Brede Farmers’ Market takes place each Friday in the village hall from 10 till 12. The organisers, Julia Elliott and Ruth Burgess, have been very proactive on social media since the new year, advertising the first market of 2023. A visit there turned up an interesting story from a customer who happened to have been instrumental in setting up farmers’ markets in the local area.
Mary Gillam, employed in the 90s by Hastings and St. Leonard’s PCT (Primary Care Trust), was visiting the market on Friday January 6 and explained her involvement. “Back in the early 2000s the government had an initiative called 5-a-day and one of the suggested ways of improving take-up of fresh produce was to start up farmers’ markets. This initiative started in Hastings, because that was where the deprivation was most concentrated, and it became my job to move it out into the rural areas. The market at Brede already existed but we brought more to it, including fruit and vegetables, and I started markets in Brightling and some of the smaller villages. It was a very successful campaign and together with the Fruit in School scheme helped to increase the daily intake of fruit and veg in the diets of local people.”
One of the stalls that is now a big draw to the market is run by Julia Elliott, from VJ Game and Sussex Smokers, selling meat smoked foods and vegetables. VJ Game prides itself on providing fresh, high quality meat which is lovingly prepared by the owner, Vincent Elliott, stock ranging from venison to wild boar sausages, guinea fowl and smoked foods and other local meats. Julia carried on the business throughout Covid by running the market in the Village Hall car park with socially-distanced stalls and plenty of hand sanitizer. She understood the needs of the villagers and provided flour, yeast and pasta which at that time were in short supply. She had queues running all the way down the car park and operated throughout lockdown when allowed. It helped the business to tick along and also helped the local community. The fruit on her stall comes from J and F Fruiterers in Rye Harbour who were also key in helping the villages to have fresh fruit and veg during the pandemic.
If you have not yet tried the market out, it is well worth a visit.
Please contact Julia for further information: enquiries@vjgameandsussexsmokers.com or on Facebook Brede Farmers’ Market
Image Credits: Kt bruce .