A long-awaited regular local food market successfully held its first event this past weekend – and plans are afoot for the next such meeting. This food market takes place from 10am to 3pm on the third Saturday of each month going forward, organised by The Grazer, Food Newcastle and the Jesmond Residents Association.

“The Newcastle Food Charter aims to encourage organisations and individuals to make even a small change in their day to day attitudes to food,” said Ellie Dowding, coordinator of the Food Newcastle partnership. “The creation of a new local food market is one such response to the aims of the Food Charter and buying some of your weekly food shop from our region’s best producers would be another.”

First @JesFoodMkt a big success! Congratulations @the_grazer and co. pic.twitter.com/7ZigGHViyx

— Liz Luff (@LizLongstonePR) April 18, 2015

The local food market brings bread, fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, meats, street food and cakes to locals, all of which comes from some of the region’s best producers. The focus of the market is to offer fresh, seasonal and local food, aimed at creating a new way for locals to shop and eat regional produce.

“There is a really great food scene in Newcastle at the moment and it’s exciting to bring a new monthly market to Jesmond as part of it,” said Anna Hedworth, a food blogger and now full-time café owner. “There were 18 stalls at this one. Next month we are aiming for about 25 stalls.

“It’s great for people to have access to outstanding local producers and street food traders, at the same time reinstating a historic market on Armstrong Bridge,”  Hedworth added

Shoppers and stall owners seeemd content: “this local food market is great,” said Caroline Brown of the Sugar Down Bakery, who had a stall at last weekend’s market. “I probably will join in if there is another one next year.”