Celebrating 30 years of Rayleigh’s country market (From Echo)

Celebrating 30 years of Rayleigh’s country market

3:00am Sunday 7th March 2010 in

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A MARKET at the heart of the community has celebrated three decades of providing people in Rayleigh with homemade food and handicrafts.

Rayleigh Country Market sells homemade cakes, pastries, jams, fruit, vegetables and eggs, as well as knitted items and greetings cards.

It began as the Rayleigh WI Market selling goods from a stall in Rayleigh open market until November 1986. It was then moved into the foyer of the Mill Hall, in Bellingham Lane.

In April 2006, the market moved to another location, the WI Hall, in Bellingham Lane.

Jean Kebbell, of London Hill, Rayleigh, who founded the market 30 years ago, said: “At one time, there were 16 markets in Essex and now there are eight.

“I think it is important to have these markets. We get a lot of people coming in for coffee and to meet their friends.

“We have a lot of members of the horticultural society who grow vegetables in their garden, so they bring them along.”

The market also sells seasonal fruit, vegetables and plants grown by local people and delivers hampers full of fresh produce to addresses in their area.

Rayleigh Town Council chairman, Dave Sperring, went along to celebrate the occasion.

He said: “It is things like this that underpin our community. It is a meeting place as well.

“The food here is a lot fresher than in a supermarket and the cakes are very nice.”

The Rayleigh Country Market runs every Wednesday and is open from 8.30am until 11.30am in the WI Hall, Bellingham Lane.

For more information about Country Markets, go to www.country-markets.co.uk