Markets, Samosas, Sunshine… And Folk Still Saying There’s Nowt On
Well then, June’s turned up.
Nobody asked it to rush in, but here it is, barging through the door like that one relative who turns up early, eats all the good biscuits and then says, “I won’t stop long.”
Aye. Course you won’t.
Apparently we’re halfway through the year already, which is frankly ridiculous. I’m still mentally in March, physically in 1998, and emotionally somewhere between “I need a brew” and “is it time to go home yet?”
But June is a busy one for R.S.H Artisan Markets, so get your diary out, write these dates down, screenshot it, share it, print it, stick it on fridge, or tattoo it on your forehead if that helps.
Because apparently “I didn’t know it was on” is still a valid excuse, despite us posting about it more times than the council posts about roadworks they’ve no intention of finishing.
What’s Coming Up In June
Yorkshire Market at White Rose Shopping Centre
Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th June
White Rose Shopping Centre, Leeds, LS11 8LU
We kick June off with our Yorkshire Market at White Rose, bringing together a reet good mix of independent traders, makers, bakers, creators, artists, producers and small businesses.
White Rose is a good one because you’ve got the market, shops, food places, parking, toilets nearby, and plenty for family to do. Which means nobody can say, “There’s nowt here.”
Well, they can.
But they’d be wrong.
Again.
What to do while you’re there
Have a proper mooch round the market, support a few Yorkshire traders, grab summat tasty, then head into the centre for a wander round shops.
There’s food, coffee, family bits, and enough shops for someone to say, “We’ll just have a quick look,” before disappearing for three hours and coming back with bags, a half-drunk coffee
“A bargain,” they’ll say.
Skipton Artisan Market
Sunday 7th June
Canal Basin, Skipton, BD23 1LH
Also on Sunday 7th June, we’re back at Skipton Artisan Market at the lovely Canal Basin.
And this one’s a bit special because Skipton Car Show is also on in town that day.
So that’s artisan stalls, local produce, handmade gifts, bakes, crafts, cars, independent shops, cafés, pubs, canal walks and a full Sunday out without having to hear the dreaded words, “What are we doing today?”
There. Sorted.
You’re welcome.
What to do while you’re there
Start at the Canal Basin and have a proper wander round the market. Pick up something handmade, grab a bake, treat yourself to something you absolutely didn’t need but will justify by saying, “It’s supporting local.”
Then head into town for Skipton Car Show.
Have a look round the cars, pop into the independent shops, walk along the canal, grab fish and chips, find a pub, or sit with a coffee pretending you’re “people watching” when really you’re just being nosy.
Skipton is one of those places where you nip in for an hour and somehow lose the full day, your parking ticket, and half your money.
Not that I’m complaining.
Well, I am.
But that’s literally the theme.
Settle Artisan Market
Sunday 14th June
Market Place, Settle, BD24 9EJ
Next up, we’re back in Settle, and it’s always a lovely one.
Settle has that proper Dales market town feel — independent shops, cafés, pubs, walkers, visitors, locals, and usually at least one person in walking gear who looks far too cheerful about climbing something steep.
You know the type. Poles in hand, waterproofs on, rucksack packed like they’re off across the Himalayas, while I’m stood there weighing up whether a second bacon butty is a medical necessity.
What to do while you’re there
Have a browse round the market, visit the independent shops, grab a coffee, enjoy a pub lunch, or head off for a walk if your knees haven’t already handed in their notice.
You can have a wander round town, take in the Dales views, call into a bakery, find a nice café, or just sit for five minutes and enjoy not being at home assembling flat-pack furniture with instructions written by someone who clearly hates families.
Settle is a proper day-out sort of place.
Fresh air, good food, friendly faces, lovely shops, and hills that remind you gravity is still undefeated.
Haworth Artisan Market
Sunday 21st June
Central Park, Haworth, BD22 8QH
Then we’re back in Haworth, and if you’ve never been, where’ve you been hiding? Under a rock? In Bradford ring road traffic? Same thing, really.
Haworth has cobbles, character, history, independent shops, cafés, pubs, the Brontë connection, cracking views and enough hills to make your calves write a formal complaint.
Our market in Central Park brings together a fantastic line-up of traders, with handmade gifts, artisan produce, bakes, treats, crafts and proper small business brilliance.
Not plastic tat. Not “handmade” from a shipping container. Proper stuff from proper people.
What to do while you’re there
Start with the market in Central Park, then head up into village for a wander.
