Wincanton Farmers' Market is Ending in December

Janet Wood:

It is with regret that I have to announce that the next Farmers' Market on Friday 6th December will be the last one. Several producers want to leave the market in the New Year and there are not enough stallholders left to make the market viable.

Wincanton Farmers' Market was one of the first Somerset Farmers' Markets, starting in July 1999 so it has had a good run of nearly 13 ½ years.
I would like to sincerely thank all our loyal customers who have enabled us to keep the market going for so long and have supported us for all this time. I would also like to thank Ann and her staff for making us so welcome at The Bear.

Daisy Hart, who has been a stallholder for a local farmer, also expresses her sadness at the closure of the market:

It is heartbreaking to hear that Wincanton is losing the monthly farmers market held by Somerset Farmers Markets. A trip to this market is an opportunity to support and buy goods from some of our local producers; most of the time customers are also able to meet those who have a direct role in producing the food they are buying. Wincanton's farmers market has been a community event for a significant amount of time.

As an employee and stand-in stall holder of one of the local farmers, I understand that the decision to leave Wincanton farmers market is a serious one. Our produce can be sold through local shops and caterers but nothing beats the intimacy of a market where questions can be asked and connections can be made. Farmers markets can even improve the sales of local shops where customers weekly buy the produce that is familiar to them because of the monthly market they also attend.

It is unfortunate that there are no more producers wishing to join the market as it means the market will no longer support itself financially. Within the last two years the market has moved to a more central location and signs to the market can clearly be seen from the High Street, yet still, not enough customers are visiting to make the market worth attending for the stall holders.

Wincanton people can still attend the farmers markets held in Frome, Wells and Yeovil; although a distance to travel, they are likely to find the same producers that they have known and loved for the last decade. Dorset Farmers Markets also hold monthly markets in Sherborne and Shaftesbury.

Find out more on the Somerset Farmers Markets and Dorset Farmers Markets websites.

Comments

nigelengert
Posts: 1

Wincanton Farmers Market
Reply #1 on : Thu November 28, 2013, 22:24:28

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I am very sad to lose this invaluable source of high quality local products, but understand why. The move from the Memorial Hall was unfortunate.
Hopefully some stall holders will participate in the monthly Street Market instead if it continues.

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