{"id":20715,"date":"2013-12-13T12:48:32","date_gmt":"2013-12-13T12:48:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=20715"},"modified":"2015-10-07T10:44:08","modified_gmt":"2015-10-07T10:44:08","slug":"in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets","title":{"rendered":"In depth: Cardiff\u2019s farmers\u2019 markets"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>

The Riverside Community Market Association are looking for new ways to increase value for consumers and stall-holders<\/p><\/div>\n

Laughter and luscious luring smells fill the air on an icy-cold Sunday morning\u00a0at the Riverside market. Cardiff’s farmers’ markets, which offer everything from venison sausages to a friendly chat, have become loved by many but are planning new ways to increase trade.<\/p>\n

The Riverside Community Market Association (RCMA), who bridge the gap between producers and consumers, celebrated its 15th year on 17 November.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are now three weekly farmers\u2019 markets in the city: Roath, Rhiwbina and Riverside. There is also a craft market in Roath and a weekly vintage market on St Mary Street.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Changing times<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gareth Simpson, RCMA\u2019s enterprise development officer, described the transformation of Riverside\u2019s small local park market into stalls extending over the embankment. He explains: \u201cThis is as a result in growing awareness of food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Suzie Olsen, Cardiff farmers\u2019 market\u2019s very own \u201con-ground\u201d market organiser\u00a0agreed adding: \u201cWe have seen a flux in the last two years with people coming and going. The level of quality has become better as time goes on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cExplosion in demand\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Trends are not just present in the fashion industry. The cupcake craze leaked into the farmers’ markets, as Simpson reveals: \u201cThere was an explosion in demand for stalls for start-up cupcake businesses and general baking,\u201d he adds, \u201cwe have to manage the product mix or it really could become a cake market.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Simpson explains which trend he feels is going to take off next: \u201cThere is a growing interest in \u2018Street Food\u2019 \u2013 hot food to go. It\u2019s a little more complex, you need a busy street or location to begin with.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is often easy to overlook the great accomplishment that RCMA has achieved by remaining strong for 15 years. Keen to continue with their success, Simpson explains that the non-for-profit team are always looking for new ways to add value for the buyer and seller.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Simpson discloses: \u201cWe are considering how we can increase sales of the producers through using online sales so that they [customers] can pre-order and collect at the markets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Are you a lazy weekender? That is no excuse, Simpson says: \u201cRiverside is 10am to 2pm – a morning and afternoon market. It gives a chance for late risers to get there for lunchtime at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Whitchurch trial<\/strong><\/p>\n

The RCMA have not always been so successful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

They recently held a three-month trial farmers\u2019 market in The Three Elms (The Hungry Horse) pub car park on Merthyr Road.<\/p>\n

The trial ended in early November, of this year, due to lack of interest.<\/p>\n

Olsen explains: \u201cIt was the wrong time of year and a difficult location. It was the combination of bad weather and a hard-to-break small community.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A welcoming community<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first thing that any visitor to the RCMA markets will notice is the warm, welcoming atmosphere created by the local producers. Eira Ellis-Evans, owner of preserve company Inner City Pickle<\/a>, explains: \u201cA couple brought me some crab apples from their garden so I have pickled the crab apples and I have made a jelly. I know his wife likes red cabbage so as a thank you they have had a couple of jars.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is not just a customer-producer community. Artisan baker Richard Eklot, of family owned Wigmores<\/a>, explained how the stall-holders work together to help one another, he adds: \u201cLinda\u2019s [of Onllwyn Eggs<\/a> stall] eggs are used in our bakery and our old bread is bagged up and given to her chickens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many visitors are regular customers and seem to be creatures of habit. Gareth Simpson explains: \u201cKimi\u2019s, who do the \u2018curry breakfast\u2019, has become something of local legend and tradition for many \u2013 a way to kick start their Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n

The RCMA has organises events and entertainment at many of their markets. \u201cThey are community markets so the community are always invited to get in touch to use a market as a platform for their events or just to add to them,\u201d says Simpson.<\/p>\n

\n

“Absolutely beautiful”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Farmers’ markets have become an integral part of Cardiff’s culture and adored by everyone who attends them.<\/p>\n

First time market-goer Mary Jones shares her thoughts on the Riverside market: “It’s lively; there are lots of people around. It smells delicious,” pleased with her purchases she adds: “It’s absolutely beautiful.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0So, next Sunday, why don’t you show your support for the markets and experience the fresh produce and warm atmosphere despite the December chills?\u00a0<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find out what the consumers think of Cardiff’s farmers’ markets in the video below:<\/strong><\/p>\n

[youtube]http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oqKJBzDu_8Y&feature=youtube_gdata_player[\/youtube]<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cardiff’s farmers’ markets reveal their plans to change after celebrating their 15th year of trade <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,54],"tags":[3490,148,106,31,3255,453,3491],"yoast_head":"\nIn depth: Cardiff\u2019s farmers\u2019 markets - alt.cardiff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In depth: Cardiff\u2019s farmers\u2019 markets - alt.cardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cardiff's farmers' markets reveal their plans to change after celebrating their 15th year of trade\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"alt.cardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-12-13T12:48:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2015-10-07T10:44:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/\",\"name\":\"alt.cardiff\",\"description\":\"If it\\u2019s offbeat and in Cardiff then it\\u2019s online here.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/ff-468x312.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets\",\"name\":\"In depth: Cardiff\\u2019s farmers\\u2019 markets - alt.cardiff\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2013-12-13T12:48:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-10-07T10:44:08+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/34d0ea86f9ec8130e4085bb0592503c0\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/food\/in-depth-cardiffs-farmers-markets\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/34d0ea86f9ec8130e4085bb0592503c0\",\"name\":\"altcardiff\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/251d18ae391aa476d090c1eb0e8b3365?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"altcardiff\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20715"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20715"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21167,"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20715\/revisions\/21167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jomec.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}