Compared With Supermarkets

Visiting a Farmers’ Market can transform your experience of the weekly food shop in many ways.

There is a world of difference between shopping at a Farmers' market and your local supermarket.

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[u]The Usual Farmers' Market Experience[/u]~[u]The Average Supermarket Experience[/u]

Markets are part of the community, being local is a natural, constant theme for markets.~Being local is now very ‘fashionable’ and a temporary marketing trend to maintain a competitive position and thus large profits

Buy locally grown fresh fruit and veg. It will only be available ‘in season’ when its freshest and tastiest~Buy almost any fruit and veg from anywhere in the world, at any time of the year; but compromise on the environment, flavour and freshness of the produce.

Do smaller, more regular shops filling your basket or bag with fresh produce. Reduce the amount of food you waste each week~Make the supermarket shop ‘worth your while’ by filling your trolley to the brim with long-life products packed with additives, colourings and flavourings

Meet the stallholders~Push a trolley up and down the brightly lit aisles

Farmers’ Markets are more cost effective. They cut out the middleman and allow you to buy directly from the producers.~Aside from special offers – a like-for-like product/price comparison often shows supermarket prices are often more expensive than Farmers’ Markets.

Invest in your local community - £10 spent with a Farmers’ Market is worth £25 to the local economy~£10 spent in a supermarket is worth £14 to the local economy

Find out where and how your food has been made. Taste before you buy~Try to get a feel for your purchases, through the efficiently wrapped and packaged food and drink !See if you can easily discover what additives, preservatives and colourings they contain

Make shopping a pleasurable experience – stop to enjoy a drink with friends and family at the refreshment stall.~Join the queue at the check-out – there is often plenty of time for a chat whilst you wait !!

Expect to be surprised – with a great selection of organic and free-range goods, as well as unusual and original food and drink specialities~Head for the ‘speciality aisle’ and expect to pay premium prices for premium product

Let your friendly stallholder serve you, straight from the stall into your bag.~Unload your trolley for scanning, re-pack in plastic bags

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