EXCLUSIVE: The town boasts an award-winning Farmers’ Market which helps attract tourists from across the globe.
The town has been named among the prettiest in the UK. (Image: Shutterstock / PJ photography)
“We get coach trips of Japanese and Chinese tourists which for a town like Stroud is absolutely ridiculous,” 64-year-old Kardien Gerbrands tells the Daily Express. Mr Gerbrands, known locally as Gerb, has managed the award-winning Stroud Farmers’ Market since 1999. The market, which boasts over 60 stalls, is open every Saturday morning at Cornhill Square and is one of the many reasons why the town of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, has ranked among the top places to visit in the UK.
A recent report from World Atlas named Stroud among the prettiest towns in the nation. The website says: “Nestled by the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, and about 108 miles west of London, the historic market town of Stroud is full of fabulous finds.” It adds: “Every Saturday, the Stroud Farmers’ Market provides an award-winning lineup of fresh local fare, including produce, cheeses, meats, honeys, and pastries.”
Gerb, the operations manager for Fresh-n-Local Markets, which manages and coordinates Stroud Farmers’ Market, explains how the weekly event has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is adored by local residents as well as tourists who visit from as far as Japan and China to visit.
“It’s become extremely popular not just for local people but it also brings a lot of people in from all over the country and even the world,” he explains. “We get coach trips of Japanese and Chinese tourists which for a town like Stroud is absolutely ridiculous.
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“Stroud really is a working town rather than a Cheltenham or Cirencester that is designed to attract tourists. It’s changed a lot and if you’re someone who has lived in Stroud your whole life it can be weird seeing the amount of tourists. In the 70s, it was quite a grungey place.”
The weekly market attracts visitors from as far as China and Japan. (Image: Shutterstock / PJ photography)
Stroud Farmers’ Market has earned the title of “Best Farmers’ Market in the UK” twice from the Farm Retail Association under Gerb’s leadership. He has focused the market strictly on supporting small-scale local food producers.
However, Gerb also points towards the town’s community and beauty as reasons behind its success. He commends the work of groups such as the Stroud Civic Society who have fought to maintain the town’s authentic architectire and public spaces.
“The Farmers’ Market is a highlight but around the same time we set it up, there were other groups, like Stroud Civic Society, that started and preserved our old buildings,” he says.
“A lot of them were threatened to be taken down and they worked against that. It helped preserve the town’s history. That sort of activism created a sense of community that’s so important in Stroud. A lot of people come to the town because of that.”
The society’s most famous victory was leading a high-profile campaign to save the Hill Paul Building. The iconic former clothing factory, located near Stroud railway station, was rescued after plans were drawn up to convert it into apartments and commercial space.
Kardien Gerbrands, known as Gerb, runs the Stroud Farmers’ Market. (Image: Kardien Gerbrands)
They also championed the restoration of the vibrant 19th-century Station Master’s House. Meanwhile, new community uses were found for the Chapels of Rest, at Bisley Road Cemetery, in a project alongside the Stroud Preservation Trust.
The town, dubbed the “Covent Garden of the Cotswolds” or “Notting Hill with wellies”, is famous for its vibrant independent shopping scene. There are a host of artisan food retailers, local butchers, quirky cafes, and vintage shops.
Woodruffs Cafe, located on the high street, opened in 1998 and is widely recognised as Britain’s first totally organic cafe. It serves a range of locally-sourced food, as well as organic house and guest-blend coffees, specialty lattes, teas, smoothies, and alcoholic drinks.
“We’re right in the heart of Stroud and there’s actually a Costa right opposite us,” owner Jamie Shaw says. “People come in and say they’d much rather come to us to support independent businesses than the chains.”
The 47-year-old adds: “It’s almost a hidden part of the Cotswolds. The town is a bit quirky, it’s not just any town, it has plenty of character. Both in the fact that it has a lot of independent shops and the natural beauty surrounding it.”
Jamie Owen is the owner of Woodruffs Cafe in Stroud. (Image: Jamie Owen)
According to the cafe owner, the Farmers’ Market plays a key role in supporting local businesses. He says it makes the town around “three times busier” than a normal weekday.
“The Farmers’ Market is very busy every Saturday and probably makes the town around three times busier than a weekday,” he explains. “The people come to the market but stay for a coffee or brunch, then have a look around the shops.”
Stroud also hosts a number of book, arts and music festivals throughout the year. Arguably the most notable is the Stroud Book Festival, which takes place over five days in November and features a lineup of uthor talks, workshops, poetry, children’s events, and the presentation of the Laurie Lee Prize for Writing.
Meanwhile, the Hidden Notes Festival, Chalfest, and the Stroud Arts Festival make up a host of music events each year. Gerb says these events help to make Stroud such an attractive place to live in and visit.
“We have an amazing range of music and book festivals throughout the year,” he says. “These make it an extremely attractive place to live but also helps bring people in.”
Stroud is known for its natural beauty. (Image: Shutterstock / PJ photography)
Stroud has been named the “Covent Garden of the Cotswolds”. (Image: Shutterstock / PJ photography)
The World Atlas named the town one of the most scenic places in the UK, a distinction Gerb wholeheartedly agrees with. According to the local, it is a combination of natural beauty, community spirit, and events that make Stroud so special.
The town sits at the meeting point of five sweeping valleys carved into the Cotswolds Hills. The Stroudwater Canal and the Thames and Severn Canal wind through the area, providing a host of walking and cycling paths.
“The final thing is the landscape. It’s really green and there’s so many fantastic walks that you can do,” Gerb says.
“Stroud has a bit of everything without being too big and commercial. It’s kept its small town status. It’s a combination of the community, all of the things going on in the town, and the beautiful landscape.”