Frome Farmers’ Market supports local produce this Christmas

Frome Farmers’ Market has all the produce to help you keep it local and independent this Christmas with free-range turkeys from Hockworthy, vegetables grown in Chippenham, gluten free cakes from Radstock, handmade willow decorations, award winning cheeses, homemade cordials,  free-range meats, fish from Mere and so much more.

One well known producer is Barry Fowler; he has a great passion for baking sourdough bread, and his regular customers have such a great passion for eating it that he is normally sold out before 11am on market days.

Joanne Hayers said, “Barry works as a surveyor for four days of the week but as soon as he switches off his computer on a Thursday, he is starting to think about bread. Plans are drawn up, a timetable mapped out and his sourdough starters are prepared. Early Friday morning he is up and mixing doughs, leaving them to prove (taking over the downstairs of the house in the process) and generally moving the doughs along. It takes about 4-5 hours of work to even get most breads to the stage of shaping them for their final cold prove. Barry bakes through the night (normally placing the first loaf in the oven past midnight!) and in the early hours of the morning is making buns and tea cakes. By the time he and his wife get to sit down with a cup of tea they are, quite understandably, shattered! Their go to loaves are the Seeded Spelt and the True Grit but both have an (understandable) special love for cardamom buns.”

At the evening market on Wednesday 21st there will be spiced Christmas bread and panettone tea cake along with a range of sourdough loaves.

Barry can be found at Frome Farmers’ Market on Wednesday 21st December (5pm-7.30pm) in the Cheese & Grain Hall, along with the regular host of passionate and talented producers from around the region.