Hampshire Farmers' Markets

July 28^th 2010

Hampshire Farmers’ Markets Producers have found success at this year’s national Great Taste Awards, the benchmark for speciality food and drink in the UK.

From more than 6000 products blind-tasted, our producers came out on top with fine food retailers, chefs, restaurant critics, food writers and other industry experts.

Three star Gold Award winner was Lyburn Cheese with their delicious Stoney Cross, which also won a 2^nd prize at the Great Yorkshire Show. The cheese is made at their creamery at Hamptworth just outside the Hampshire border.

Two star gold Great Taste winners were Hill Farm, based in Swanmore, who won gold for their Cloudy Apple Juice, as well as Pollen True Taste of Bramshott Chase, who won the prestigious two-star gold for their Fresh Basil Pesto, ideal with pasta.

One star winners are The Chilli Jam Company of Emsworth near Portsmouth with their deep red, Oil Fired, made from local  Rapeseed Oil infused with chilli, just the thing for giving a kick to summer salads.

Also winning one star Gold Great Taste Awards are Scarlet Bakes who won two awards for their Triple chocolate Chip Cookie mix and their White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookie Mix. They mix up their cookie dough at Knowle near Fareham.

Alresford-based Cresson Creative also took a one-star gold award for their gently spiced Thai Butternut Squash Soup.

Andover’s My Chocolate Bar also won two one-star awards for their Orange Honeycomb Crunch and their Madagascan Vanilla Truffles, a particular triumph after just one year of trading.

And finally, Sussex Charmer and Sussex Charmer Macaroni Cheese made with their pasta, butter and Susses Charmer both won one-star awards  for Bookham Fine Foods. This is the sixth year running they have won a gold star award.

Meanwhile at the Nantwich Show in Cheshire, Loosehangar Cheese and Rosary Goat’s Cheese both won awards in the International Cheese Awards.

Hampshire Farmers’ Markets Business Development Manager, Alex Handford, offered her congratulations to all the winners, “It’s a fantastic showing for our producers and just rewards for the care they put in. It just proves that some of the best and tastiest products in the country are available at Hampshire Farmers’ Markets and I hope people will take the time to try out our winners’ products next time they’re at one of our markets.”

Upcoming market dates in August are the Romsey Food Festival on 1^st August; Petersfield on the same date; Alton Farmers’ Market on Saturday 7^th, Winchester on the 8^th and the 29^th; Southsea and Andover on the 15^th August; Chandlers Ford on 22^nd and special Bank Holiday Markets at Hythe and Odiham Food Festival on the 30^th.

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July 13, 2010

Andover-based confectioners, My Chocolate Bar, have won two 1 star Gold Great Taste Awards after less than a year of being chocolatiers.

One award was for their unique Orange Honeycomb Crunch and the other was for their Madagascan Vanilla Truffles. My Chocolate Bar’s products feature Venezuelan chocolate blended with Hampshire-sourced ingredients and do not use preservatives or additives.

Of all the UK’s food award schemes, the GREAT TASTE AWARDS is the most important. Completely independent and uncompromisingly rigorous, it is trusted by retailers, buyers and consumers. Great Taste is to speciality food and drink what Michelin is to fine dining.

A record-breaking 6017 entries this year were tasted blind by panels of food experts, writers & producers.  Before gold is awarded, a minimum of eight experts (more often sixteen) taste, discuss and agree.

Categories  entered by My Chocolate Bar this year were: flavoured truffles, without alcohol in white, milk or dark chocolate and milk chocolate bars, plain or flavoured.

My Chocolate Bar’s Pauline Donner said, ‘‘Winning these awards just nine months into trading is truly amazing and is a reflection of the hard work, long hours, (increased waistlines) and wealth of local produce we use that have allowed us to create these winners.’’

My Chocolate Bar can be found at Hampshire Farmers’ Markets at Andover and Winchester as well as at Petersfield in December.

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Event Date: Saturday July 17^th 2010

This year’s Port Solent Food Festival will for the first time feature the finest fresh produce from Hampshire Farmers’ Markets.

The market will come to the The Open Kitchen event on Saturday 17^th July 2010 on the Boardwalk.

Hampshire Farmers’ Markets is accredited by FARMA, the Farmers’ Markets certification body and only offers food and goods that originate in the county of Hampshire or ten miles of its borders. This means that as well as buy delicious, locally grown or produced food, the money they spend directly benefits the local economy.

Artisan breads, cakes, jams, wines, cheeses and BBQ packs are all on offer from producers such as Fonthill Glebe Wines, Lyburn Cheese, The Old Granary, Hampshire Game, Cresson Creative, Cakes by Juliet, Beceries and plants from Butterfly and Cottage Garden Plants and The Smallholding at Tufton as well as many more.

HFM’s Business Development Manager, Alex Handford, said, “We are delighted to bring our producers to the fantastic Open Kitchen weekend at Port Solent. We can offer the best in seasonal produce, all locally produced and sourced. We’re looking forward to a great market and hope as many people as possible will come to the market – especially those who’ve never been to a Hampshire Farmers’ Market before.”

The market will be open from 10am until 4pm. For more information, email alex@hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk or call 01420 588671.

Hampshire Farmers Markets Facts:

• HFM is now in its 11^th year of operation.
• HFM is a non-profit organisation that enables local farmers and small producers to earn a living.
• FARMA Accredited.
• Website: www.hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk

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The BBC food programme, “Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers” comes to the Hampshire Farmers’ Market at Winchester this weekend (Sunday July 11^th 2010)

Food Writer Nigel Slater’s show is filming scenes at the market which runs from 9am to 2pm.

Winchester is the biggest Farmers’ Market in the country and this time of year brings thousands of tourists to the market as well as regular shoppers.

