LUDLOW’S farmers’ market, the Ludlow Local Produce Market, will be making an appearance on BBC1’s Farmers’ Country Showdown on Wednesday, January 13.

The film crew spent many days filming in and around Ludlow having picked out two stallholders who produce their own food and drink.

One was Hare Hill Farm, a relatively new grower of local vegetables based in the Shropshire Hills, and Fletchers, which make multiple award-winning cider.

Both are regular traders at the farmers market, which runs all year round on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month.

Tish Dockerty, market manager for the farmers’ market says: “The production company were keen to speak to holders of stalls that are truly ‘field to fork’, who either grow their own and sell it all, or add value by making it into something like cider.”

“I believe they have filmed all around the country highlighting this increasingly important aspect of food and drink production,.”

The Ludlow episode is one of 20 new episodes of the programme now in its fifth series.

“Our market has always operated on farmers’ market rules i.e. the stallholder makes, rears or grows what they sell, usually within 30 miles of the market. This distinguishes the market from others, as the product is truly local, originating and utilising local ingredients, local supply chains and local people.

“The food we sell has the lowest carbon footprint possible, thus making it as close to sustainable production as possible.”

Local to Ludlow is a Community Interest Company that promotes food and drink from within 30 miles of Ludlow.

However, the local produce market failed in a bid to get a rent reduction from Ludlow Town Council.

“The Town Council has more than one whole market let and they are treated equally,” said Ludlow town clerk Gina Wilding.

“The Council felt that the reduction in proportion with the reduced trading spaces is fair, and that each whole markets let operator has received the same proportional reduction. The Council therefore decided to decline Local to Ludlow’s request.

“The Town Council reduced the rent to half price during the second lockdown to try to alleviate the additional hardship the lockdown was likely to cause.” Markets officer Tony Caton added that as lockdown three comes into effect, current rents will now be renewed as appropriate. “As always, the best interests of traders will be considered.”

It is scheduled for the programme to be broadcast on Wednesday, January 13.