For all our talk about local food, it has occurred to us that if you did want to venture out of your supermarket comfort zone, you might not know what to expect.
As it turns out, the door opposite the counter in Dimensions isn’t an office. Nor will you startle an unsuspecting yoga instructor in use of a compost toilet. It’s where they keep the vegetables! I was as happily surprised by this news as I assume you are. The staff are keen to help and to chat so for the anxious local-shopping virgin there is nothing to worry about.
To take a trip slightly further afield, you may know that Anglesey is renowned for its food produce. Every three weeks the best farmers, brewers, smokers, butchers, bakers and confectioners of Anglesey and beyond gather to sell their produce.
On my first trip I especially enjoyed the friendly bravado of the Derimon Smokery staff. If you can dream it, they can smoke it. Not only do they have the finest in local meat and fish but also smoked cheese and butter. “How do you smoke butter?” I asked “Carefully” he replied.
The enormous free range eggs, which are cheaper and nicer than any I’ve seen in a supermarket, are from the same farm which supply Bangor butchers G. Williams & Sons.
The man on the mushroom stand chucked in a few extra shitakes for a first time visitor as well as a few good recipes to try. The lady on the preserve stand was and more than happy for us to “taste” each jar a few times. We couldn’t decide between green and purple kale so we bought both for next to nothing.
The joy of buying local food from the people who have made it is that they are happy to talk with you because they’re proud of their produce. They’re happy to round the price down to the nearest pound or throw in a few extras because they are grateful for your custom in a way no supermarket checkout person ever will be.
If you are interested in buying local, real variety and saving money then I cannot recommend Anglesey Farmer’s Market enough.
How to get there:
62 from the bus station takes 14 minutes to get to Menai Bridge (and it is a lovely drive). From there it’s less than a five minute walk to Ysgol Daffyd Hughes where the Anglesey Farmer’s Market is held.
In season now (April): Broccoli, new potatoes, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, spinach, spring onions, watercress, crab, sea trout, leeks, potatoes, mackerel, mussels, oysters, lamb, rabbit, cauliflower, chives, sorrel, cockles, cucumber.
More information:
The Produce of North Wales – Joe Russell
