Country Market
Friday: 10.00-11.30am
You will be sure of a warm welcome from the team at the Derby Country Market! Lesley, Val, Betty, Mary, Kathy, Maureen, Sue and Joan are happy and proud to serve you!
Where to find us
We are based at The Community Centre, Mickleover, Near Derby. Open Fridays 10.00 am – 11.30 am.
Country Markets Ltd is a co-operative and produces goods to sell directly to the public. It has its roots going back to 1919 when the Agricultural Organisation Society (now DEFRA) sponsored (through the Women’s Institute) the setting up of co-operative markets to sell surplus produce.
In 2004 the WI Country Markets changed its name to Country Markets Ltd and is based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. It is a nationwide co-operative organisation, with a membership of 400 separate markets selling food, crafts and garden produce from more than 12,000 producers.
All markets pride themselves on high quality, homemade produce and crafts. Each market produces goods locally for local people thereby reducing food miles. Some of the items promote regional foods and crafts thus helping to preserve Derbyshire traditions.
At the Derby Market you will find delicious preserves and chutnies. We have cakes, savouries, bread, garden produce and plants. We can also tempt you with crafts and greetings cards. It is our aim to offer you a personal, friendly service and good value for money.
Do visit the market regularly as there are often Specials and our greetings cards and crafts are definitely worth a browse. In addition, we accept regular orders for your favourites and we can take special orders e.g. celebration cakes. Christmas is also a good time to visit us we are known for our mammoth mince pie bake-ins. Last year we made over 500 mince pies!
Hampers
Country Markets offer a simple way to obtain a hamper of home-produced goods, tailor-made to your requirements and delivered to the door.
These make ideal gifts for friends and relatives but are also useful if you are unable to get to a Country Market yourself.
Arranging for delivery is easy. Simply contact Country Markets Head Office by phone (01246 261508) or e-mail info@country-markets.co.uk with details of the delivery address. They will then provide you with the contact details of the nearest participating Country Market so that you can make all the necessary arrangements.
The service is flexible. You can discuss how much you would like to pay, what you would like to be included, any likes and dislikes of the recipient and whether or not you would like a gift card to be included.
There is a small charge for delivery and it is helpful if you give as much notice as possible.
Why not become a producer yourself?
- It costs only 5p to become a producer and anyone
over 16, with suitable, genuinely, home-produced
goods to sell, is welcome to join us.
- There are no minimum quantities to produce
-start small and build up to a level which feels
comfortable.
- All Country Markets run co-operatively; no-one has
their own table.
- There is a formula to help Producers work out a selling price which gives a reasonable return for their work.
- Everyone takes their turn staffing the stall and helping to run the Market so it’s great way of meeting people, becoming involved in the local community and promoting handmade goods.
- A small commission (10%) is taken from sales to cover Market running expenses; the rest is paid to the Producer monthly.
If you are interested, come along to the market and talk to any of our producers.
Making Local Food Work
The Big Lottery Fund has allocated £234 million to a programme called Changing Spaces to help communities access and enhance their local environments. The Plunkett Foundation was awarded £10 million for Making Local Food Work – a project that aims to reconnect people and the land through local food.
County Markets Ltd is part of a group of organisations that will be working with Plunkett to deliver the project. Currently Country Markets engages in Direct Selling (through weekly markets) but nationwide, Country Markets Ltd has been awarded half a million pounds to develop Indirect Selling. In the future you will be able to purchase Country Market goods at local garden centres, farm shops and other retail outlets.
The project is still new but it does give you an idea of how Country Markets Ltd is continually developing and safeguarding its future. This is good news for everyone – producers and customer