Just a couple more weeks to our next Market, so a ‘long’ update from me!

 

Whilst I’ve been out and about dog walking on our beautiful common, the general topic of conversation when meeting other walkers seems to have been about David from Devon Fishcakes and his amazing fresh fish, all the way from Brixham, or how much people are enjoying the locally sourced artisan cheeses brought along by Tony, The Cheese Agent. Both stall holders are so enthused and delighted by the reaction to their food from SVM customers and are looking forward to coming back again. It is so nice to be complimented on the customers we have!  Both stalls, together with Wyatts and our great bread and cakes seem to be the real crowd pullers currently and long may that continue!

Our next Market coincides with the ever popular Silchester Fun Run and we are really looking forward to welcoming lots of new customers who might be visiting Silchester that day. Fun Run registrations starts from 9am and whilst our own doors normally open at 10.00am, we will highlight to villagers that if anyone wants to pop in earlier, whilst we might not be perfectly ready, we will be really happy to see them. Accordingly, if you want to set up earlier, I will be there from 8.30am rather than the normal 9.00am. If you can’t that is perfectly ok, but I don’t want to turn away new customers. We might also experiences peaks and troughs in visitors who leave the Market wanting to watch the Fun Run start and finish. The clash in events hasn’t happened before so the impact on our footfall is anyone’s guess! I’m expecting it to be to the positive and will do what I can to draw those Fun Run visitors across to the village hall on that morning.

Suzi & Jane of Suzi and Jane Catering; and Tracey from Mortimer Cakes; will have a ‘mountain’ of handmade cake and bakery items for you to choose from. For those customers who have enjoyed and appreciated bread and cakes bought from Great Little Bakery, you will be pleased to know that Jo will be back after her holiday. Jo recently confirmed that the profits from her sales have bought a toilet block for a school in Sierra Leone. To you and I this would not look much but will provide safe, clean loos for the children in that extremely poor community. Paying it forward good neighbours!

NEW Stalls for May – correct at the time of writing:

Susannah’s Sauces will be debuting at the Market with her range of delicious, home- made sauces made just down the road from her Brimpton kitchen. All her products are gluten free.  Her range includes ‘Spectacular Chocolate Spread’; ‘Flirty French Dressing’; ‘Bewitching Butterscotch’; ‘Succulent Tomato Sauce’; ‘Scrumptious Savoury Sauce’ and ‘Tasty Tarragon Mayonnaise’. Gift packs will also be available to buy.

Hollie from Saddlestone Spa, based at Highclere, offers beauty treatments including her own signature and ELEMIS spa treatments. She would like to profile her quite special business and will be offering complementary hand & arm massages to all. A bit of free pampering can’t be bad!

Having just moved to the area, Sharon from Poured to Perfection is keen to profile her range of quality, high scented candles and wax melts. Lots of delicious scents and colours to choose from.

Another handmade craft stall attending will be The Bunting Basket. Joanne hand crafts the most beautiful bunting and is also happy to take and make bespoke orders to your own specification. Great for parties and special birthdays.

The Glass Maidens (have been to SVM before but are new for 2016) will be bringing their hand made glass items and were recently delighted to hear that they have been asked to become a stockist for Basing House Gift Shop. Great gift ideas!

Local gal, (NEW) Kate Chandler will be offering chocolate bars that can be personalised with your own wrappers; fudge; chocolate sticks and all things lovely.

Returning stalls:

Tracey from TJ Designs will be returning in May with her distinctive range of handmade cards and wrappings, and chocolates by Tilly’s Treats.

Miranda and Colour me in Cookies will also have lots of fun biscuits for the kids to enjoy decorating and eating of course!

Rhona from Thyme will be back with her “handover” deli style food, to include Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, lasagne, a variety of quiches, mackerel pate, houmous, baba ganoush, and for pudding, treacle and bakewell tarts. She tells me she is bringing lots extra as she sold out on her last visit!

 Annette from Husse will be back with her premium pet food, treats and accessories. If you have pets and not tried the food before Annette will be pleased to provide you samples for your pets to try. She has already received some good repeat sales from the last time she was at SVM. Bird food also available.

For those who have enjoyed and appreciated bread and cakes bought from Great Little Bakery, you will be pleased to know that Jo will be back after her holiday. Jo recently confirmed that the profits from her sales have bought a toilet block for a school in Sierra Leone. To you and I this would not look much but will provide safe, clean loos for the children in that extremely poor community.

Other updates:

 John Green will be back behind a stall this month, bringing three varieties of Tomato plants (Marmand; Money Maker and Tumbling Tom); Runner bean plants (Moonlight); French beans plants (Cobra); Broad bean plants (Imperial green long pod); Cucumber plants (Marketmore); Courgette plants (Tosca and Black Beauty); Butternut squash plants (Waltham) and Cosmos (Sensations Mix).

Our line-up for May (correct at time of writing)

Food and Drink

The Coffee House -Brenda

Wyatts (butchers) – Angela

Condiments, mustards etc – Neil

Preserves, Marmalades, Curds, Jellies, Chutney and Pickles – by Sandi, Olga and Felicity (McP)

Great Little Bakery (bread and bakery)

Bakery/Cakes by Sandi, Suzi & Jane Catering, and Tracey of Mortimer Cakes

Free Range Eggs from Bloomfield Hatch Farm

Silchester Apple Juice

The Cheese Agent – Tony

Devon Fishcakes – David

(NEW) Susannah’s Sauces

Thyme- Handover Deli food – Rhona

For the kids

Colour me in Cookies

Pocket money sweets

(NEW)Jingle Jellies – Trine – face art

Other

Seasonal Plants by Felicity (N)

Husse – premium pet food, treats and accessories – Annette

(NEW) Vegetable plants- John

(NEW) Saddlestone Spa – Hollie

Crafts   

(NEW) The Glass Maidens – glass art and gifts

Jewellery – Denise

Cards and gifts – TJ Designs

Chocolate treats – Tilly’s Treats

Phoenix cards – Joanne

(NEW) The Bunting Basket – Joanne

(NEW) Poured to Perfection – candles and wax melts – Sharon

(NEW) Kate Chandler – Personalised chocolate bars, fudge and other items

 

Paula J Gibbons

Market Organiser