Farmers Markets: Fair game or rip off?

[Mercy]

I went to a Farmers Market today, the last one I went to was about 3 or 4 years and tbh I was really taken aback at how expensive so many things were. The range has improved since I last went but the prices were OTT for us.

This one was in London so obviously I would expect things to cost more - but I feel this one was just taking the proverbial.

Any views - or even better, any recommendations?

i think the ones out of London are not as pricey..they are more a way of life tbh

Was it Borough Market ?

£5 for a bunch of sparrow grass

I been to our local one which is on about 3 times a year....it's quite expensive.I find it's cheaper to buy direct from the farm.

i go every week to ours. fabulous bread, fruit, fish pie..wonderful.

our weekly market in market town osn't the same as the farmer's market that comes to town occassionally.The veg at the weekly market is crap,cheap but still crap.There is an organic farm stall and a lovely fish stall but they are expensive.

Theres one here every month (and various others in surrounding towns/villages the other weekends ).

We get some things from there - best buys tend to be fruit and veg from local farms. The more expensive stuff tends to, understandably, be things like organic meat or specialised products like hand-made chocolates.

When I was on mat. leave and just on that "oh, I'm weaning ds so it must be organic" trip, I went to a few and it very quickly became a case of "my god, just how much will people pay for some tomatoes?!!!!"

ahome made multi grain loaf is about 2 quid at the market and I think it is worth that

Lady Sherlock, it was Ally Pally but I think quite a few of the producers do Borough Market too. In fact an older lady came up to me in the queue and said that this one and Borough Market were the most over priced in London. I assume she's tried a few - but to me it seems daft to trek across town.

Beety

IMO that loaf would be a least £4 in Borough Market.

you will have to drive to the sticks then

I paid 4 quid for a (large) bunch of sparrow grass direct from the grower recently. OK it was fresh and really lovely but not much cheaper than yours at the market.

Defiantely a London factor - I've been paying £1.50 a lb for asparagus here. We do live in prime asparagus growing territory though.

But I don't live in London!!!! However I reckon it was a a good lb in weight. Shame really that when my kids discover a new veg that they love it has to be so expensive and seasonal....

ggirl, I think you are right about buying stuff from a farm shop. there is a fab little shop on a farm near to where my mum lives (Devon) - it hasn't got much in it, limited opening times but it's great.

I also like those honesty boxes you sometimes see in the countryside with those signs painted on a bit of cardboard, "free range eggs 1 mile". We've bought all sorts of things there!

I can buy four fat bunches of asparagus for £10 from the farm up the road (North Wales)

Am I being thick re 'sparrow grass'??????

Asparagus = Sparrow Grass