Happy 10th Birthday Stroud Farmers Market

Congrats to all who have made Stroud farmer's Market the best in the South West and one of the best in the country.

Picture from Stroud artist Simon Watkins aka Vietnam the Movie who has helped give the market a new look.

Today Stroud Farmers’ Market celebrated its 10th birthday - the market was originally launched as a monthly experiment - fashion designer Jasper Conran and the late style icon Isabella Blow in July 1999 opened it - now of course it has grown hugely and since August 2006 it has been every Saturday. It has helped to breath new life into many local food and drink producers but also had a huge impact on the rest of the town - indeed far from taking business away it has led the rival of Stroud.

There are now new banners and there was also a cake cutting ceremony by Guardian food critic Matthew Fort and various others at 11am. In the Citizen organiser Clare Gerbrands, who also runs the Made in Stroud shop in Kendrick Street, said: “I never imagined it would capture people’s imaginations the way it has. The council asked us to run it and include local farmers. We now regularly attract 50 or more stallholders, all selling their own homegrown and homemade produce. Thousands of customers flock to the market every week and it is now the biggest farmers’ market in the South West, bringing much trade into the town centre and contributing to Stroud’s renaissance as a successful market town, even in difficult economic times.”