Written by Alistair Berry.
Trying to work out how to eat well at university for less? Then the Lincoln Farmers’ Market may be the place for you. With stalls selling everything from strawberries to ostrich burgers, it is possible to get award-winning produce on a budget.
Although farmers’ markets are not always associated with eating cheaply, there are bargains to be had at the Lincoln’s Farmers’ Market.
Cooking well with good ingredients can often be cheaper, Jane Tomlinson from Red Hill Farm FreeRange Pork Ltd told us: “Students on a budget need access to good quality food that is going to feed them well.”
Jane, along with her husband Terry Tomlinson run Red Hill Farm Pork Ltd, which has had a stall at the market since it started over 10 years ago.
They have won numerous awards for their produce: Great Taste Best Speciality Midlands & East Anglia 2014, Financial Times Top 5 UK Best Bacon Curers 2013 and Lincolnshire Producer of the Year 2012 and 2014.
They also supply some of the UK’s best known chefs including Jamie Oliver and James Martin.
If you are looking for budget meals or something to feed your entire flat, the stall holders at the markets can help you find something that will fit your needs.
Jane told us, “At Farmers’ Markets, students can come and ask us about what to buy without feeling awkward, about not knowing what cuts are called or how to cook them.
“We can recommend cuts like Pork Mince, to dishes such as stir fries, fajitas, meatballs, homemade burgers and a version of a shepherd’s pie or go for a piece of pork to make ultimate sharing ‘pulled pork’ for your house mates.”
There are three farmers’ markets each month in different locations throughout Lincoln. City Square on the first Friday, the High Street on the second Wednesday and Castle Square on the third Saturday of the month.
The market has up to 30 stalls and they change frequently with seasonal produce like fruit, as well as all year-round products such as cheese, pork and even kangaroo burgers.