ALTHOUGH Crediton High Street might be closed, Crediton Farmers’ Market will still be there, access will still be available and it is hoped people will support the market as in the past.

The next markets are February 6 and February 20.

February’s first market will be Marmalade Week for Lori Reich of Shute Fruit, regular stallholders and for whom marmalade is a passion.

Lori has been making marmalades, jams, chutneys and jellies using traditional English and American recipes or creating something unique to her for many years,

She and David are regulars at Crediton Farmers’ Market. They grow much of the ingredients on their farm overlooking the River Teign, either in the garden or harvesting from the fields and hedges.

“This will be when the oranges for marmalade are available, so the first week in February is Marmalade Week for us,” said Lori.

With another regular stallholder at the market, Bread of Devon from Stoke Canon, Lori with be offering toast with a choice of any of five different marmalades, maybe even marmalade with “champagne” because she also has elderflower cordial or “champagne”. She will be demonstrating use of oranges in cooking.

Lucky shoppers at the market might be able to meet Hils Fry’s own Paddington Bear. But Hils says he is a shy and sensitive chap, no longer a youth, so it would be nice if people were kind to him.

Hils has been thinking up cup cake recipes with marmalade that would be out of the run-of-the-mill.

Dan Garnett, fanatical about fish, knows just how to use marmalade with fish - kippers and marmalade.

“I did that for Martin Hesp of the Western Morning News and the skipper of MS Oldenburg, kippers steeped in a jug of water for eight minutes. Try serving it with a glass of chilled white Rioja wine - Devon bread and Devon marmalade,” he said.

Look also at Ruth Beckley’s stand, Ruth’s Real Food. Ruth uses locally produced ingredients as much as possible in season.

At the January market she was offering winter warmers of venison braised in port and port stout. She is likely to be dreaming up something using marmalade - look for something you might not cook at home.

Sarah May of Red Ruby Devon Beef of Clannaborough near Bow is chairman of Crediton Farmers’ Market Association.

She hopes there will be an orange themed quiz or hunt the orange or similar at the February 6 market.

“We hope people will come and look,” she said. “Even though the High Street might be closed, the town will still be open, there will still be car parking including the free hour in the St Saviours Way car park.

“There is a real need for people to get behind all the Crediton traders for this difficult period. We all need people to make a conscious effort to support all the town traders, so we hope to see all our ‘regulars’ and others at our future markets,” she added.

Sue Read