Norfolk Farmers Market touring villages across the county

Norfolk Farmers Market was launched by Donna Mackenzie in October and has already proved a roaring success. 

The Fizz and Fromage stall at a Norfolk Farmers Market event (Image: Donna Mackenzie)

Miss Mackenzie, from Dereham, has brought 170 vendors on board and is hosting between 15 and 20 markets at various venues every month. 

The 38-year-old has previous experience in running a farmers' market, but decided to start her own venture after realising a number of Norfolk's smaller communities were being neglected in favour of bigger towns. 

"I previously had an opportunity to run a farmers' market and realised that was where my passion lies," said Miss Mackenzie. 

Donna Mackenzie, who has launched Norfolk Farmers Market (Image: Donna Mackenzie)

"We are perhaps not your typical farmers' market as we do have a big mix of everything. We're talking preserves, cheeses, beers and vegetables, plants, as well as crafts.

"We don't have any national producers because there are so many amazing, smaller companies out there who make similar things themselves. 

"Our ethos is that we are taking the markets to Norfolk's forgotten villages - those places which don't have any retail outlets or maybe just one shop which only opens for a couple of hours a week."

The Hope Coffee Company at a Norfolk Farmers Market event (Image: Donna Mackenzie)

The premise of Norfolk Farmers Market is already turning heads, with Jerome Mayhew, MP for Broadland, choosing to use a couple of the markers as locations for his constituency surgeries. 

In addition to the various stall holders indoors, each market has hot food and drink vendors positioned outside to nourish punters. 

Miss Mackenzie revealed another of her motivations was to bring a community feel back to villages. 

A scene from a Norfolk Farmers Market (Image: Donna Mackenzie)

"I think people have lost that in recent years, where they can go and speak to their local butcher or baker," she added. 

"We are determined to support local businesses. In time we want this to become a real community event."

With so many businesses already on board, Miss Mackenzie said they each had the freedom to decide which markets they attend. 

Nikki Merrill from Melting Moments at a Norfolk Farmers Market event (Image: Donna Mackenzie)

"It is not a case of they have to commit to a stall at every venue - it is up to them," she said.

"We try to mix it up and keep customers interested."

To get involved, email Miss Mackenzie at farmersmarketnorfolk@gmail.com.