Local To Ludlow | Shopping

Shropshire's largest farmers' market, taking place every 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month. We also run a permanent cafe & shop on the square.

Ludlow Local Produce Market, Ludlow’s popular farmers' market, started back in the year 2000, is a regular fixture in Ludlow’s calendar, packs Castle Square with fresh local food and drink twice every month, it’s most definitely a jewel in Ludlow’s food crown that continues to shine brightly through wind, rain and sometimes even snow. The Local to Ludlow café and shop are a relatively new addition to the initiative, showcasing locally roasted coffee and locally baked cakes and seasonal soups to eat in or takeaway.

The market was established on basic farmers’ market principles, which continue to be in place today. They are basically that; the products must be made, grown or reared by the stallholder or associate and must use local ingredients wherever possible. And they must be produced within 30 miles of Ludlow, or 50 miles in exceptional cases.   Market manager Tish Dockerty adds, ‘ We get a lot of interest from an assortment of traders who sometimes say we are too strict, but I think sticking to these rules makes our market special and we’ve gained respect and loyalty from our customers as a result.’

The ‘Local to Ludlow’ logo that’s become synonymous with shopping local in Ludlow was always for the town as a whole not just the market. Therefore you will find the logo used in local butchers and greengrocers as well as indicating places for eating out. The original objective of the group that started the market was to ‘encourage and facilitate increased local consumption of locally produced food and drink to help mitigate the environmental, economic and social costs of food distribution systems.’  And this still rings true today even when buying local has become more popular and certainly a way of life for many in Ludlow.