Latest news with #RiversideMarket
Business News Wales
2 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Cardiff's Farmers Markets Shortlisted for UK's Organic Market
Cardiff's Farmers Markets Shortlisted for UK's Organic Market Cardiff Farmers Markets are finalists at the BOOM (Best of Organic Market) Awards 2025 – the only organic awards in the UK, celebrating excellence in organic and recognising quality and success in the organic sector. With their original Riverside Market launching in 1998, Cardiff Farmers Markets have grown to become some of the best-known farmers' markets in the U.K. They are widely recognised as key food attractions in the Welsh capital for local residents and visitors alike, with the success of the original Riverside Market enabling them to branch out into a weekly Saturday market in Roath, and a weekly Friday market in Rhiwbina. Now up against the best that the organic market has to offer, the markets faced a rigorous judging process by a professional panel of industry experts. The BOOM Awards, run by leading organic certifier Soil Association Certification in partnership with headline sponsor Ocado, honour the brands, organisations and people behind the UK's organic industry. 'We're absolutely thrilled to be named a finalist,' said Carol Adams, General Manager of Cardiff Farmers Markets. 'This reflects the dedication of our local growers, market team, and partners working together to make organic food more accessible for people across Cardiff.' Over the last year, as part of the UK-wide Bridging the Gap scheme, Cardiff Farmers Markets launched The Planet Card – a collaboration between Cardiff Farmers Markets, Food Cardiff, local organic growers, and community members. Bridging the Gap is coordinated by the food and farming charity Sustain, which is testing scalable solutions to food inequality. The Planet Card holds a value of up to £11 per week – enabling holders to switch their normal weekly shop for fruit and vegetables to organically produced versions, without being left out of pocket. Shoppers are able to use the card at a choice of organic fruit and vegetable stalls at the Roath or Riverside markets, every weekend. The initiative is helping to ensure that high-quality, sustainable and organic fruit & veg is within reach for more people, and is contributing to a fairer, more resilient local food system in Cardiff. Cardiff University is also supporting the project through research and evaluation, to better understand its impact and contribute to policy change. Soil Association Certification Commercial and Marketing Director, Georgia Phillips said: 'Demand is growing for organic as more people are looking for products that are better for them and the environment, so we are delighted to see Cardiff Farmers Markets named as a finalist.' The finalists are being announced at a time when the UK's organic market has shown exceptional growth (significantly outperforming non-organic), growing 7.3% in 2024. Total sales of £3.7bn are double what they were just 10 years ago (2014 – £1.86bn), according to Soil Association Certification's 2025 Organic Market Report. The BOOM Award winners will be announced at the BOOM Awards ceremony on Thursday, 10th July 2025 at Paintworks, Bristol (home of the Soil Association). You can view the full list of BOOM Awards finalists at:
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
10,743 passengers ride the Peace Train
Photo: Christchurch City Council Christchurch's Peace Train has arrived at the end of its biggest season yet - with more than 10,000 passengers taking a ride along its new route. The miniature train, gifted to Christchurch by Yusuf Islam following the 2019 terror attacks, operates on a loop through the Botanic Gardens. The 2024/25 season started on September 1, 2024. Over 25 weekends, a total of 10,743 passengers rode the Peace Train. 'We were delighted to see an increase in numbers jumping aboard this year, which we partly put down to the new route we've designed for the electric train,' said Christchurch City Council parks programme and partnership manager Dr Roslyn Kerr. 'We've previously had trouble with the battery going flat quickly, but after changing the route from a gravel path to concrete, we found the issue was solved.' The change has made the route slightly shorter, meaning more people can ride the train in the same amount of time each week. Photo: Christchurch City Council Over the season the train chugged along the tracks at Riverside Market's 5th birthday celebration and the Unity Sunday event, with its busiest day in the gardens on March 23 with 526 passengers. The four carriages can fit four adults each, meaning there were over 600 runs throughout the season. 'We're incredibly grateful to the 41 volunteers who keep the train running - we're lucky to have such an enthusiast group, and we're always looking for new recruits,' Dr Kerr says. The Peace Train runs every Sunday from September to the end of April, between 10am and 1pm. The train leaves behind the kiosk in the Botanic Gardens and follows a loop around the Observatory Lawn and Cuningham House. Parks staff will undertake training for volunteer train operators in August for the 2025/26 season. To register your interest, click here.
