For most Bangor-folk Comber would be the wee town you pass on the way to the Mournes. The one with the traffic lights after Ards. Or, it’s where the spuds come from. To many the small town of Comber is best known for Comber Potatoes, or Comber Earlies, for those versed in spuds, and they even have an annual festival (Comber Earlies Food Festival) celebrating the local Northern Irish food staple. Comber Whisky (discontinued) as well apparently although I never knew this existed until spotting a photo of Comber Distillery in our local Irish Bar in Bangkok. Otherwise, until recently, I’m not sure if I’ve ever been before.
However, more recently Comber has become an unlikely foodie destination, where it serves as a waypoint of sorts between the busy cities of greater Belfast and the agricultural lands of South Down. Have you ever heard of Indie Fude? “An independent deli and online store selling wholly Irish small-batch artisanal food and drink”. They’re kind of famous in Comber perfect example of the food scene in Comber although it’s probably better known for its second location in the busy Ormeau Road area of Belfast.
The Comber Market
Due to our other ventures with Fanfan’s Kitchen we ended up in Comber trading at the monthly market. This takes place on the first Thursday of each month in the car park of the Saint Mary’s Parish Church. The location honestly couldn’t be better in Comber town centre beneath the backdrop of the old parish and looking out over the main square. It was a nice change from our usual setup in the ASDAs car park at Bangor Market. The pitch is a bit more (£25) but it includes a gazebo and the money goes to a non-profit (Comber Regeneration Community Partnership).
It was surprisingly busy considering the population of Comber is no more than an 8th of Bangor, at the same time it is a monthly event, and the local folk like to make an occasion of going there. We too make an outing of it, bringing a couple of camping chairs, and mum along as she always enjoys nosying around these outdoor markets. It was also a surprisingly warm and sunny day in September at the end of a rather miserable summer otherwise.
Trading at Comber Market
I don’t quite remember all the stalls at the market as there were some outside of our own interests. We had no need for artisan dog food for example. Instead I’ll share what we (mum) bought including Wicklow Blue Brie cheese from Indie Fudes (Comber), a Chicken, Bacon, Mushroom Quiche from Mange Tout (Downpatrick), Proper Sourdough Co (Dundonald), A Sicilian Lemon Lip Balm from Simple Home Holism, Pickled Nori from Crawfords Rock Seaweed Co (Kilkeel). Again it is like a meeting point for the surrounding artisan traders in the region.
For us it was a completely new region and market, and we really didn’t know what to expect given we’ve never traded outside of Bangor since starting markets a couple months back. We therefore stuck with our tried and tested home cooked Thai ready meals similar to the Bangor Market the day before along with sampling of our Thai chilli dips. In total we sold around 40 ready meals and what we didn’t sell in the market we flogged on Facebook for delivery in Bangor with the return journey.
We did take a happy profit, but, as always, our focus was more on promoting our brand and products to new markets, handing out business cards, and sharing menus for our wider private dining experiences. Then there’s the overall learning experience of trading at a new market. Not to mention the complimentary teas, coffees, and tray bakes offered by the nice ladies of Saint Mary’s Parish. So, in all, it was definitely a worthwhile venture for us and a sunny day out for my mum in Comber.
