Ampthill Market

Ampthill market was established in 1219 and was confirmed by royal charter in 1242.   It has always been held on a Thursday.  There was a market house on the square, this was replaced with the market house now Richardsons in the 1780s, when Lord Ossary of Ampthill Park 'tidied up' the town.

It is small market but has a good selection of stalls, the Town Council try to keep it varied.

Here is a quick summary of all of the stalls, and hopefully I will return with some more posts later on about each of the stalls, apart from the Country Market - as I am sure you will know we are there every week if you have been reading this blog :)

So there is Keith a fishmonger from Grimsby

A greengrocer

Isla Jane Bakery

Open air foods selling cheese and olives

Charity stall for Keech cottage

Luella gifts

Newbury Farm Plants

Pet foods

A seller of household items
Greetings cards

Here are some more great photos of the market from www.Ollieali.com:
Ampthill Market

Country Markets history

The Country Markets organisation has roots going back to 1919, when the Agricultural Organisation Society (now DEFRA) sponsored the setting up of co-operative markets to sell surplus produce.  The first markets were Women's Institute (WI) markets and continued under this name until 2004, when it was decided set up the markets as a standalone concern.

The very first market was in Lewes East Sussex on 14th December 1919, and was a collaborative of several local WIs.  Initially it was for selling the produce of members of the local branches of the Women's Institutes, but soon it expanded to others - small holders, cottagers, ex-service men.  At its height, the market was selling produce from members of 23 different WIs.   Anyone could become a shareholder, small holders, cottagers, ex-service men, etc, and it has remained the same, costing 5p to join.

There are currently over three hundred Country Markets throughout England, Wales and the Channel Islands.  Country Markets baking and preserves can now also be found in a small but increasing number of local community shops and similar outlets.

Country Markets Ltd and all the Country Market Societies are co-operative social enterprises, registered as Industrial & Provident Societies with the Financial Services Authority.  The organisation as a whole has an annual turnover of around £10 million.

In 1932 (National Federation of WI) NFWI decided to expand marketing activity and held a conference on February 4th at Caxton Hall, London. The prime objective of the conference was to investigate possible methods for marketing foodstuffs which are were being wasted when member's gardens are glutted with produce for which no means of marketing exists.  It was attended by 183 representatives from 47 counties.

By the end of 1932 nine counties had set up registered County Marketing Societies.  Individual markets were registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act.

In 1990 NFWI became a Charitable Company limited by Guarantee.  As a result the Charity Commission and the NFWI legal advisers suggested a more 'arms length' relationship.  By 1992 the annual turnover of country Markets was £10million but NFWI was a 'not for profit' organisation.

Finally in 1995 Markets separated from NFWI, adopting a new name 'WI Country Markets Ltd'. It moved into separate offices and became self financing. In 2004 the use of the WI initials was discontinued.
- See more at: The WI

Ampthill Market started in November 1973, and so celebrated its 40th birthday last year. 

And here is another did you know..... some allotment societies will not allow their members to sell their excess produce and there is some interesting reading here: selling allotment produce and also here www.ruleworks.co.uk which gives clarification.

Toast and marmalade

Did you know that in 2003 Leeds university researched how to make the perfect piece of toast?

They came up with an equation, as scientists should, and gives the details butter and toast temperature.

Researchers' found that people think the perfect piece of toast should have partly melted butter patches on it, improving its taste and texture.



For this to work, the butter should be applied at fridge temperature of five degrees Celsius.

The formula was developed following research commissioned by Lurpak.  They wanted to know how the properties of melting butter affects the taste of toast.

They studied thickness, specific heat, density, the initial temperature of the toast, the weight.  All this lead to this statement:

Professor Bronek Wedzicha
"To produce the patches of butter most people said they preferred, the bread needs to be heated to at least 120°C, and the butter should be used straight from the fridge, applied unevenly within two minutes of the bread coming out of the toaster.

"The amount of butter should be about one-seventeenth the thickness of the bread," he said.

So next tome you sit and have your morning toast and marmalade from the Ampthill country Market you may need to rethink your strategy :)