supermarket sales, although new cultivars like Sonata are catching up.

You’ll find Elsanta at PYO farms too, but when it’s fresh from the field you really can taste the difference! PYO growers are not restricted to the small range of strawberry varieties acceptable to the major UK supermarkets, and tend to opt for strawberries with great flavour and fragrance that will give you different taste experiences. Try Symphony, Alice, Florence, Honeoye, Christine, Darlisette and Judi Bell which are widely grown on pick-your-own farms, chosen for their fine flavour and not for their durability in transit.

PYO growers are constantly trying new varieties too. Three new June-cropping strawberries to try this year are Figaro, Fenella and Elegance.

Many PYO farms extend the traditional June strawberry season until the autumn by planting later-cropping varieties such as Everest, Flamenco and Albion. These accompany late summer and early autumn soft and tree fruit crops such as raspberries, blackberries, plums and apples; and vegetables such as sweetcorn, runner beans, pumpkins and squashes.

Visit www.pickyourown.info to find a farm near you, and pick up picking tips for first-timers.