I took £20 to a community market in a weather-beaten Birmingham neighborhood

With old buildings untouched by time, rows of traditional workshops where makers still create amazing jewelry and wedding ring display cases big enough for couples in love to gaze at, the Jewelery Quarter is a very romantic place. I was just thinking about that as I walked out of Tranquil 1992, that dodgy Vietnamese cafe by the train and tram station, sipping a coconut coffee as romantically as I could.

I was heading to the Jewelery Quarter Artisan Market, convinced that I would have fun, given that I had such a great time at the Bournville version. Both are part of Birmingham Artisan Markets, which also runs in Kings Heath, and I hear they don’t let people sell there unless they meet a bunch of criteria; this is not a place to sell your mass produced tattoo under a new label, they promote local producers.

The JQ market normally runs in St Pauls Square on the third Saturday of the month, but this time they had moved to Golden Square, outside the Big Peg, because someone was getting married in the last Georgian Square left in the city. Romance!

Read more: We visited a Birmingham market on an old green and a stall was destroyed in 90 minutes

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I started out as I would encourage anyone to do these things, on a scouting mission to see what was for sale before jumping in too soon and buying the first thing I liked. I wish I was rich enough to do this regardless of the consequences, but I would have set a budget of £20.

An artist who designs the Rest House and village green was selling in Bournville, as well as a candle maker who lives in the community. Of course, in the Jewelery Quarter, we found makers who came out of their workshops and jewelery school to sell rings, necklaces and more at their stalls.

Among my favorites were Rowan Silversmiths, who were selling a solid silver D20 die and some silver Pokemon pendants, as well as a silver PlayStation controller necklace and one inspired by a Millennium Falcon for around £50 each. They were adorable and I loved that maker Luke Rowan was sharing the space with fellow jewelery school colleague Stafford Miles who had made some truly magical opal pendants, raw and forged with clear care and attention.

Other stalls that really caught my eye were the jars of ancient spice mixes from Cameler Spice Co and the most adorable pies I’ve ever seen in my life from Bree Osh. I’m not a fish pie guy, but if I were, I’d like them to have small pastry fish, accompanied by sprigs of herbs that look like seaweed. Get out of town.

I spent some time wandering Alex over to Ivy and Rose Gifts, who has a nice shop in the neighborhood, but brought some of her carefully curated gift selection to market. Alex knows everything about every thing he sells, from the person who poured the delicious Raspberry Collins candles to the story behind the facial cleansers in beautiful containers.

Once I made my admission, I started shopping. I dropped my first few quid on an ‘All Together Brum’ badge from Kings Heath Action for Refugees and a second badge, this one of a ‘Fun Guy’ mushroom, from the inimitable Roots 0121.

Then I dropped a couple of pounds on a gorgeous wild garlic cheese muffin from Micro Bakery in Handsworth Wood in The Blackbirds, which turned out to be so soft and so beautiful that it practically disappeared into the gob in about four seconds and so, therefore. , I feel like the £2.50 doesn’t count towards my overall budget.

I lost ground at Kneals, the artisan chocolatier, and bought two bars for £7.50 because I couldn’t decide between Tiramisu or Espresso. In hindsight, the Espresso had more of that coffee I love, but the cocoa powder on the Tiramisu bar won the day.

My £20 budget was spent but I indulged in the jams at The Jam Lab before I left and ended up buying a jar of peach tomato rosemary chutney because it tasted too good to to be left behind. I could easily have spent another £20, the blueberry and coffee jars and especially the plum and bay jams were hard to leave behind. Next time!

Another gorgeous day at the market, a great excuse to grab Vietnamese coffee and a chance to peek through the glittering windows displaying glittering diamonds I’ll never be able to afford. I still had my bioche, from a small gem, so I was winning!