Carmarthen Market

Carmarthen Market dates back to Roman times but has been cleverly updated to become a Mecca for food-lovers by offering some of the best local produce in Wales.

The new-look market sits at the heart of the £74 million St Catherine’s Walk scheme completed in 2010.

All these ingredients are perfect for a picnic, so shake out your rucksack, dust off your flask and grab a blanket. Enjoy some retail therapy and food tastings and then choose the ingredients for a picnic you’ll never forget! Some culinary highlights to look out for in the market include:

Local cheese producers Teifi Cheese who make a delicious range of award winning hard cow’s milk cheese including Celtic Promise and Saval - both of which have been champions in the British Cheese Awards. On this stall you’ll also find a range of other excellent cheeses made by other local producers. Look out for Merlin Goat’s cheese!

Family butcher Albert Rees produces sweet tasting Carmarthen Ham. According to Chris and Ann who produce the hams at their home near Carmarthen, the recipe been handed down from generation to generation. Family legend has it that the Romans stole the recipe when they came to Britain and settled in Carmarthen only to return to Italy re-naming it Parma Ham! This delicious dry cured ham was recently featured on Rick Stein’s 'Food Heroes'.

Did you know that Carmarthen Market has royal connections? The Richardson family of Llansteffan have a lovely story to tell about their famous Etta’s Royal Cake. The Richardsons are well versed in the art of baking and cooking - the company was set up some 40 years ago by grandmother Etta. When Prince Charles visited Llansteffan some time ago, the Richardsons set up a small stall in the village square and the Prince stopped to taste some of the moist fruit cake baked by Etta, using her mother’s recipe. The Prince was hooked. He bought a cake and a week later ordered another eight for Christmas at Highrove but the real icing on the cake was when the Queen asked Etta to provide one for Charles and Camilla’s wedding reception.

Other food gems on the market include local jams, honeys and pickles, a mouthwatering WI cake stall, and places to buy fresh bread, pies, pasties and faggots (a local speciality), cockles and of course laverbread (another local speciality made from seaweed). Enjoy browsing and sampling.

The market is open daily except Sunday, but many stallholders - especially the food producers - also take Monday off to cook and prepare fresh fare for the rest of the week.

Other markets

• Ammanford Street Market (Every Friday)
• Llandeilo Open Air Market (Every Friday)
• Carmarthen Farmers’ Market (First Friday of every month)
• Llandovery Farmers’ Market (Last Saturday of every month)
• Ammanford Farmers’ Market (Last Thursday of every month)