July is bursting with tasty berries and cherries as well as a whole host of delicious vegetables and salad from watercress and tomatoes to courgettes and spring onions.

Also available are BBQ packs of bacon, chops and sausages for those summer cook-outs. Or why not try something different and opt for Water Buffalo meat on the grill – a delicious alternative to steak and Broughton Water Buffalo have a special deal on their steaks available with a voucher from the HFM website.

HFM Business Development Manager Alex Handford said, “We’re very pleased to welcome Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers to film at the market. July and August are our busiest times of the year and there is so much fantastic produce available at our stalls.”

Everything you buy at the Hampshire Farmers’ Market locations throughout the county are guaranteed to be locally produced within Hampshire or ten miles of its borders, meaning that money spent goes directly back into the local economy.

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Hampshire Farmers Markets returns this Sunday July 4th to Bishop’s Waltham.  It will be the first time the market has been held in the town since March.

Shoppers will be able to take full advantage of all that the season has to offer with strawberries top of the menu along with a whole host of other sweet and juicy berries and cherries.

Hampshire Farmers Markets are also part of the annual Hampshire Food Festival which takes advantage of being at the height of the growing season, enabling HFM stallholders to offer the best of their seasonal produce.

HFM producers only offer goods that have been grown, reared or produced within the county or ten miles of its borders and the market is accredited by FARMA, the Farmers’ Markets certification body that attests to the markets’ high standards.

Business Development Manager for Hampshire Farmers’ Markets, Alex Handford, said “July is a terrific month for local food and we really want to encourage everyone in Bishops Waltham to make the best use of their Farmers’ Market. July is stuffed full of seasonal produce and I don’t think you can buy better or fresher than at one of our markets.”

Also this month in Hampshire, there are local Food Festivals at Alton and Port Solent and Hampshire Farmers’ Markets will feature heavily at both.

HFM has long championed the need for people to eat more local food that is not only fresher, has travelled fewer food miles but that also puts money back into the local economy, something that’s much needed these days. There is also a market at Petersfield this Sunday.

July Farmers’ Markets are:

July 4^th: Bishops Waltham

July 4^th: Petersfield

July 10^th: Alton Food Festival

July 11^th: Winchester

July 17^th: Port Solent Food Festival

July 18^th: Southsea

July 18^th: Andover

July 25^th: Winchester

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Congratulations to HFM Producer, Greenfield Pork who were runners up in the Meat Management Awards for Britain’s Best Sausage, held in London. They entered their pork, goats cheese and watercress sausage. Greenfield Pork’s sausages are  available at participating Hampshire Farmers’ Markets. http://www.greenfield-pork.co.uk

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Don’t forget to buy this week’s Petersfield Post so you can get all the best offers at the Petersfield Food Festival! Hampshire Farmers’ Market producers are there on Sunday 6th June although the food festival is the whole weekend.

In the Post there is a pull out section telling you where all your favourite producers at Petersfield are together with discount vouchers for some of our producers.

The special offers are ONLY available by producing the vouchers that you can cut out from the Post. It’s a great day out for everyone so make sure you head on down!

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Pratt’s Food have launched two new products – a delicious Balsamic Vinaigrette and a Cider Vinaigrette. These add to the Pratt’s food range that already includes high quality rapeseed oil and flavoured oils.

Chris Pratt says, “They’re simple products but they use top drawer ingredients.” You can find Pratt’s Food at most Hampshire Farmers Markets across the county or you can visit their website at www.prattsfood.co.uk where you can find out all about their products. You can hear Chris Pratt on the Hampshire Farmers’ Markets Foodie Friday on Radio Solent’s Jon Cuthill show this Friday 28th May from 9am.

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Date May 24^th 2010

The new MP for Winchester & Chandler’s Ford, Steve Brine, met local Hampshire Farmers’ Market producers at Chandler’s Ford yesterday (Sunday 23^rd May 2010).  Already a Farmers’ Market regular, Steve Brine MP toured the site and chatted to stallholders, guided by Market Manager for Chandler’s Ford, Ellen Box.

Steve Brine was elected to parliament for the Conservatives with a majority of 3,000, taking the seat from the Liberal Democrats.

Hampshire Farmers Markets is a not-for-profit organisation that organises FARMA accredited Farmers’ Markets around the county. In order to sell at the market, stallholders must have grown, reared, baked, bottled or otherwise produced their goods within the county or ten miles of its borders. This ensures the truly local character of the market, supporting the local economy and providing the community with food that has travelled few miles before reaching them.

Steve Brine said, “So many good things have been written about the Farmers’ Markets and it’s all true in my opinion!  They are so clearly an idea whose time has come and people respond to that each time by turning out and spending their hard earned money.  It was really good to meet the producers at Chandler’s Ford and to hear so many positive stories of thriving small businesses from this area and further afield.  My wife, Susie and I regularly pop along to the Farmers’ Market, either here or at the more regular event held in Winchester, and it’s the sheer quality of produce on offer that keeps us coming back.”

Hampshire Farmers’ Markets’ Business development Manager Alex Handford said, “We are delighted to welcome Steve Brine to Chandler’s Ford during his first month as an elected Member of Parliament. It is important to us that the work of our producers is highlighted and their interests are represented. As an enthusiastic market-goer already, I am sure Mr Brine will be one of our biggest supporters.”

This coming Bank Holiday weekend, Hampshire Farmers’ Market has markets on Sunday 30^th at Winchester and Monday 31^st at Odiham. The following weekend is the Petersfield Food Festival on 6^th June.

The image is of Eastleigh Councillor Godfrey Olson , Steve Brine MP and Ellen Box, Hampshire Farmers’ Markets’ Chandler’s Ford Market Manager.

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