Take on the famous cobbles if your legs are feeling brave, visit the independent shops, call into a café, find a pub, explore the Brontë history, or stand halfway up Main Street pretending you’ve stopped to admire the view when really your lungs have packed their bags.
Haworth is full of character, and it’s a cracking day out even before you’ve bought owt.
Bring comfortable shoes.
Bring patience.
Possibly bring a sherpa.
And if you’re pushing a pram up them cobbles, may God go with you.
Trader Highlight Of The Month
For Love of Earth
This month’s trader highlight is For The Love of Earth
They’re one of those traders that actually makes you stop and think, which is inconvenient for me because I try to avoid thinking wherever possible.
Their products are made with care, with a strong focus on being kinder to people, homes and planet. Proper thoughtful stuff. Not mass-produced nonsense wrapped in seventeen layers of plastic and labelled “natural” because someone once waved a leaf near it.
Everything they make is palm oil free, which is already a big tick in Mr Grumpy’s book — and even better, 3% of their proceeds are donated to Borneo Orangutan Survival UK.
So not only are you supporting a small independent business, you’re also helping support a cause doing proper good work.
And let’s be honest, that’s a damn sight better than spending your money on something that smells like “Ocean Breeze” but was probably made in a warehouse next to a forklift and a broken vending machine.
That’s what makes artisan markets special.
You’re not just buying “something”. You’re buying from real people who care about what they make, how they make it, where it comes from, and the impact it has.
So when you see For Love of Earth at one of our markets, go and have a proper look.
Ask questions.
Have a browse.
Support a small business doing things properly.
Mr Grumpy approves.
And I don’t hand approval out like free samples, so make the most of it.
Product / Produce Tip Of The Month
Farrie’s Asian Treats — Samosas
This month’s product tip is all about Farrie’s Asian Treats, especially those samosas.
Now, samosas are one of those foods that pretend to be a snack, but we all know they’re lying little pastry parcels of joy.
You buy a few thinking, “I’ll save these for later.”
Then later becomes the car park.
Or kitchen.
Or stood over the worktop eating one while deciding whether it counts if nobody saw you.
And let’s be honest, if you eat it stood up, it doesn’t count. That’s science. Yorkshire science. Which is mostly common sense, gravy and stubbornness.
What to have them with
Here’s Mr Grumpy’s very professional culinary advice, based on years of eating things while stood up and calling it “quality control”.
Have them with:
Mango chutney — classic. Works every time. No faffing.
Mint yoghurt dip — cool, fresh, and makes it look like you’ve tried.
Tamarind sauce — sweet, tangy, and far too easy to keep dipping into.
Fresh salad — so you can pretend you’re being healthy. Bless you.
Rice or pilau rice — turns it into a proper tea.
Chips — because we’re in Yorkshire and sometimes chips are the answer, regardless of question.
Pickled onions or coleslaw — sounds odd, works well, don’t be soft.
A cold drink or a proper brew — depending on whether you’re pretending to be refined or just being honest.
Warm them up, stick them on a plate with dips, salad and rice, and suddenly you’ve got an easy tea that looks like you planned it.
You didn’t.
Nobody needs to know.
They’re cracking for lunch, tea, picnics, party platters, picky bits, or those nights when everyone stands in front of the fridge like it’s going to open a TED Talk on meal planning.
My advice?
Buy more than you think you need.
Because “just one more” is how it starts.
Next thing you know, bag’s empty, everyone’s blaming everyone else, and Dad’s sat there looking innocent with pastry crumbs on his shirt and spice round his gob.
What’s Good This Month
What’s good is simple.
We’ve got markets happening in cracking places, with brilliant traders, proper small businesses, and towns that are well worth visiting.
We’ve got White Rose, Skipton, Settle and Haworth all bringing summat different this month.
We’ve got car show excitement in Skipton.
We’ve got Dales charm in Settle.
We’ve got cobbles, history and calf pain in Haworth.
We’ve got indoor shopping and Yorkshire traders at White Rose.
And we’ve got customers who keep turning up, supporting local, sharing posts, tagging friends and helping these markets grow.
That bit matters.
A lot.
Even if I say it with a face like I’ve just stood on Lego.
Because behind every stall is a real person. Someone who has packed stock, loaded the car, got up early, checked weather, paid for fuel, smiled politely at daft questions, and still turned up to do it all again.
So when you buy from them, share their post, bring a friend, or even just stop for a chat, it helps.
And no, saying “I’ll come back later” then vanishing into the mist doesn’t count.
