We've visited the National Wildflower Centre at Knowsley several times, but we've always managed to miss the Artisan Market that is on the 4th Sunday of every month. Today, we were lucky enough to have a day free and the weather was half decent, so off we trotted.
The stalls were mostly in the courtyard, with a few dotted around outside. There was a campervan with a cupcake stall attached, a couple of stalls dedicated to treats for your dog, and a lovely flower stall. However, we decided to do a circuit of the stalls before buying anything.
Which worked well for approximately 30 seconds, when we discovered this stall:
Garlic, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, vine leaves...
Seriously, how could we not buy something? And the stall owner was so lovely, we got to try the different olives before buying. YUM.
We wandered dangerously close to a pie stall but got back on track, and saw some gorgeous pictures and vases on a stall that creates cyanotype art - the shop is called The Way To Blue.
And then we found the stall which sells 'postcode honey' - all made from pollen from flowers within a few miles of the Wildflower Centre. Again, we tried a few different types, and it was so interesting to taste the differences which come from the different pollens. And it all comes highly recommended by the bees:
I got chatting to a very nice lady who asked if I kept bees (sadly, I do not, although I did get one to sit on the wooden spatula I'd used to taste some honey for a minute or two), and who did mention that it's possible to rent hives or if you don't have space, to put them with other hives in someone else's space. INteresting).
Next to that was another stall of enticing jars - this time, jams and chutneys from The Talking Bee. What a hard life I do lead! ;-)
I tried the beetroot chutney (deliciously earthy and not too sweet) and the Husbinator went for the Scotch Bonnet chilli jam - which was obviously quite spicy.
We discovered the bread stall far too late in the day, but we did find out that they run bread-making courses, which might be something for the next few months.
And then back to the flower stall we spotted on the way in, to buy some of these gorgeous scented violas.
And as if all that wasn't enough, look what we spotted on the way out:
Yes, it is THAT time of year again. SO excited!
The stalls were mostly in the courtyard, with a few dotted around outside. There was a campervan with a cupcake stall attached, a couple of stalls dedicated to treats for your dog, and a lovely flower stall. However, we decided to do a circuit of the stalls before buying anything.
Which worked well for approximately 30 seconds, when we discovered this stall:
Garlic, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, vine leaves...
Seriously, how could we not buy something? And the stall owner was so lovely, we got to try the different olives before buying. YUM.
We wandered dangerously close to a pie stall but got back on track, and saw some gorgeous pictures and vases on a stall that creates cyanotype art - the shop is called The Way To Blue.
And then we found the stall which sells 'postcode honey' - all made from pollen from flowers within a few miles of the Wildflower Centre. Again, we tried a few different types, and it was so interesting to taste the differences which come from the different pollens. And it all comes highly recommended by the bees:
I got chatting to a very nice lady who asked if I kept bees (sadly, I do not, although I did get one to sit on the wooden spatula I'd used to taste some honey for a minute or two), and who did mention that it's possible to rent hives or if you don't have space, to put them with other hives in someone else's space. INteresting).
Next to that was another stall of enticing jars - this time, jams and chutneys from The Talking Bee. What a hard life I do lead! ;-)
I tried the beetroot chutney (deliciously earthy and not too sweet) and the Husbinator went for the Scotch Bonnet chilli jam - which was obviously quite spicy.
We discovered the bread stall far too late in the day, but we did find out that they run bread-making courses, which might be something for the next few months.
And then back to the flower stall we spotted on the way in, to buy some of these gorgeous scented violas.
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Yes, it is THAT time of year again. SO excited!
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