I am toying with the idea of taking part in some local farmers' markets to sell dexter beef. Our local abattoir are able to package and label the meat appropriately for us but I would appreciate any advice anyone can give me regarding the best way to display the meat at the markets and the use and purchase of chilled display cabinets large enough to serve the purpose but light enough to be portable. Does anyone have any experience or advice to offer please?
Many thanks,
Malcolm.
Farmers' Markets - Set Up Costs etc.
Where do you start, the costs are endless.
i dont want to put anyone off selling their stock, it is the only way forward, but to do it properly you need to spend a few pounds. Its really worth looking hard and planning what you want to do to make sure it will be profitable. The biggest problem at the moment is that everyone and his dog is now selling at farmers markets and they can be quite difficult to get a place on.
Killing butchering, packing, market rent, public and product liability, diesel, banners and leaflets. fridges!!! not forgeting environmental health.
even if you only collect the meat from your butcher and place it in your fridge or freezer, for resale, you have to be registered with your local health officer.
We have fridges for our markets that we transport to each venue. but sometimes we simply use polystyrene boxes filled with ice gel packs, you then put your products on the ice. put some nice fabric over the ice to line the boxes.
we have 1 table chiller that 1 person can just about lift, it is about 1m wide. we have afree standing chiller with under counter storage, this needs a van or trailer and we have fitted wheel to, this cost around £900, the table top unit was off eaby for £180 but needed work.
If you have any specific questions then just ask
dominic
i dont want to put anyone off selling their stock, it is the only way forward, but to do it properly you need to spend a few pounds. Its really worth looking hard and planning what you want to do to make sure it will be profitable. The biggest problem at the moment is that everyone and his dog is now selling at farmers markets and they can be quite difficult to get a place on.
Killing butchering, packing, market rent, public and product liability, diesel, banners and leaflets. fridges!!! not forgeting environmental health.
even if you only collect the meat from your butcher and place it in your fridge or freezer, for resale, you have to be registered with your local health officer.
We have fridges for our markets that we transport to each venue. but sometimes we simply use polystyrene boxes filled with ice gel packs, you then put your products on the ice. put some nice fabric over the ice to line the boxes.
we have 1 table chiller that 1 person can just about lift, it is about 1m wide. we have afree standing chiller with under counter storage, this needs a van or trailer and we have fitted wheel to, this cost around £900, the table top unit was off eaby for £180 but needed work.
If you have any specific questions then just ask
dominic
-
Broomcroft
- Posts: 3005
- Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 4:42 am
- Location: Shropshire, England
- Contact:
We just tried to get into 4 markets and none would take any more meat and one or two wouldn't have anyone that was competing with their current meat stands. The only way we could have got into one or two of them, was by offering to do speciality beef burgers instead (i.e. cooked), but we didn't want to do this really. So we've given up looking.
Edited By Broomcroft on 1208255558
Edited By Broomcroft on 1208255558
Clive