Visit the Christmas Suffolk Farmers' Market at Trinity Park

If you’re stocking up the larder with goodies, a good place to make a dent is next weekend’s Christmas Suffolk Farmers’ Market, which returns to the Cow Sheds at Trinity Park on Saturday, December 10. 

Free to enter, with free parking, and all under cover, the event has become a popular annual attraction at the home of Suffolk Show, and this year really is bigger than ever, welcoming more than 60 food, drink and craft traders. 

Market founder Justine Paul says she can’t wait to see the sheds come alive with visitors once more: “The Christmas Suffolk Farmers Market is just a market full of joy. It is like a culmination of the year, with all our favourite producers from all our markets in Suffolk under one roof. It really sets off the seasonal spirit for me - I know Christmas has truly started when we have this market and I know how popular it has become.” 

For the first time ever fresh Christmas trees will be available to buy on the day (which is open from 10am to 2pm). 

And lots of crafters will be out in force, selling small batch made, thoughtful gifts to put under those trees. They include Seascape Jewellery, Country Creations’ tableware, skincare from Apothokelly, dried flowers from Floral in Equilibrium, and candles made by Boho & Rose and The White Candle Company. 

If you get peckish there are plenty of options to satisfy every appetite too. Tuck into BurgerJam’s burgers or bacon baps, delicious curries and samosas from Tikkatonic, loaded fries and churros from Tuk Tuk Cantina, and filled beigels from Bagel or Beigel. 

Crumb & Brew and Coffee Station will be at hand with a bevy of hot drinks. 

“And don’t forget to bring your four-legged friends,” adds Justine. “We have a special area with products and treats for them!” 

10 stalls to look out for 

Baked by Humphries: Sisters Jessie and Gina put a smile on customers’ faces every Saturday at Sudbury market, pulling up in their cheery yellow van laden with almost gravity-defying bakes – often drenched in chocolate! 

They’ve just announced their Christmas collection which you can order at the market for picking up at Sudbury. It includes the traditional, classic iced fruit cake, a reindeer-design chocolate cake, and lots of fun too. Who will be able to resist the 1kg Chocolate Orange Lover’s Christmas Pud? It sees a whole chocolate orange encased in their gooey chocolate brownie, dipped in chocolate, covered in Maltesers, double dipped in chocolate, and finished with glace cherries. 

East Coast Chilli Company: Put some fire in your belly with a bottle of something from Great Taste winners Tim and Leanne.  

Every sauce in the range is made, bottled and labelled by them, and spans the heat spectrum, from fruity and mild...to devilishly spicy. 

A good entry level option is the Extra Mild Mango Chilli Sauce, made with carrots, garlic, lime, fresh mango and a kiss of chilli. 

Or ramp it up with the Habanero and Lime Essence which is packed with tomatoes, lime, garlic, onions, chilli and extra virgin olive oil. Try a dash over tacos, or use it to marinate pork. 

Choose Spice: Vernon’s trio of South East Asian curry pastes are based on his mother’s authentic recipes. They’re simple-as to use. Just pop them in a pan with fish, vegetables or meat, and add the suggested amount of coconut, water or tomatoes. 

Simmer away, and dinner’s on the table in a jiffy. 

If you’re looking for an easy way to use up turkey leftovers on Boxing Day, you really won’t go far wrong with one of these pots. They come in Goan, Sri Lankan and Rendang varieties. If you’re looking to cook now, the rendang paste is wonderful cooked low and slow with venison. 

Niche Cocktails: Niche prides itself on serving up some of the most premium cocktails in cans on the market. Made with the best spirits and without artificial preservatives or flavourings, each one is full strength – just as if you’d stepped into a bar. 

Winter favourites include the Mocha Martini (cold brew coffee, vodka and cocoa extract), and the Blood Orange Old Fashioned (Italian blood orange, bourbon and a dash of bitters). 

Temprd Chocolate: Fun, chunky chocolate bars made, as they say, with ‘No Bull’. Each of the 14 bars has a base of sustainable, Rainforest Alliance accredited chocolate. And no single-use plastic is involved in the packaging. Flavours to sample range from Dark Espresso and Walnut, to Gingerbread S’Mores, Maldon Sea Salt and Caramel, Dark Honeycomb and Coconut Caramel Crunch. 

Artefact Brewing: What started as a home-based nanobrewery, has now become a thriving little business for husband and wife James and Kat, who’ve picked up a few awards across their journey over the last couple of years. 

A stalwart favourite is their classic Ixworth Blonde – a light English ale with a hint of citrus lent by the use of Mandarina Bavaria hops. 

If you like to go to the dark side in winter, check out the Dark Mild, with its sweet coffee, malty, chocolate notes.  

Wooster’s Bakery: Wooster’s make swoon-worthy bread. Toothsome sourdoughs (the toasted seed one is marvellous with a smear of blue cheese and chutney), irresistibly plump batch baked white (if you can get a loaf from the middle of the batch you’ve won at life), and beautiful pastries. Do not go home without a malt loaf in your bag. Theirs are the stickiest, densest, most glorious around. 

The Cheese and Pie Man: A mainstay at many of the region’s markets and fairs. Pop over to grab some pies or pasties for dinner (or to stow away in the freezer for betwixtmas) and stock up on those Christmas cheeses. They sell lots of truckles, which will keep for a fair old while. A top recommendation is the Bob’s Knobs (also known as a Volcano). The pyramid-shaped green and red waxed Lancashire cheese is crumbly and spiky – the kind of cheese that makes the roof of your mouth tingle. Wonderful. 

Stokes Sauces: Only the best ingredients and tastiest recipes end up in Stokes’ jars and bottles, which is why they remain one of the most-trusted sauce and preserve makers in East Anglia. 

If you’ve not tried it before, a good product to initiate yourself to the brand with is the Tomato Ketchup. It is rammed with toms, and has much less sugar than supermarket sauces. Instead there’s a rich, silky, full-flavoured bite to this one. Even staunch Tommy K haters have been converted by it. 

Newcomers to the range include a Christmas Coronation Sauce, Christmas Cranberry Sauce, Beer Chutney, Spiced Mango Chutney, Rendlesham Marmalade and Sicilian Lemon and Dill Mayonnaise. All worthy of a place in the pantry. 

The English Spirit Distillery: This time of year calls for a nip of something to warm the cockles – and this company have all bases covered with their rums, vodkas, whiskies and liqueurs. 

A must-try, if you can get your hands on it, is the Christmas Spirit Spiced Rum Liqueur, which is said to taste of the essence of Christmas. Their own rum is distilled with English oak and hickory, then enhanced with notes of vanilla, orange, cinnamon and star anise. Lovely on its own, warmed up in apple juice, or even splashed over a pud.