The Best Farmers Markets in the UK to Explore This Spring, According to Food Experts

New data has revealed the UK’s best farmers’ markets based on how often they occur each month, how long the markets last, the number of trade stalls and online ratings.

Farmers markets in Winchester, Taunton, Edinburgh and Blackheath have come out on top in research carried out by food experts.

So, where in the UK can you find the best farmers’ markets? Recipe box provider, HelloFresh, has revealed the best of the best by analysing how often they occur, how long they last, the number of traders/producers, and online ratings.

It has been revealed that Winchester Farmers Market in the south of England is the best in the UK, followed by Taunton Farmers Market in Somerset and Edinburgh Farmers Market in Scotland.

Why are farmers’ markets more popular than ever?

Spring is the perfect time to enjoy the UK’s freshest produce, with farmers and horticulturists gathering in their local area to sell their finest stock.

Not only can you find the best produce at farmers’ markets, but you can also make a day of it by trying delicious foods and visiting the local village or town, which is why they’re becoming more popular.

The locavore trend, which is someone who only eats produce that has been sourced locally, has become popular in the UK, with searches for the trend increasing by 21% in the last year.

Similarly, #locavore, #farmersmarket and #farmersmarketuk receive 8.5M, 380.8M and 10.7K monthly views on TikTok, so it’s not just the older generations enjoying their local markets, but younger generations too.

Not only have they discovered the best farmers markets in the UK, but HelloFresh is also helping people create fresh and flavoursome recipes with the type of fresh ingredients you’ll find at the market.

Mimi Morley, the senior chef at HelloFresh, has recommended what to cook with your local produce: “What can you buy at a farmers market? Typically, farmers markets sell a huge variety of meats, fruit and vegetables. This is because it’s fresh produce grown and nurtured in the UK and picked by the highest quality producers before heading to the market.”

“If you’re a vegetarian, looking for high quality, fresh produce from the farmers markets, I highly recommend making a vegetable tagine. This dish can be jam-packed full of flavour and tastes even better knowing its ingredients were grown by UK farmers.”

“Some of the finest meat cuts are in the trade stands. So, make a succulent sirloin steak with your favourite sauce and chips. Or make a classic chicken roast dinner when you head back home from the market.”

For meat such as beef and chicken, vegetarian and vegan recipe inspiration, explore HelloFresh’s range of recipe ideas to see what you can do with your farmers market buys.