Friday May 2nd 2025
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson
Rosewell, Midlothian – Sunday 4th May 2025, 10am – 4pm
This weekend marks a fresh start for Rosewell with the launch of its first ever Farmers’ Market – part of a broader effort to revive a community that once thrived on coal, connection and co-operation.
Held at The Steading, a modern community hub built from the bones of a once-derelict building, the market will feature more than 20 local food and craft producers. It’s the latest step in a community-led regeneration effort by Rosewell Development Trust (RDT), a charity working to rebuild the village’s social and economic core.
Rosewell was once a busy, self-sufficient mining village with a co-op, pub, Miners Welfare Club, bowling green, railway station, and the Rosewell Institute; a hub for social and educational life. But when Whitehill Colliery shut in 1961, much of that activity faded. The railway closed, shops disappeared and key gathering places were lost. The village has seen a wave of new house building in recent years, bringing a growing number of families – but local infrastructure hasn’t kept pace. Rosewell still lacks many of the essential services that once supported everyday life.
That’s beginning to change, with new energy being channelled into rebuilding community life and local services.
“Rosewell was once a lively, self-sufficient village, and over the years, much of that spirit was lost,” says Stewart Ferguson, Manager at The Steading. “Now, with so many new families and a growing population, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to bring that sense of community back.
This market is about more than great food or handmade goods. It’s about connection, identity, and building something lasting for the village once again.”
What to Expect at the Market
The Rosewell Farmers’ Market will showcase high-quality, small-batch produce and handmade goods from across Scotland.
Confirmed vendors include:
– Rutland Square Spirits – small-batch Scottish gins and liqueurs
– Tweed Trotters – award-winning charcuterie
– Whitmuir Farm Shop – organic produce
– Cocoamania – luxury handmade chocolates
– Pizza Paddock – fresh woodfired pizzas
– Cartel – sausage rolls and pies
– The Plot Thickens – locally grown herbs
– So.925 – handcrafted silver jewellery
– Can to Candle – Scottish soy candles
– Natural Little Bee – handmade natural skincare
– Mama Young’s Bakehouse – traditional home bakes
And more.
It’s more than a market – it’s a space for people to come together, connect and support small producers.
The market launches at 10am on Sunday 4th May, and will return on the first Sundays of June, July and August, with the goal of becoming a long-term fixture in village life.
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