Caritas had two stalls at the Sausmarez Manor market, one selling cakes and the other vegetables and herbs grown in fields it uses in St Peter’s and St Saviour’s.
Graham Merfield said he had sold about half of the items on sale within half an hour of opening: ‘Last year we couldn’t sell the herbs we grew, but now people who cook at home are being more adventurous,’ he said.
Among the more unusual herbs that people have been buying was rock samphire, which grows on rocks around the island’s shores: ‘Very nice in a G&T and good with fish,’ said Mr Merfield.
During lockdown the vegetables have been sold on a hedge veg stall and delivered to a few customers.
‘One of those was Valma Cameron, who was pleased to see the stall back in action. ‘It’s wonderful,’ she said.
‘I’m just grateful to have local produce.
‘It’s fresh-picked. There’s nothing like it – it’s good for prana [chi, or life force].’
There were six stalls at this first market since lockdown, and manor owner Peter De Sausmarez said normally there are between about 12 and 15: ‘Some people still feel very vulnerable and decided not to come this week and that’s understandable,’ he said.
There was a one-way system in place to get to the stalls, and hand sanitiser was provided for shoppers as they arrived.
Mr De Sausmarez was looking forward to the move to phase five of lockdown next week, which would see the restrictions lifted: ‘I think it’s absolutely amazing, the organisation in this island, to have got Guernsey to this position safely,’ he said.
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