This is one of those unknown gems you might not discover unless you venture out of the city (in my case), or you happen to want to market hop. I had yet to have some ‘me time’ since having Jenny, so a year and a half into it i thought it was time i took a break. I have a thing for road trips but obviously i could only go so far without worrying about Fran and Jenny. So a 30 minute tram ride is what we opted for… next stop? Altricham market.
I was immediately drawn to the little pots of seasonal flowers and herbs at the market entrance. However, with all the walking we still had to do there was no way i was carrying those around. Plus i had made a vow to try and plant my own herbs. Though i must admit i have had a few loses for reasons i am yet to find out. I thought it would all be pretty straight forward but i guess they need more than just nurturing.
My good friend Evija is into farmers markets as much as i am so what better way to spend the day than a little shopping, then settle down for lunch with a wee glass of wine? Okay, i will be honest- this turned into a shared bottle of wine. And before i knew it i was all giddy- and i don’t see this happening again in the near future. That is unless i am at home and the bed is close by for when my legs feel too tingly to move- 2 glasses and i am out, yes alcohol is clearly not my thing.
Sell me a dirty carrot?…
I wish we had a farmers market closer to home. I miss knowing where my produce comes from, who i’m buying it from and just that feeling of ‘community’. Funny enough i wouldn’t mind running into a dirty carrot with it’s leaves still intact. Or fruits and vegetables that aren’t all uniform, i don’t know when it became the norm to send back imports for lack of uniformity among other unsettling requirements.
Outside the market was a cheese stall with more options than i expected to find at a local farmers market. It is very hard, let’s say impossible to pass by a homemade sourdough bread stand and walk away empty handed. So you know we snagged a few loaves!!!!
The market had stalls selling an assortment of cheese, trinkets, art, personalised items and in the middle of it all was a food court with seats in the middle and stalls on the sides offering a variety of cuisines.
Can we eat now?!
This was right next to a small stage stacked with hay and a musician serenading us.
It was a battle to get a seat as there were more people than spaces. So soon as we saw an empty chair we snagged it up and shared the table with strangers. I ordered a white pizza with broccoli and olives, though delicious i have to admit there was a little too much olive oil going on there. Anyway, the somewhat bitter broccoli and mellow milky buffalo mozzarella were a match made in heaven!!!!
The plan was to take a short walk to digest as we looked for a dessert cafe. We ended up at a nearby restaurant seated on the terrace overlooking the market drinking wine. Don’t ask how this happened. All in all it was a lovely experience however i found quite a few items to be a bit on the pricey side. But i would pass by for lunch should i be in the neighbourhood.
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