Most farmers' markets in Surrey run once a month, so the useful thing to know is the rule for each town: which day, which spot, and what sort of stalls to expect. Visit Surrey lists markets across the county, and the three below are the ones with a clear, regular pattern from the organisers themselves.
Farnham: fourth Sunday of the month
Farnham Town Council runs the market on the fourth Sunday of every month except December, from 10am to 1.30pm. It is held in the Central Car Park, off Victoria Road (GU9 7RD), and it is free to enter. The council's market page has the details.
The sourcing rule is the draw. Everything sold has to be grown, reared, caught, baked, brewed, smoked or processed within 50 miles. Visit Surrey puts the number of producers at about 35 each month, and describes it as an award-winning, certified market with nearly forty regular stallholders. Expect local cheeses, fresh meat, fish and vegetables, and Visit Surrey says many stallholders offer free tastings, which makes it easy to try before you commit.
Farnham has had a market since the Middle Ages, according to Visit Surrey, so this one sits in a long local habit. It suits anyone who wants to stock up for a Sunday lunch: go early for the best of the fish and meat, and bring a bag that can take a few heavy things.
Guildford: first Tuesday of the month
Guildford's market is on the High Street on the first Tuesday of the month, except January. The borough council gives the hours as 10am to 3pm, and its farmers' market page carries the dates for the year. The Guildford Dragon, the town's community news site, has also covered the market schedule in a feature on Guildford's busy market calendar.
This is the largest of the three. FarmingUK reports more than 40 vendors, with stalls selling meats, cheeses, breads, vegetables, jams, baked goods and herbs. The Surrey Hills Society says it has run since 2000. Being on a weekday, in the middle of town, it works well for a lunch break or a mid-week shop: pick up bread and cheese, then see what the herb stalls have for the kitchen windowsill.
Haslemere: first Saturday of the month
Haslemere's market is on the High Street (GU27 2LA) on the first Saturday of each month, from 10am to 2pm. It is run by South West Surrey Farmers' Markets, whose Haslemere page lists locally grown flowers, honey, curry and meat. The town's own events site, thisishaslemere.co.uk, also lists the market.
Some older directories give Sunday as the day. The organiser's current page says Saturday, so go by that. It is a smaller, more relaxed market than Guildford's, and suits a Saturday morning in town: flowers for the table, a jar of local honey, something from the meat stalls for the weekend, and a coffee on the way back to the car.
The weekly option in Dorking
If you want a market every week, Dorking's Friday market is the one to know. It runs at St Martin's car park, and Visit Surrey gives the hours as 8.30am to 2pm. It is a general fruit and veg market rather than a certified farmers' market, so it is good for the weekly shop but not a guarantee of local sourcing. Visit Surrey adds that farmers' markets are held there at various times of the year.
Getting the most from a market day
Check the day before you set off. Markets move for holidays and the seasons, and the organisers' pages are the final word.
Go early for fish and meat. Popular items go first, and the better stalls tend to sell out.
Ask for a taste. At Farnham in particular, free tastings are common, especially with cheese.
Bring bags and some cash. A cool bag helps if you are buying fish or meat.
Make a morning of it. All three sit in the middle of their towns, with cafes and shops close by.
Other Surrey towns, among them Dorking, Woking, Godalming, Cranleigh, Cobham, Epsom and Esher, are named by Visit Surrey as holding farmers' markets too. If you are planning around one of those, check the date with the organiser first, as days and seasons differ from town to town.
