An exciting new farmers’ market is being launched at Ashton Court Estate, Bristol on Sunday 15 May from 10.30am – 2.30pm.
Bristol City Council has joined forces with local food entrepreneur Sophie Bowden (owner of Cornish food business Mullion Cove) to create a farmers’ market specialising in food and drink made within the West Country…
Sophie Bowden said ‘Being a regular visitor to Ashton Court Estate, I have always thought it would make a great site for a thriving farmers’ market. After putting a proposal forward to the council who owns the estate, they jumped at the chance to collaborate. What with the evident footfall, central location and ample parking, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to support local producers and get more locals and tourists to this beautiful estate’.
The market will aim to work alongside the estate and will embrace its seasons with the hope that fare and other products harvested from the estate will also be sold at the farmers’ market. Local craftspeople will be invited to partake in craft demonstrations.
Sophie added ‘We’ll be inviting a varied selection of artisan food producers to showcase their products as well as a small range of local craft stalls with activities to keep the children entertained during the summer. What better way to spend the day meandering around the estate and nipping into the farmers’ market to buy all the ingredients for a Sunday roast?!’
The new monthly market will take place in the courtyard of the estates’ mansion house from 10.30am – 2.30pm, every third Sunday of the month. Follow them on Twitter at @AshtonCourtFM and Facebook.
Any local food producers or craftspeople who would like to take part in the farmers’ market, please contact Sophie at sophie@mullioncove.net for an application form.
Further details about the market will be released nearer the time including information on a celebrity guest who will open the market!
Wow, they're directly competing with the Tobacco Factory market…
Hi Rachael
Thanks for your comment. In my experience as a market trader who has traded at the Tobacco Factory we are looking at a different demographic here. Many people who visit the Tobacco Factory are locals having walked directly from their house. People who might attend the market at Ashton Court are more likely to come by car, bike or walking with dogs. As the market manager of the new market at Ashton Court, I seriously considered all the markets in the area before the council and I decided upon a date. We also referred to market research which had recently been completed on the Ashton Court visitor demographic and do not consider the Tobacco Factory to be in direct competition. If customers have cars then there's no reason why they can't visit both markets in the same day for a wider selection of produce.
Competing? The more markets the better. TBF market is a locals market, Ashton Court on a Sunday is full of people from all over. Now, if only it was every week – occasional markets are hard to get in tune with.