Supporting Local Businesses

So if I said to you I was going to the farmers market to get local produce, what would you say? I know a lot of people who would be very puzzled.  Local produce, in Birmingham?  What can that be, coal and bad 60s architecture?  Well sadly these people are forgetting the fact that Birmingham is in the centre of the West Midlands and the West Midlands is made up of large chunks of what used to be Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Staffordshire.  Sounds a bit more rural now doesn't it?

The fact is we are surrounded by swathes of beautiful countryside and farm land, in fact with the exception of the North West where you hit the cities of Wolverhampton and Dudley via the fascinating historic areas of the Black Country you only need to drive 5 or 10 miles in any direction to get out to the countryside.

Today I have just been over to Cannon Hill Park and the mac, on the last Sunday of the month they have a Food Market with a host of stalls from local artisan producers.  They have homemade cakes, speciality teas, breads, cheeses, organic vegetables, honey and preserves, chocolates, and many others.

But this isn't the only one around, the various markets tour the area so there is something going on most weekends if you care to look for it.  One organiser is http://www.skettsfarmersmarkets.co.uk/ They appear in Birmingham city centre twice a month, visting Harborne, Solihull, and Sutton Coldfield once a month.  Other markets pop up in Kings Norton on the green, Moseley who also have regular arts and craft markets and Halesowen.

Harborne on Market Day

 Last weekend I accidentally happened upon the Forest of Arden Food Festival in Alcester which included a number of my old favourites and some exciting new finds.  http://www.alcesterfoodfestival.org.uk/

I'd like to take time to list some of the stalls I try to frequent and other recent discoveries:

• Nightingales Farm http://www.19gales.co.uk/ from Atherstone. For Pies and pasties, they do a family sized pasty (can't call it Cornish but you know what I mean) which my husband loves, all to himself!
• Offchurch Poultry & Eggs from Leamington Spa for Duck breasts and both duck and hens eggs.
• Tan Rosie http://www.tanrosie.com/ from Birmingham who do Caribbean foods, I recommend the jerk spices and the fried plantain.
• Wenlock Edge Farm  http://www.wenlockedgefarm.co.uk/ from Shropshire, for bacon and sausages.
• Woodhouse Farm http://www.woodhousefarm.co.uk/ out at Elmesthorpe Leicestershire, another source of excellent meats.
• Brocklebys http://www.brocklebys.co.uk/ for amazing pies both savoury and sweet.
• Fudge Heaven http://www.fudgeheaven.co.uk/ for their Fuffle (is it fudge is it truffle????)
• Britains Best Pork Scratchings http://www.fatpig67.com/ speaks for itself.
• Platinum Pancakes (find them on twitter) who not only make delicious crepes but also only use local ingredients and list them on their board.  
  
• Five n' Dime for American inspired baked goods, I tried their baked donuts and Salted Caramel, yummy!!!

Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival

Now I appreciate that these things can be expensive but for some of the unique products and quality I think it's worth it.  However I do draw the line at some people who see markets as a license to print money.  There was a stall I once visited where the "product" was simple a square of puff pastry with a small dollop of filling e.g. goats cheese and onions or chicken and pesto just placed in the middle of the flat square of pastry then baked, for which they were charging £4.50 each!!!  I could have made the same at home for about 50p, needless to say they didn't last long.

But it's not just the travelling markets that need our support it's also the High Street retailer who aren't chains or multi-national conglomerate.  When I visit Harborne I like to stop by the Cafe Boutique, a great little place doing teas, coffees, cakes and lunches.  Nicer and cheaper than Costa Small Fortune or Megabucks, you know who I mean.  Sadly in Harborne over the past few years many small independent shops have tried their luck and after initial success the trade has fallen off and they have closed.  If we let this happen we will end up with empty high streets or US still strip malls where every store in every city is the same.

Cafe Boutique

So listen to Auntie Bonglecat and support your local businesses.

Upcoming Events in Birmingham:

The Lord Mayors Show - Bank Holiday Monday 27th May
The Birmingham Vintage Fair at the Custard Factory - 1st June
Spring Festival at Cannon Hill Park - 1st & 2nd June