The winning Easter Bonnet created by Gillian Downings

4 April 2015

Gillian Downings from Newtownards was the lucky winner of the Easter Bonnet Competition at Comber Farmers’ Market on Thursday 2 April 2015.  Her beautiful straw hat decorated with ivy, butterflies, flowers and bees caught the  attention and imagination of the judges. She won a fabulous hamper from the market packed to the brim with an item of food from each of the stalls at the market. Second prize was awarded to Lauren Pinkney from Bangor and third prize to Joan Warrington from Killinchy. Seven year old Eva Morgan from Saintfield won first prize in the children’s Easter Bonnet Competition for her tall top hat creation decorated with Easter bunnies, fluffy chickens and Easter eggs. Her younger brother, Arron Morgan, 3 years old, won 2^nd prize and Jessica Boyd aged six from Comber came third.  

Congratulations to all the prize winners and a big thank you to everyone who took part in the competition and wore an Easter Bonnet to the market.  You helped to make the Easter  Comber Market a big success!

30th March 2015

Ladies from Comber Horticultural Society getting their hats ready for the Easter Bonnet Competition at Comber Farmers’ Market on 2 April 2015

There will be lots of food, fun and frivolity for both young and old at Comber Farmers’ Market on Thursday 2 April 2015 which will be held in St Mary’s Parish Church car park, the Square, Comber from 9.00am – 1.30pm. Not only are the 22 traders who will be attending the market preparing special Easter treats for customers but there will also be a spectacular  Easter Bonnet Competition for adults and an Easter Treasure Hunt for children.

Belfast Times blogger and PR guru Grainne McGarvey, artist Irene McBride from Discovery Glass, Comber and fashion designer Winnie Magee from the Lighning Tree, Comber will be judging the Easter Bonnet Competition and will be looking out for the most original, creative and Easter themed hats. 1st prize will be a food hamper from the market; 2^nd prize will be a meal for two kindy donated by Sugarcane Bistro, Comber; and 3^rd prize will be afternoon tea for two kindly donated by the Peppercorn cafe, Comber. To be in with a chance to win one of these lovely prizes, all you have to do is to wear your decorated Easter themed hat to the market. Judging will take place between 11.00am and 11.45am and the winners announced at 12 noon. 

Children who take part in the Easter Treasure Hunt and find the correct clues from market stalls will be rewarded with a chocolate Easter Egg kindly donated by Supervalu, Comber.

A big turn out on Thursday 2 April is expected and visitors can look forward to seeing some amazing, colourful and creative Easter hats parading around the market. The food and plants that are on sale at Comber Market are without question some of the best food products around and most are made, baked or grown by the traders themselves.

So come along and join the fun and pick up some special Easter bargains at the market!

19 March 2015

Preparations are well under way for the Easter Comber Farmers’ Market on Thursday 2 April 2015 in St Mary’s Parish Church from 9.00am to 1.30pm. As part of the programme there will be an Easter Bonnet Competition for adults and an Easter Treasure Hunt for children.

Adults are invited to wear a hat decorated with an Easter theme to the market. Those taking part in the competition should arrive at the market between 11.00am and 11.45am when the judging will take place. Winners will be announced at 12 noon. First prize will be a hamper made up with products from the market; 2^nd prize is dinner for two with a bottle of wine kindly donated by Sugarcane Bistro; and 3^rd prize is afternoon tea for two kindly donated by the Peppercorn Cafe in Comber.  

Children who take part in the Easter Treasure Hunt will search the market for clues and each child who completes the activity with correct answers will be given an Easter Egg which has been sponsored by Supervalu in Comber.

Councillor Deborah Girvan who helps to run the market said, “As Easter is early this year and coincides with the monthly market, we decided to include an activity for grandparents, parents and children. We hope that everyone will join in our fun programme and support the 22 traders who will be attending the market and selling fresh local food products. There will be special Easter promotions available at the market including breads, cakes, jams, tarts, chutneys, chocolate, fruit, vegetables, vinegars, oils, meat and fish. We would like to thank all our sponsors for their generous donations which will help to make the 9^th Comber Market the best one yet!”

