The Saturday Regulars: Six Traders Who Give Fordbridge Market Its Character

Fordbridge Market has been part of the town's Saturday rhythm for longer than most of us can remember. The barriers go up before eight, the van doors clatter open, and by half past the smell of bacon and fresh bread is doing its best to pull you off the High Street. It runs every Saturday, 8.30am to 3.30pm, in Market Square and the adjoining stretch of King Street. You do not need a plan. But if you want the good stuff, a little local knowledge helps.

We asked six regulars to tell us what they do, what they wish shoppers knew, and what they would buy from another stall if they ever got a minute. Their answers have been edited for length and clarity — and for the fact that we kept interrupting to buy things.

First, a word about timing

Saturday mornings have two peaks. The first is 9am to 10.30am, when the serious shoppers arrive with bags and a list. The second is around 11.30am, when families drift in after football practice and the queue for hot food gets serious. If you want a quiet browse, come after 1pm. Several stalls start reducing prices in the last hour, especially on produce and bread. Cash is still handy, though most traders now take cards. Dogs are welcome on leads, but the aisles get tight around the cheese and hot food stalls.

Mags Ellery, cheesemonger

Margaret 'Mags' Ellery has been behind the same counter for 31 years. Ellery & Daughter is the kind of stall where the queue is part of the experience: a bit of chat, a sample, a strong opinion about how to store a wedge of brie. 'People used to ask for cheddar and that was that,' she says. 'Now they want to know the farm, the age, what it pairs with. I love it. It keeps me on my toes.'

• Best seller: 'A mature Montgomery cheddar. It goes out faster than I can cut it.'
• Underrated: 'A good Caerphilly. People forget how lovely it is with a bit of fruit.'
• Tip for first-timers: 'Come before 10 if you want the Tunworth. It's a weekend cheese and it does not hang about.'
• What she'd buy elsewhere: 'A bacon roll from Rosa's. I never get there before they sell out.'

Dev Patel, greengrocer

Dev Patel took over Patel's Produce 12 years ago. His stall is a rainbow of crates, and he is the person to ask if you have bought a pumpkin the size of a toddler and need to know what to do with it. 'The market is about trust,' he says. 'People can ask me where the carrots are from and I can tell them. That matters.'

• Best value: 'The £5 mixed box. It is whatever is good that week, and it stops people buying the same three vegetables forever.'
• Best time to shop: 'After 1pm. I would rather sell it than take it home.'
• One thing to try: 'The rainbow chard. Wilt it with garlic and a bit of lemon. Lovely.'
• What he'd buy elsewhere: 'A coffee from the van by the war memorial. I need it by nine.'

Priya Nair, ceramicist

Priya Nair is the new face on the block. Clay & Candle has been at Fordbridge Market for six months, selling small-batch mugs, speckled bowls and candle holders that look like they have been dug out of a very stylish garden. 'I was doing online sales and craft fairs,' she says. 'But I wanted to watch people pick things up. You learn so much from that.'

• Best seller: 'The wonky mug. It is supposed to be wonky. I promise.'
• Price range: 'From £12 for a small dish to £45 for a large serving bowl.'
• Tip for shoppers: 'Pick things up. If it feels good in your hand, it will feel good on your table.'
• What she'd buy elsewhere: 'A loaf from Beckett's. I have become very serious about sourdough.'

Tom Beckett, baker

Tom Beckett of Beckett's Crust is only at Fordbridge on Saturdays, which explains why his queue often looks like a school assembly. He bakes through the night and arrives with trays of sourdough, focaccia and cinnamon buns. 'I like the routine,' he says. 'Friday night is quiet, Saturday morning is chaos, Saturday afternoon is a nap.'

• Best seller: 'The seeded sourdough. It is the one people come back for.'
• Sell-out time: 'Usually by 1pm. Pre-orders are the answer if you have your heart set on something.'
• Best thing for a beginner: 'The focaccia. It is forgiving and it makes a very good sandwich.'
• What he'd buy elsewhere: 'Cheese from Mags. I take a wedge home every week. It is a problem.'

Bev Hart, florist

Bev Hart has run Fordbridge Flowers for 15 years. Her stall is the first bit of colour you see when you turn into Market Square, and she is frank about what sells. 'People buy flowers when they are happy, when they are sorry, and when they have forgotten something,' she says. 'We cover all three.'

• Best budget buy: 'A bunch of daffodils when they are in season. You cannot be sad looking at daffodils.'
• Best time to visit: 'Early if you want something specific. Later if you are happy with a surprise.'
• Tip for keeping them alive: 'Trim the stems, change the water, and keep them out of direct sun. That is most of it.'
• What she'd buy elsewhere: 'A hot chocolate from Rosa's. It is not just for children.'

Rosa Moreno, hot food

Rosa Moreno runs Rosa's Rolls, the hot food stall that has become a Fordbridge institution. Bacon rolls, sausage baps, tea, coffee and a hot chocolate that comes with enough cream to count as a pudding. 'I know most people's orders,' she says. 'That is the best bit. It is not just food. It is a catch-up.'

• Best seller: 'Bacon roll with brown sauce. No contest.'
• Busiest moment: 'Half eleven. The football crowd comes through and it is all hands on deck.'
• Tip for families: 'Ask for the small hot chocolate. The large one is a lot of cream for a little person.'
• What she'd buy elsewhere: 'Flowers from Bev. My kitchen table looks better for it.'

What to buy, and when

If you only have half an hour, here is a simple route. Start at Beckett's for bread, then go to Mags for cheese, then Dev for something green. That is a very good lunch. If you are buying a gift, Priya's stall is the one to linger at. If you have children, Rosa's is the natural meeting point. And if you are shopping for a Sunday roast, get to the produce stalls before 11.

The market is not just a place to buy things. It is where you find out who is moving house, whose dog has learned a new trick and which shop is opening on the High Street. You will almost certainly bump into someone you know. That is the point.