The Hawke's Bay Farmers Market is set to return once again this weekend for the first time in six weeks. Photo / Warren Buckland
The Hawke's Bay Farmers Market is set to return once again this weekend for the first time in six weeks. Photo / Warren Buckland
The Hawke's Bay Farmers Market is set to return once again this weekend for the first time in six weeks with organisers and local growers keen to get back in the swing of things.
Hawke's Bay Farmers Market manager Emma Glover said she is excited to get the market kickstarted again but that it will be a little different for a while.
"We will be putting the public health guidance surrounding safe health practice in relation to Covid-19 into place, which will mean there are changes to how the market operates for the foreseeable future."
This will include controlling the flow of customers at the market, asking everyone to sanitise hands and complete a contact register on entry into the market, providing plenty of space for customers to maintain a physical distance of ideally 2 metres (1 at a minimum) from each other, asking that just one member from the family come to the market to shop.
Also for now, stallholders will not be providing tastings and there will be no seating available or buskers performing.
Glover said that she has been receiving a lot of messages from eager stallholders and customers wanting to return and get involved in the market again, with many businesses struggling due to the closure.
"The business during this period has been varied with sales depending on what products they sell and if or how they have been able to operate," she said.
"It has been wonderful to see the amazing support customers have given to those that have been able to operate with contactless deliveries or click and collect options."
During this lockdown period the market had set up a separate page on its website to help support businesses and enable people to find out which of their favourite stalls were offering products during the lockdown period.
"The website has been a useful point of reference for our customers allowing them to be able to engage with us and what stallholders have been offering," she said.
"It has helped support our stalls during the lockdown period."
