Wow! What a busy time I’ve had getting ready for the re-launch of Silchester Village Market, the first of 2016 being: Saturday 6^th February, 10.00am to 12.00pm

By the time you read this, I hope you will have spotted our new logo on posters all over Silchester and have already made a date in your diaries to pop along and check us out. The ability to present new products and stalls is made much easier when there are lots of customers coming through the doors to see what we have to offer and hopefully buy things they really want. To that end we would welcome your support and attendance if you can possibly make it.

Our Facebook page – Silchester Village Market and this website is helping to tell people what we will have to offer at the Market and we have had great interest from people who would like to be part of the Market in the future so we will have lots of new stalls each month.

For the February market, as well as our old favourites at the market; Wyatts the butchers; Preserves, marmalades, jellies, curds and chutneys; Mustards and Cheeses; Cakes, biscuits and meringues; Silchester Apple Juice; Spring bulbs and Plants; and Seasonal Produce, we have some exciting new stalls!

Brenda Harding, from Brimpton, will be joining us to sell her pure Arabica coffee. She trades under the name The Coffee House and is a regular at other local village markets.

We will have a new supplier for eggs, Bloomfield Hatch Farm, from just down the road at Mortimer so the food miles on those eggs will be pretty much as good as it gets!

Bread has long been on our wish list and I am pleased that Jo from Great Little Bakery, will return hot on the success of her sales at the Christmas Market. She will also be selling other delicious bakery items.

Sweet Creations by Lou will be here to show off her cake decorating skills and will be selling beautiful cupcakes and also traditional sweets. She will also be taking orders for Mother’s Day which can be collected from the March Market.

Rhona from Thyme will be tempting us with her beautiful home- made meals and other lunch time goodies.

Old Basing based Ernest & George will be showcasing their fabulous floral gifts. Again, orders can be taken for Valentines or Mother’s Day. Harriet prides herself that all the flowers and foliage used are British and where possible locally sourced.

For the kids, Miranda from Colour me in Cookies will be selling Valentine themed decorated biscuits and the kids amongst us can also have a go at decorating some biscuits also. Usborne books will also be coming along to present their 2016 range of books.

We have new Craft stalls this month and we will invite new crafters each month so there is always something new to see and be tempted by. We will have Kerry’s Krafts with her hand-painted wooden gifts; Siobhan Goodger and her hand-made textiles; and Carolyn Harris with her beautiful handmade cards which can be personalised on request.

Refreshments

We hope the Market is also seen as a meeting place to meet up with friends; enjoy a sit down with a cuppa and a bacon sandwich perhaps. Our fabulous volunteer tea team looks forward to welcoming you back with a wider range of refreshments to include sausage sandwiches (sausages supplied by the Mortimer Sausage Company) and home-made cake and shortbread. We will also be happy to supply refreshments, including hot drinks, on a take away basis for those who are in a hurry or have dashed from the football field!! If you know of someone in the village who might be a bit lonely, please invite them along. All are assured of a warm welcome.

For March, new stalls will include David Meadows, fishmonger, who will be selling his award winning Devon Fishcakes and fresh fish from Brixham. Also, Tony Hammond of ‘Just Add Grapes’ will also be coming to sell fresh cheeses, to include local and artisan cheeses; cut, weighed and sold to your, the customer’s, request

My grateful thanks goes to all of those who’ve helped me get the February Market ready for business.

Importantly, I hope the Market can count on your support to make Silchester Village Market a continued success for both the community and the stallholders.

Please come along, it won’t be the same without you. See you there!

Paula Gibbons

Market Organiser

PS Don’t forget to bring us your Jam Jars for recycling!