We remember.
Mr Grumpy’s Moan Of The Month
The Country’s Gone Daft… Again
This month’s moan is about people saying:
“There’s nothing on round here.”
There is.
There’s loads on.
Markets, car shows, cafés, pubs, independent shops, walks, family days out, local producers, artists, makers, bakers, craftspeople and small businesses grafting their socks off.
But some folk would still rather sit at home scrolling Facebook saying nowt ever happens.
Well, get your coat on then.
Come to a market.
Buy a samosa.
Have a brew.
Look at some cars.
Visit a shop.
Talk to a trader.
Support local.
Then go home feeling smug because you’ve actually done something with your Sunday other than complain about the price of butter, the state of roads, and how a carrier bag used to be free.
And while we’re on, can we have a word about the general state of the country?
Because bloody hell.
Everything costs more. Fuel costs more. Food costs more. A coffee now costs enough that it should come with legal advice and a repayment plan.
You go into a shop for bread and milk and come out £42 lighter with three things you didn’t need, one thing you forgot, and a receipt long enough to wallpaper downstairs loo.
Then there’s weather.
Too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy, too bright, too muggy, too “chance of showers”, which in Yorkshire means bring sunglasses, waterproofs, sun cream, big coat, spare socks and possibly a canoe.
And potholes.
Don’t get me started on potholes.
Some of them aren’t potholes anymore. They’re features. Local attractions. You don’t avoid them, you navigate round them using OS maps and emotional support.
There’s one near us that’s been there so long I’m expecting it to get its own postcode.
Then we’ve got supermarket prices.
Bloody hell.
You nip in for bread, milk, eggs and maybe a packet of biscuits because life’s hard enough, and somehow you come out £67 lighter, carrying two bags that look like they’ve been packed by a nervous mouse.
There’s nowt in them.
You stand there looking at your receipt thinking, “What did I actually buy?” and the answer is usually: three essentials, one thing you forgot you already had at home, and a multipack of crisps that apparently now costs the same as a small family car.
And don’t get me started on “special offers”.
Buy one for £2.50, or two for £5.
That’s not an offer.
That’s arithmetic with a yellow sticker.
Then there’s the classic one:
“Was £3.50, now £3.25.”
Oh marvellous. I’ll alert the bank manager. We’re saved.
And why is everything in smaller packets now?
Same price, less in it.
Biscuits with fewer biscuits. Crisps with more air than crisp. Chocolate bars that look like they’ve been through a hot wash. Cereal boxes big enough to house a family of four, but when you open them there’s about seven cornflakes sulking at the bottom.
They call it “better value”.
Better value for who?
Not me, stood there paying mortgage money for cheese.
Cheese used to be normal. Now you pick up a block of cheddar and it feels like you’re handling precious metals.
And butter.
Don’t even look directly at butter unless you’ve checked your credit score first.
You get to the checkout, tap your card, and the machine makes that little approved noise like it’s proud of itself.
Approved?
Aye, approved for financial ruin.
Then you get home, unpack it all in under thirty seconds, open the fridge, and somehow it still looks empty.
That’s the bit that gets me.
You’ve spent half your wage, carried bags in from the car like a pack mule, and the fridge still looks like a student flat on a Sunday night.
Progress, they call it.
Bollocks, I call it.
And don’t even start me on paper straws.
Whoever invented paper straws clearly drinks everything in three seconds flat. You get halfway through a drink and the straw’s collapsed like it’s had bad news.
Despite all that, small businesses still turn up.
They set up.
They graft.
They smile.
They make, bake, create, produce, display, talk, sell, pack down, go home knackered, and then do it again.
That’s why local support matters.
Because while the country’s busy arguing about bills, bins, roads, weather, politics, supermarket prices and paper straws that give up before you’ve finished your drink, real people are out there trying to make a living doing something they actually care about.
So instead of moaning that there’s nothing on, get out and support what’s actually there.
Leave moaning to me.
I’ve had more practice, I’m better at it, and frankly, I’ve got the face for it.
Final Mutterings
So there we go.
June is looking busy, and we’d love to see as many of you as possible out supporting our traders and the towns we visit.
Come for the market.
Stay for the day.
Support small businesses.
Bring your friends.
Bring your family.
Bring your dog.
Bring shopping bags.
Bring money.
Bring a coat, sunglasses, sun cream and an umbrella because Yorkshire weather’s a drama queen.
And if you see me looking like I’m enjoying myself…
No, you didn’t.
