Local Food in the Heart of the City
As people across the country rediscover the joys of their local market, the white and green stripped stalls of Truro Farmers Market are once again at the vibrant heart of Cornwall’s culinary scene, winning new converts to a grassroots food culture which has never been more relevant.
The market has become an eagerly anticipated weekly event for a new band of loyal regulars, who revel in the chance to cook with some of the region’s finest produce, even before it is sold at a premium in our top restaurants. The market also provides a memorable experience for the succession of spellbound visitors who, every Wednesday and Saturday, happen across the sea of bright blooms, plump fruit and vegetables, famous local cheeses and meat reared on fine Cornish pastures.
Beneath the green and white stripes awaits a sensory explosion of colour and colourful banter. Soak up the smells of freshly baked bread and smoked fish, rows of perfect blue duck eggs, preserves in a rainbow of colours and cakes to make your mouth water. A friendly welcome is guaranteed from the traders, some of whom are truly artisan in scale and others who are courted for their produce by the famous chefs of Cornwall and beyond. These characters are part of Truro’s ongoing promise of a vibrant city centre, offering a thriving alternative to a car-bound tour of the ring of out-of-town stores.
“We are conscious of the competition from an ever-increasing number of superstores,” explained Market Co-ordinator Anne Pengelly, whose family business Meadowside Nursery is responsible for the beautiful display of cut flowers and plants which entices passersby on Lemon Quay. “On the other hand we are seeing a new wave of people who love to shop at their local market in the heart of the city. It’s a fulfilling experience – talking to the farmers and producers, sampling the wares and enjoying the atmosphere of the market – and the quality is really outstanding.”
As well as the weekly markets on a Wednesday and Saturday, Truro Farmers Market also ‘pops up’ in Falmouth on the pedestrianised area known as The Moor every Tuesday. However it is The Big Produce Market, held twice a year, which showcases the whole spectrum of food produced here in Cornwall, of which Truro Farmers Market is just the tip of the iceberg.
On the 9th and 10th of May, regular stall-holders will be joined on Lemon Quay by a plethora of fledgling food projects and award-winning producers, creating a seasonal celebration of Cornish food in the heart of the city. The largest local market in Cornwall features a wealth of street food options, with entertainment and chefs demonstrations adding to the festival atmosphere. Bill Lugg of Primrose Herd, and chairman of The Big Produce Market, is looking forward to a busy event. “The Big Produce Market is now in its third year and it just keeps getting better. With many talented chefs and a unique gathering of some of the best artisan producers in the county, this is a fabulous demonstration of the strength and breadth of Cornish food, of which Truro Farmers Market is proud to be a part.”
The market experience has never been more valued as a way of connecting people, place and produce; Truro Farmers Market is a great example for Cornwall to be proud of.
Follow Truro Farmers Market on twitter for the latest news on weekly markets as well as The Big Produce Market – @TruroFarmersMkt