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A visit to Manaton's monthly produce market on Dartmoor in Devon.

Tuesday 19th July. Review by Jill Pendleton.

 

a stretch photo of Manaton Produce Market on Dartmoor.

The good stall holders at Manaton market must be up early in the day to be in place with all their produce.


a smiley lady in a stripey apron with just a few rolls and loaves left on her stall.Just one hanging basket left to sell on this lady's plant stall.

No doubt there is still baking to be done in some households and some finishing touches to pretty hanging baskets.


A beef steak pie and two chicken and leek pies on one of the stalls at the produce market. one of the stall holders with loaves of bread, buns and home made cakes on offer at the produce market on Dartmoor.

Beef steak pies to be wrapped, and Shirley's jars of chutney above, have to be loaded into boxes
and transported from where she has a roadside stall at the edge of the village. This stall has become so
famous recently that one of the clues in a treasure hunt car rally was a question about her prices !

 

chocolate buns in a tupperware box marked at 25 pence each.

Tupperware and labels get organised. In the case of the clothes stall lady, the clothes rail and coat hangers need sorting.


a young Mum with a toddler come away from the clothing stall at Manaton monthly market.

Customers are welcome through the door at 10.30 and tables are set aside for morning coffee.

The market is held on each third Tuesday of each month and on the morning I visited, nine stalls were set up.

 

the smiley young assistant on the local meat stall at Manaton Produce market on Dartmoor.5 jars of chutney with jolly cotton tops on the lids. Date and banana chutney and kiwi chutney in the selection.

You never know what you will find at a local market, look at this ! Kiwi chutney ! That's a first for me.
The smiley girl on the meat stall is doing a brisk trade in her Bushwhackers wild boar cross sausages,
and I buy a pack of 7 large bangers at £4 just before they all sell out.

 

meat pies, fruit pies and jars of jam on one of the stalls at the produce market.

Holidaymakers love produce markets and farmer's markets when they come down to Devon. Many of the local house-

wives are good cooks and they enjoy making a small profit from their surplus of good things grown in the garden

and greenhouse. I buy one of Shirley's two remaining loaves for £1. It's a parmesan and sun dried tomato loaf.

 


a young teenager sitting at one of the stalls, in charge of the cash box and produce.

I love how everyone is friendly and resourceful. Don't these carrots look good ? Better than the ones in my plot.
Mine have all got 2 or 3 mis-shapen legs. Maybe I should have asked him for a few tips ?

 

two freshly cooked sausages with some fresh bread and a salad on a blue and white plate, making the perfect lunch.
We were eating the sausages and bread within an hour of me being home. Here's the picture.

I cooked the sausages on the cool side of my aga for 30 minutes, turning them every now and again, added a simple
salad and sliced up the fresh bread. Rob and Tom agreed with me that sausages were excellent, meaty
and full of flavour, and the loaf, yes we ate all of it ! was the perfect accompaniment.


Do please make an effort to support small local markets. Local food makes sense.
Less miles to travel means less traffic on the roads, and you will be helping our Dartmoor community to survive. The contact for the market - Mrs. Christina Everett 01647 221302