Five years old this May, the Naas farmers’ market has a good mix of seasoned marketers and local producers. There are organic fruit and vegetables, no less than four stalls selling bread and cakes, meat, fish, Sheridan’s cheesemongers and the Real Olive Company.
Peter Gibson of the Gallic Kitchen offers delicious pies, delivered with a dollop of acerbic wit. Jane Russell started out here, and six months later, opened an industrial unit to cater to demand for her sausages. Pierre Jouanneau imports French wines and on sunny days, when things are winding down, stallholders and customers are not averse to opening a bottle to toast a good day’s work.
Choc O’Neills have created a stunning range of handmade chocolates, which are sinfully tempting. Malone’s fruit farm sells old-fashioned Tayberry and Loganberry jams. Kids chase each other around, there are dads pushing high-end buggies, and stylish ladies toting their goodies in Cath Kidston shoppers. One thing all the stallholders agree on is how loyal their customers are.
The location is great, in the carpark of the Storehouse restaurant, close to the centre of the town. There’s parking right beside it, and plenty of food available to eat. Snacks include any amount of sweet things, hot sausage rolls, noodles, organic burgers and chips, plus a busy little coffee stall. There’s a friendly buzz, even on a bitterly cold day; when the weathers good, the stallholders say it can resemble a carnival. Miriam Mulcahy
SHOPPING LIST (Prices per kilo)
New potatoes: €2.40
Eating apples: €3.30
Carrots (organic): €2.00
Farm fresh chicken, €10
Sausages: €15
Farmhouse brie/ Wicklow farmhouse blue: €24
Semi-dried tomatoes: €26
Marmalade: €12
Ffrench’s brown bread: €3
Focaccia loaf: €4.50
Rhubarb crumble: €6.50
Naas Farmers’ Market - Saturdays, 10am-3pm