Midleton Farmers’ Market, Co Cork

Market devotees will tell you that Midleton’s Saturday market is the original of the species, having led the renaissance of Ireland’s farmers’ markets since its opening in June 2000 as a self-regulating municipal co-operative. Its strength lies in having so many national and internationally renowned farmers and producers, from Darina Allen to Frank Hederman, and by keeping its focus on produce as opposed to lifestyle shopping.

Having moved to a larger site in recent times, the market now accommodates 32 stalls with increased car parking space also provided. Although you’d hardly know it – when we visited, at 11am, it took several attempts circling the main parking area before we managed to park, probably illegally, on the grounds of a nearby clinic. And we weren’t the only ones.

The proximity of the market to a large supermarket helps in making it a convenient weekly stop-off point for many in the area. By far the largest queue was for O’Driscoll’s fish stall, where punters could buy a recession-busting bag of fish for a fiver. Frank Hederman was also doing a brisk trade with his new offering of salmon or mackerel crush. He put the market’s success down to the fact that “there is no duplication in this market bar vegetables.”

Philip Little in the Little Irish Apple Company has reduced prices by one third in line with the economic climate, and claims he is now selling three times more.

Peckish shoppers can avail of hot dogs at O’Flynns for €3.50 (with a 30 cent charge for lettuce and tomato), while Krawczyks West Cork Salami had a chorizo sausage sandwich for €5.

My own indulgence included a bread and butter pudding from the Ballymaloe stall, which was well priced if a little soggy, and some mushroom pate (€3.50) from Peter McDonald’s stall.

Shoppers I met came from Clare, Limerick and Kerry, while remarkably, one couple had travelled from Dublin. “It was more than worth the effort,” they remarked, as they left laden with produce.

SHOPPING LIST (Prices per kilo)

Potatoes: €2.50 (Spanish, Ballintubber Farm)

Eating apples: €3 (Little Irish Apple Company)

Carrots : €1.50 (Ballintubber Farm)

Organic Chicken: €6.80 (Dan Ahern’s) Sausages: €12 (garlic gold medal, Krawczyk West Cork Salamis)

Brie: €20 (Fiona Burke)

Marmalade: €3 per pot (Mary O’Connell)

Red wine and walnut loaf: €3.80 (Arbutus Bread)

Focaccia: €4.80 (Arbutus Bread)

Midleton Farmers’ Market – Saturdays, 9am-1pm