Ross Country Market recently celebrated 70 years of supplying local produce in the centre of town.

The history of the market can be traced through the archive of the members of the team who supply and operate it as well as through the pages of the Ross Gazette. The first market was started by a couple of local ladies who obtained a license to sell a limited choice of products including fresh and bottled fruit, honey, nuts, poultry, rabbits, tomatoes and fresh vegetables. One lady saved enough of her sugar ration to bake a cake. Eggs at this time were not allowed to be sold as they were still rationed.

At this time it was a Women’s Institute (WI) Market and was run from a small newspaper shop in High Street.

The WI united with Country Markets, a national co-operative established over 90 years ago, and producers joined the market with a payment of one old shilling.

In mid 1951 the market moved to a building in the garden of Chepstow House in Church Street where the rent was 2/6 a week.

In 1960 it moved to Old Gloucester Road for double the rent, before moving again in 1969 to the garage/annex of Merton House in Edde Cross Street. Sheila Dewdney from Weston was the market manager and took her fresh flowers to market on her push bike. Another young lady, who later became the market manager, joined the market 30 years later in 1999 and remembers it was cold and damp with only a small electric heater for warmth.

In 1995 Country Markets separated from the WI, adopting a new name ‘WI Country Markets Ltd’, and in 2004 the use of the WI initials was discontinued.

In 2001 the market moved to the Youth Club in Hill Street, and was a flourishing market with as many as 25 producers, including a few men. Freda Burton was the cashier and refused to use a calculator right up to the time she retired at the age of 90 in 2005.

When the Youth Club was refurbished in 2005, the market had to find a new venue and took up residency in the Royal Hotel. It was a struggle. The number of producers dropped to its lowest, to just five. Some customers disliked climbing the hill to get to them, and there was little passing trade. As a result, ‘the pram run’ was born. A vegetable crate was loaded with cakes; bags were filled with eggs and veg and they were carried to regular customers who worked in Ross. Thanks to loyal customers and the producers’ dedication, the market survived and was eventually able to move back to what is now The Venue.

The market now has 14 regular producers and holds a market every Saturday of the year (except the three after Christmas). The market sells a variety of produce - local and seasonal that can be produced in a domestic kitchen or garden and the producer’s membership fee is still only 5p.