Farmers’ market earns top community accolade

The Headingley market, set up in September 2006, is one of three in the Leeds area which are FARMA accredited for enforcing an “own and local” rule on all produce. The others are at Otley and Oakwood.

The awards judges commended the Headingley Development Trust, which runs the market, “for living out the Big Society, long before it became a political slogan ... To see a farmers’ market serving its community in such a varied and vital role is fantastic and exemplifies what local food retail in the 2000s is all about”.

Headingley Development Trust was set up to combat the downside of being a student centre – ‘landlordisation’, leading to streets being taken over by temporary young residents and sometimes minimal house and garden maintenance; a concentration of bars and fast-food shops; and late-night rowdiness.

The trust’s submission said: “Families were moving away. Headingley had more takeaways than any other kind of food shop. The farmers’ market was set up to make quality local food accessible to local people and to create a focal point for the community.

“Four years on, and families are moving back into Headingley, school intakes are up, and out-migration has almost ceased. HDT continues its work within the community, having recently helped the purchase of the local health food store near the market, brokered the opening of a butchery, and created Headingley fowl and pig co-ops.”

One of the people behind the market, Helen Seymour, said: “We are quite strict about insisting that all food that is sold has to be produced by the people who are selling it and they have to come from within a 30-mile radius of Headingley – apart from a Whitby fish business. We have 22 stalls and a waiting list for vacancies and we do turn quite a lot down because they do not meet the criteria.”

The Farm Retailer of the Year was the Chatsworth Farm Shop, Derbyshire.

Best On-farm Restaurant Award went to the Cedar Barn Farm Shop at Thornton le Dale, Pickering, YO18 7JX. Best On-farm Butchery Award went to Blacker Hall Farm Shop, Calder Grove, Wakefield WF4 3DN.

Best On-farm Seasonal Attraction Award went to the Pink Pig Farm, Scunthorpe, DN16 3RE, for its annual children’s food festival in September.

Judging was based on entry forms and documentation submitted by the applicants, a third party mystery shop and a visit to all short-listed finalists.

Headingley Farmers’ Market takes place on the second Saturday of every month – meaning the next is February 12 – on North Lane, Headingley, by the Arc bar. Local bands and choirs are a regular feature. Otley Farmers’ Market is in Otley Marketplace on the last Sunday of each month. The Oakwood market is under the Oakwood Clock on the third Saturday of each month.

FARMA is a 700-strong farmer-owned co-operative that promotes “own and local” direct sales through farm shops, pick-your-own, farmers’ markets, box schemes and internet sales. See www.farma.org. uk/ for guides searchable by postcode.

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