Southport - Wesley Fish

More fish would probably be an improvement to most peoples' diets, so it's a pity there are more shops like Wesley Fish in Southport.

There's a very colourful display in the window:
and inside the shop there's an excellent choice of fresh fish - and some good special offers.
It's also a place where you can buy Southport Potted Shrimps which are also sold in baskets in some local pubs.

Wesley Fish Ltd

27 Tulketh Street

Southport

Merseyside

PR8 1AG

Tel: 01704 542778

Southport Farmers Market

I always think of Southport as being in Lancashire, but it's now in Sefton and classified as being part of Mersyside. In recent times there has had a lot of money spent redeveloping Southport and making it even more attractive.

Southport has the second longest pier in Britain which is 3,650 feet or 1,113 metres in length. On a clear days, you may get a glimpse of Anglesey, the Welsh and Cumbrian Mountains, the Blackpool Tower and possibly even the sea! It's a joke that you can never see the sea at Southport (it's a very flat beach so at low tide the sea goes a long way out. Like Queen Victoria:

I turned my back on the sea (and the town's Lawn Mower Museum) and went in search of good food. If you go on the last Thursday in the month (except December) you can visit Southport Farmers Market.
My pictures show it in front of Southport Town Hall, but as from this month (30/07/09) it will move to Chapel Street.
It's not a big market, but there are some good stalls, including one selling fresh fish, J & R Holt from Great House Farm:

and cheese from Leagram Organic Dairy:

Here you could buy with (amongst many other alternatives) Lancashire cheese with cranberries, garlic, ginger or even marmite!

Southport Farmers' Market

Chapel Street

Southport

Merseyside

Tel: 0845 140 0845

Web: www.sefton.gov.uk/Default.aspx?page=4202

Knighton

The last time I went to Knighton was about 12 years ago, and I remember buying a Bara Brith which I thought was rather good...
I returned recently expecting this town to be full of good food shops. I could find antique shops, but struggled to find good food shops which I thought the town would be full of :-(.
I managed to find one baker (in the entrance to a supermarket).
and was told that there was a good butcher in the other supermarket:
As supermarkets go, Harry Tuffin is a bit special and one day I'll do a post on them.

However it was Knighton Farmers' Market where I found what I wanted.
It's held in the Community Centre on the second and fourth Saturday in the month.
There's locally produced meats and organically grown vegetables, Fair Trade goods, local beers & ciders and I bought some very pretty flowers.

You can also buy crafts and a young girl was playing the recorder when I called.

There's everything from Bara Brith, smoked garlic to goose eggs:

Knighton Farmers' Market

Knighton Community Centre

Bowling Green Lane

Knighton

Powys

Much Wenlock Farmers' Market

Much Wenlock seems to have all the things I like! It's got an abbey, which got attacked by Vikings and replaced by a Cluniac priory. Wenlock Priory is now in ruins, but is open to the public. There's also a fine parish church:

and a beautiful Guildhall, built in 1540.

It's here where Much Wenlock Farmers' Market takes place, on the first and third Friday of the month.
The open space on the ground floor, where the Farmers' Market is, used to be the Corn Market. Much Wenlock Farmers' Market Stall holders include Ashford Farm Shop, Park Gate Farm, Wenlock Edge Farm and Willows Kitchen.

Whilst you're in the Guildhall have a look at the signs from when Wenlock was a Borough:

I particularly liked this sign on the wall:

It seems that there's nothing new about bad parking on market days...

Much Wenlock - The Flower and Vegetable Garden

Another shop that sells locally sourced produce where possible, with produce from local growers and the Vale of Evesham.

The Flower and Vegetable Garden

5 High Street

Much Wenlock

Shropshire

TF13 6AA

Tel: 01952 728811

Web: www.flowerandvegetablegarden.co.uk

Much Wenlock - Catherine's Bakery

According to Mintel, less than 16% of adults in the UK regularly shop at bakeries. I wonder if that is because many places have now lost their bakery? Thankfully Much Wenlock still has a bakery:

Catherine's Bakery

20 Barrow Street

Much Wenlock

Shropshire

TF13 6EN

Tel: 01952 727483

Much Wenlock - A Ryan & Son

When I went to A Ryan & Son butchers in Much Wenlock, there was a queue outside the shop and I decided to go back later. That was a big mistake, when I returned the queue was even longer (so sadly I decided it was too busy to take pictures inside the shop).
The queue is not due to lack of staff, it's because too many people know about Paddy Ryan's good quality meat and reasonable prices! Their meat is sourced from within five miles of the town, and their pork pies are hand made each day by Mrs Ryan. Try their brawn or pressed beef.

They open each morning at 6.00 am (they're closed on Wednesdays and Sundays) and I'm told there's sometimes even a queue at that time! It just goes to show that if you do things right, you'll never be short of customers.

A Ryan & Son

60 High Street

Much Wenlock

Shropshire

TF13 6AE

Tel: 01952 727409