SAUSAGE sellers, ale brewers and veg growers celebrated a second successful Headington Farmers’ Market at the weekend thanks to a change of location.

Market manager Jack Macleod moved the farmers’ market from Kennett Road to the top of New High Street last month as part of a three-month trial period.

Traders were suffering when the market was based in Kennett Road, and many pulled out because of low footfall, he said.

Now the market is up and running in New High Street Mr Macleod said some traders have been selling out of produce. He added the new location could become permanent.

The 47-year-old said: “It’s taken me four years to get this far. We lost the footfall at the old place. When I took it over we had 35 stalls, then it went down to 15.”

Headington Farmers’ Market was set up by the Headington Action group in 2007. Mr Macleod stepped in to become manager about five years ago and suggested the market go from monthly to fortnightly.

Earlier this year the manager went one step further and started holding the market every week after claiming footfall was “too sporadic” and saying people no longer went shopping on on Fridays.

He added: “There is no footfall on Friday. We found it wasn’t office workers coming in the end, people wanted to come on Saturdays. We needed to really tap in when people were going to be at home.”

The most recent market, held on Saturday for the second time in New Market Street, was pronounced a success.

Mr Macleod said: “A lot of people sold out. We had a petting farm too with rabbits, goats and other animals – that was well received. Parents just had to pay £3 and children could go in and hold whatever they liked. I’m going to try to get them in once a month.”

The market manager, who also runs Summertown Artisan Farmers’ Market every Sunday, said he is also arranging for an owl rescue company to come along to Headington Farmers’ Market and was thinking about more activities for children.

He said it was great both markets were going so well.

He added: “The Summertown market has queues of traders wanting to come along. I’m aiming to get in 40 traders by next year.”

The Headington Farmers’ Market runs from 9am-3pm at the top of New High Street every Saturday. The petting farm Appreciating Animals will be there again tomorrow.

The Summertown Artisan Farmers’ Market runs from 10am-2pm every Sunday in Banbury Road.