Market · Calne

Calne Farmers' Market & eat CALNE Festival

Every second Saturday of the month, Calne's Market Place fills with stalls piled high with produce direct from North Wiltshire farms — raw-milk cheeses, rare-breed sausages, sourdough loaves and seasonal vegetables grown within a few miles of the town. Once a year the ante is upped dramatically with eat CALNE, a free food and drink festival that packs central Calne with over 70 local producers.

The Monthly Farmers' Market

Calne Farmers' Market runs on the second Saturday of each month in the Market Place, bringing together growers, bakers, cheesemakers and preserves producers from across north Wiltshire and the North Wessex Downs. It is a genuinely local affair — this is not a curated artisan showcase for tourists but a working market where Calne residents do their weekly shop alongside curious visitors.

The town's food heritage runs deep: Calne was historically famous for its Wiltshire ham and bacon industry, and that nose-to-tail, land-to-table ethos lingers in the quality of the meat and charcuterie on offer. Pick up a hunk of Wiltshire cure bacon, a jar of local honey and a loaf of proper bread, then take them to Castlefields Canal and River Park for an impromptu picnic by the water.

eat CALNE Food & Drink Festival

The annual eat CALNE Food and Drink Festival transforms central Calne into a free-to-attend celebration of the county's food scene, with more than 70 local producers setting up stalls across the town. Expect Wiltshire craft beers, English wines from nearby vineyards, artisan cheeses, street food and live cookery demonstrations — the kind of event that reminds you how extraordinary the local larder of this part of England really is.

The festival is run in partnership with Calne Town Council and typically takes place in summer; check the Visit Wiltshire website for the exact date each year. Parking at Calne Church Street car park gives two free hours — just enough to work your way through the stalls at a leisurely pace.

Eating in Calne Town Centre

After the market, the town centre has a solid clutch of independent cafés and bistros within easy walking distance of the Market Place. Fay's Bistro on Beach Terrace is a local favourite for relaxed lunches; the Farmhouse Café, Bakery & Deli in Phelps Parade is the place for exceptional sourdough and pastries; and Divine on the Green offers coffee and light bites in a pretty setting near the Heritage Quarter.

For a proper sit-down meal, the Dumb Post Inn — set between Calne and Chippenham with views over the Bowood estate — is a traditional country gastropub serving quality cask ales and home-cooked food made with locally sourced Wiltshire ingredients.

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