FARMERS’ markets are boosting the feel-good factor of country towns and villages and adding an extra reason for moving out of the city.

“People do a lot of research before they move to a different area and being able to buy good quality, local food is something they are asking about more and more,” explains Mark Hall of national property specialists Strutt & Parker.

“They are increasingly concerned about the quality of their food and the miles it has travelled, especially those who are moving from London,” he adds. “Stalls at farmers’ markets display things such as photographs and information about where food comes from, the ingredients, how it is made and the welfare of the animals and that gives the customer confidence.”

There are now more than 500 farmers’ markets in England with 15 million visits paid to them each year. They have proved a huge boost to farmers who can sell their own locally-produced products direct to the community and income from stalls is estimated to be at least £166million per annum.

Twenty years ago, top of the list of must-haves for house buyers moving to a rural area was, Will I get a job? But with the increase in people working from home using broadband or setting up their own businesses, this isn’t as important as it was. Good schools and communications are still high on the check-list but home buyers are asking more and more about local food and restaurants and they often have the income to pay for them.

It’s not only farmers who are benefiting from the success of markets but also surrounding businesses, 80 per cent of whom report an increase in trade since the setting up of a local market. Part of the dream of escaping the city, for many people, is to have a vibrant local town where they can use small shops even if it is a supplement to the big supermarket weekly shop.

“Farmers’ markets attract people into the towns and they can become quite a social event as people get to see the same faces there, which is particularly important to anyone new to an area,” explains Thomas.

While markets are thriving, village shops continue to close and houses in communities where the shop has survived carry a premium. But a good local farm shop can restore some of an area’s attraction to people looking for a house to buy.

Cutting edge designs for city centre flats have helped to regenerate many drab urban areas but the dream remains for many people, especially those with children, to escape to the countryside. Migration from the cities remains strong and the Commission for Rural Communities is forecasting that the population in most rural areas will grow by 20 per cent by 2028.

Thomas pinpoints the increasing feel-good factor for rural living, including the influence of farmers’ markets, as one reason why the prices of attractive country houses will continue to carry a premium. “Good quality country homes are still hard to find,” says Robin.