CFM Gazebo Team

5 March 2015

Comber Market could not operate without the help and support of local volunteers.  Whatever the weather, a loyal band of men get up at 6.30am on  market day to help put up the gazebos. Most of the team are retired gentlemen who live in and around Comber. Depending upon who is available, it takes about 30 minutes to put up 10 gazebos and ensure that the weights are strapped to the feet of the steel frames.  After the market closes around 1.30pm,  they come back again to help take the gazebos down.  

A big thank you gentlemen…………we couldn’t do without you!

5 February 2015

Broughgammon Farm

Charlie Cole from Broughgammon Farm, Ballycastle, displays pheasants at his stand at the February 2015 market. Broughgammon has established a local network of approved trained hunters (people that have been trained in hunting as well as Wild Game Meat Hygiene). Broughgammon are committed to providing local quality game which is sustainably sourced with high traceability. As well as their regular kid-goat meat, they also sell venison, rabbit, duck and partridge when available and in season.   

2 February 2015

Christo Swanepoel

City Cheese owned by artisan cheese maker and entrepreneur Christo Swanepoel from Millisle (originally from South Africa) will be bringing a selection of his Dutch Gouda style cheeses to sell at the market.  After much hard work, dedication and commitment, Christo and his wife Angelique launched their cheese business in November 2014 and use certified, raw, organic cow’s milk to produce a range of uniquely flavoured cheeses which take 90 days to ripen.  

4 December 2014

Kennedy Bacon

Kennedy Bacon, who produce traditional dry-cured bacon, ham and pork sausages on their farm near Omagh will be joining Comber Farmers’ Market.  No water is added to the bacon which ensures that it smells and tastes delicious! Try before you buy.  You won’t be disappointed.

Tracey Jeffery, Eva Paris Macarons

18th August 2014

Tracey Jeffery from Killinchy and owner of Eva Paris Macarons is celebrating the news that her French style macarons have been awarded 3 stars in the UK Great Taste Awards 2014 – one star  for her raspberry macarons and two stars for her pistachio macarons.  The gluten free Macaron meringue shells are sandwiched together with a ganache or fruit filling {no flavourings or preservatives used} and made with the finest local ingredients, grabbed the attention of judges in the world’s largest and most rigorous food awards scheme involving over 400 judges and thousands of hours of blind tasting.

Tracey Jeffery who sells her macarons at Comber Farmers’ Market said, “Winning these Awards has not only boosted my confidence in my products but  will also have far reaching benefits for the profile and reputation of my business, Eva Paris. I am so glad that I entered the Great Taste Awards this year. I did so as a result of  receiving consistently excellent feedback from customers at local Food Markets. I decided that I would take the leap and see if the Judges would rate my Macarons as highly as people here. I am delighted to receive the recognition through Great Taste Awards and I hope that Eva Paris will go from strength to strength.”

28 July 2014

Alderman Deborah Girvan, Roy Murray and children from Comber getting ready for the next Comber Farmers’

Children who attend the next Comber Farmers’ Market on Thursday 7 August in St Mary’s Parish Church car park in the Square, Comber will be able to participate in a free ‘Plant your Own Plant’ workshop.  The learning activity which will be taken by members from Comber Horticultural Society will teach young people how to plant a plant, how to care for it, and how to pot it on when it gets too big. The demonstrations will be available from 10.00am – 12.30pm.  

Children will be able to get hands on experience by filling their own pot with compost, planting a plant and watering it in.  They will then be able to take it home with them and care for it on a window sill in their own house and watch it grow.

Opening 3 July 2014

7 July 2014

The first Comber Farmers’ Market which was held on Thursday 3 July has been hailed a big success!  Thousands of local people arrived at St Mary’s Parish Church Car Park for the first market to taste, sample and buy fresh seasonal food produced by local people.  The market was opened by Councillor Deborah Girvan who along with Mike Moore and Roy Murray had worked tirelessly for a year to get the market up and running.  In the church hall, cookery demonstrartions using ingredients from the market were prepared by local chefs.

Tina Breteche from Mange Tout Deli in Downpatrick who had taken a stall said, “Comber Farmers’ Market was very, very good. There was a great buzz and atmosphere.   Our products were well received and we sold out of everything. We will definitely be back next month. “