Charlbury Farmers' Market, Oxfordshire - Saturday, 14th March 2015

Charlbury, a small-village like country town in the Evenlode Valley in West Oxfordshire, adjacent to Wychwood Forest and the Cotswolds, hosts a large farmers' market which meets just four times per year.  This is fairly unusual with most other markets meeting monthly for the regular supply of favourite items from various stallholders.
 
However, I think that Charlbury's regular, irregular market options creates a buzz about the market which draws people to it, giving the Event an extra quality, encouraging folks to it like bees about a honey pot.  The Town provides an excellent back drop to the market on the playing field in the town's centre and I can imagine how well the local Cotswold stone homes look when the sun is out, shining down on them.

For this first Market, the air was cold and damp and the sky grey, conditions which had not dampened people's appetite to buy, gaze and wander about, chatting with friends and stallholders alike, delighting to be out and about again and looking forward to the first day of Spring.

Mother's Day on the morrow was also much in the minds of stallholders and visitors with cakes and bakes, flowers, wine and fruit flavoured gin prettily packaged to please any mother on Mother's Day.

I chatted away to well-known and new stallholders, admired and photographed, bought honeycomb and biscuit gifts and succumbed to hot coffee and a raffle ticket before driving away.

I bought a delicious, locally sourced, English Honeycomb from Mr. G.J. Burroughs of Halcyon Honey Farm, Charlbury which has already been devoured, it being so very good, don't you know!

Their range also includes hand creams, wax candles, soap and honey presented in a variety of containers....

For contact - email: burroughs871@btinternet.com

And Mr. Nathan Tuckwell, presented me with one of his Black Pudding apple Pies,from his Pie and Mighty Pies collection, a kindly given free gift for mistakenly giving me two same mixture pies last time at Deddington.   And the Black Pudding apple Pie perfectly succulent and more-ish!!! -  for email contact -  orders@pieandmightypies.co.uk




To Stainswick Farm stall for their Rape Seed Oil and  Honey & Mustard Salad Dressings......

And For contact - www.stainswickfarm.co.uk

We sampled this tasty Dressing by dipping white bread croutons into a ramekin of its lovely brightness - delicious!!!

For something sweet I stopped at Once Bitten Pastries to view their Muesli, Fudge, Nuts, Macaroons and all things delicious: contact  Jo Thompson  on - www.oncebittenltd.co.uk......

To Callow Farm Shop for locally reared and sourced meat, bacon and all kinds of local farm produce....contact details - callowfarm.co.uk/

Next to Palace Caterers for sweetly decorated biscuits for Mother's Day, Hot Cross Buns, Tarts, Cakes and  Bread:  for contact: -  email: palace.cuisine@btconnect.com....

And My Market purchases of decorated biscuits and hot cross buns from Palace Cuisine and  English Honey from Halcyon Honey Farm

The Old Chapel Fudge Company took my attention next - well I used to make fudge in my own kitchen but this product is really Tablet, Scottish by name and somewhat more crumbly than English fudge but with the same ingredients, so I deduce it is all down to the final boiling temperature of the cooked mixture.  My fudge was never crumbly but rather soft and luxurious, depending on the flavourings and extras added and used!  For contact - www.oldchapelfudge.co.uk

To view Bibury Trout Farm stall next, whose stall I first encountered at Deddington's Christmas Farmers' Market event and where I bought several of their particular products.  They were all exc ellent, tasty and good freezeable items, which worked  out very well for me.  Here's a photo and their contact details -  www.biburytroutfarm.com...

Next to my old friends from Deddington and Adderbury, The Meat Joint, who have excellent cuts, faggots and all other manner of most satisfactory meat products; they also do a home delivery service which is compelling.  Find them at - Email:mail@themeatjoint.co.uk  and see them here...

Now, my visit to Charlbury has produced many photos and much writing to be done so I will conclude my Charlbury blog, in a second post, to be sent out very shortly...!

References:   I have consulted Wikipedia the free encyclopedia for details of Charlbury - re: in the Evenlode Valley in West Oxfordshire, adjacent to Wychwood Forest and the Cotswolds,

So I record my thanks to Wikipedia the free encyclopedia for this information.

Well, happy jaunts to farmers' markets and events everywhere and so do watch out for my second Charlbury Farmers'  Market visit very shortly.

toodle loo Daisy xxx