Winner of the Kingston Business Award 2011 for Commitment to the Community, Surbiton Farmers’ Market will end a successful year with a special Christmas market on Saturday December 17. The market runs from 9am to 1pm in Maple Road.

Visitors can stock up on seasonal produce in time for Christmas while helping to support local charities and good causes. Maple Road bars and restaurants will be open for breakfast, coffee and mulled wine. And don’t miss the carol singers from St Andrew’s Church Choir who will perform at 12 noon.

The Christmas market will have 26 stalls of wonderful fresh produce, speciality foods and gifts. Stallholders will be selling poultry, game, meat, fish, cheeses and seasonal vegetables, along with homemade festive cakes, patisseries and breads.

Christmas plants and floral decorations will also be on sale, and there’ll be a prize for the best dressed stall on a Christmas theme. For those last-minute foodie presents, choices include olive oil, preserves and confectionery, and there’s a last chance to buy the market’s own Christmas cards, showing last December’s market in the snow.

Joining the Christmas market are charities SeeAbility and Leuka. Epsom-based SeeAbility encourages people who are blind or partially sighted and have other multiple disabilities to achieve their full potential and enhance their quality of life. It will be raising funds for sensory equipment. Leuka supports life-saving research into the causes and treatment of leukaemia and other blood disorders, and will be selling gifts and cards. 1st Surbiton Sea Scouts will be serving hot drinks.

Market donations this month include £250 to Action for Children. Dysart School will also receive a cheque for £250 to add to the £300 raised at November's market, and The Children's Society will receive £105 to match its fundraising last month.

Co-chair of the organising committee Geoffrey Doyle, who founded the market and steps down this month after two years in the post, said: ‘We are so proud to win the award for Commitment to the Community and a big thanks must go out to the many, many helpers who are involved in organising the market. Although none of the many volunteers seek the limelight for their hard work, I am very appreciative that all their effort and hard work for the community has been recognised by winning this award.

‘The icing on the cake of course was for Maple Road businesses to win four out of the 11 Kingston Business Awards and this is great for Surbiton. We now have our fingers crossed for the national FARMA Awards!’
The Farmers’ Market takes a break in January and will then run on the third Saturday of each month throughout 2012, starting on Saturday February 18.

• For information on Maple Road Surbiton Farmers’ Market contact Sarah Taylor on 020 8390 5673, visit www.mapleroadsurbiton.co.uk or find us on Facebook at Surbiton Farmers’ Market.Farm