1st September 2011

DORCHESTER Oh-la-la, a French market in Dorchester

By Anita Harries

The weather may not have been completely sympathetic, but the people of Dorchester made the most of the bank holiday weekend by turning out to browse the stalls in South Street as the county town held its fifth French Market.

With 15 stalls dotted along the main shopping street, and both French and English flags fluttering from the buildings, everyone did their very best to create a holiday atmosphere.

This was a genuine French market, with traders coming from across the Channel to sell their products and bring a taste of the continent to the county town.

Don Iszatt of Visit Dorchester said: “Anything that encourages people into our town centre can only be a good thing and will ultimately benefit everyone. Previous markets have been very successful and proved popular with both locals and visitors alike.”

Muriel Charles, manager of France at Home, who is responsible for bringing these markets to Dorchester said: “Although our traders are here to sell their own products, we are also very aware of the needs of local traders and we have to ensure that any worries they may have are addressed and their concerns listened to and accommodated fully.”

The goods on offer at the bank holiday market were as varied as the weather. Vintage music, art prints, wooden roses, key rings, scarves, hats and bags vied with belts, tablecloths, aprons, soap, cookware, enamelware and cashmere jumpers to extract cash from eager shoppers.

For those who fancied some real French food there was plenty to tempt, with honey, nougat, Turkish delight, olives, mustard, cheese, pate, sausages and parma ham joining garlic, French bread, cakes and Brittany biscuits. If all this made your mouth water and the wait to reach home before sampling the food an impossibility, there was a variety of food to buy and try. Crepes with a whole range of fillings, garlic prawns, garlic potatoes, and la tartiflette - a wonderful mix of cheese, potatoes, onions, cream and bacon in a speciality dish from the French Alps - were all available to whet the appetite.

The sights, the sounds and the amazing aromas of the continent, created a shopping experience to savour.

The Mayor of Dorchester, Councillor Tess James, sampling the delights for herself, said: “I am so pleased that the French market, courtesy of the Chamber of Commerce, has once again returned to Dorchester. I am only too aware how popular and successful this is, and it encourages people into our town centre not purely to shop but to enjoy all our lovely town has to offer. We live in a beautiful part of the country, and it is hoped that those who visit the market will take the opportunity to take in their surroundings and return time and again.”

PICTURE 1: The aroma of garlic filled South Street

PICTURE 2: There were plenty of French cheeses to choose from

PICTURE 3: Stirring the speciality dish La Tartiflette

PICTURE 4: Mayor of Dorchester, Councillor Tess James, and Don Iszatt of Visit Dorchester welcome Muriel Charles to the town