Low Fell Food Market might be small, but it is perfectly formed. It began around 2 years ago in the grounds of the local school, and was originally named Kells Lane Food Market, after Kells Lane School situated on Kells Lane. The school has a lovely old building which was built in 1876, so it would be hard to top the location. Not open during the winter months, with the exception of the special Christmas event, this was the first market of 2019 and they will continue on the first Saturday of each month.

So moving the market to Saltwell Park, near the bandstand in the Grove has given it a new charm and still within the grounds of amazing architecture, as Saltwell Towers is only a few moments walk.

bandstand

The traders are mostly the same, with a few new additions and it’s good to see the live music element still around. I absolutely love that seating has been provided in the old bandstand, although it would be nice to have a few more areas with tables and chairs. In the summer though, I think this will come into its own as there is still a large grassed area around the market which I’m assuming will be full of picnic blankets. You can get a cute little strawberry stamp on the back of your hand if you want to leave the market area and return later, so it would be easy to pick up your favourite food snacks, return to your picnic blanket, and still be ‘part’ of the market and listen to the live music. Plenty of space for the kids to run around and if it gets busy, just pop through one of the arches and head over to the main picnic area in the shadow of the Towers.

Here’s the full rundown of all the traders who were there.

Adventures in AudeCubanosAcropolis Street FoodFat HippoHun Street KitchenTop Notch ToastiesRedhead’s Mac ‘N’ CheeseThe Little FishyLa Petite CrêperieFire&DoughZen BakerThe Naked FoodieThe Lily Tree BakeryPie DemandScoops n Smiles Vintage Ice Cream Van, Fruit Kitchen, Laneberg Wine LtdMoka Coffee BarWeardale CheeseSimply CheesecakeMarsh Loves MallowEmily’s BrowniesLe Mini Macaron, Hogs@Strothers, North East Organic GrowersAlison’s Kitchen JamsMazzeh SpiceTravelling Bee CompanyCoffeeBoxTap GardenThe Tipsy TrailerDozy cow designsThe Northern Flower GardenSouth Dene Nursery with Joe Treacy music and the Low Fell Ukes providing the soundtrack.

I’ve picked my top savoury and sweet stall for this month. Not just for how lovely the food looked and tasted, but also based on value for money (always important) and originality.

Hun Street Kitchen, were serving up all things Budapest. I chose the Kebab Langos which was a fresh dough, deep fried, and topped with Hungarian style chicken, melted cheese, red onion, and garlic sauce. The dough is cooked to order, and it looked amazing bubbling away only to be served within minutes. The melted cheese drizzled over the top and the tender chicken was a definite winner for me. The cost was £6.50. Good news, there is also a vegetarian option and the dough is topped with avocado cream, tomatoes and optional cheese sauce. My friend ordered this version and it too was delicious. Also on offer were goulash and mixed kebab, and I will definitely be trying these another time.

The Naked Foodie was my sweet stop. She serves up plant based sweet treats made with 100% natural ingredients. I purchased the citrus cheesecake which was truly amazing. It was full of flavour but also light and while I didn’t feel like I had overdone the sweet side of food, I was truly satisfied. My friend chose a slice of pecan pie which was also delicious. The fact that we both still felt healthy afterwards was a nice surprise!! I think the slices were £2.50 each, the price almost passed me by as I was literally swooning over the delicious goodies on offer. Other yummy things were salted caramel cheesecake and raw brownie bites. There was a constant stream of people at the stall so that will show you how popular it was. Some of the delicious cakes she makes are now also available in Milligans bakery and Greggs, so check out her Facebook page and get the low down if you can’t wait for next months food market.

The market runs 10.30am – 3.00pm and the next one will be Saturday 5th May, so make sure you get along to a food market that is stylish and family friendly, in the grounds of a grade-II listed building and enjoy some amazing food at a seat in the Victorian bandstand. What’s not to love?