Market celebrates 20 years
IT’S a regular sight in Cardiff every Sunday morning and this weekend Riverside Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 20th birthday.
Regular stall holders and customers will be celebrating this brilliant milestone with a birthday bash on Sunday, October 21.
Customers are invited to join staff and traders to celebrate the anniversary from 11am to 12.30pm at the usual site on Fitzhamon Embankment.
In addition to the usual wide range of food and drink, there will be live music, raffles and prizes and a showstopping cake from Canton baker Let Them See Cake.
Back in 1998, the market started with a group of traders setting up their stalls in Riverside’s Despenser Gardens once a month.
But when it was clear that there was a growing interest in the provenance of food and customers wanted to be able to buy local produce more regularly, the market soon became weekly and moved to its current location opposite the then newly-built Millennium Stadium.
As Riverside Market grew, Riverside Real Food – the social enterprise which was set up to manage the market – set up a sister farmers’ market in Roath, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and a Friday market in Rhiwbina.
In recent years, it has run several pop-up markets and street food festivals in locations, including St Fagans Museum, St Mary Street, Cardiff’s universities, alongside lots of events to promote local food and healthy eating in schools and communities.
Market founder, Steve Garrett said: “Our mission was always to bring local, healthy, affordable and tasty food to the residents of Riverside and central Cardiff. For 20 years we’ve also been able to offer huge benefits to farmers and producers as well as to the local economy and to the environment.
“From the beginning, our markets have always been about building a sense of community, as well making some of the best food in Wales available in the capital city.
“Thanks to the dedicated work of all staff, and loyal stallholders, Riverside and its sister markets are now firmly established as a part of Cardiff’s food shopping experience, with a diverse and always expanding range of stalls, including many winners of local and national awards,” he said.
Many traders have used the markets to start or build their businesses including some of the best-known names in the Welsh food scene such as Dusty Knuckle, Pettigrew Bakeries, Crafty Devil, Mr Croquewich and Untapped Brewing Co.
To find out more about Riverside Market visit the website at www.riversidemarket.org.uk