HOURS spent talking at farmers' markets has led to a unique collaboration between four Hampshire food producers.

Mixing and matching their wares they have produced sausages, cheese, chutney and marmalade all with one main ingredient - beer.

But they do not use any old beer - they use one produced right here in the county at Hampshire Brewery in Romsey.

Dairy Barn Farm, Loosehanger Cheese and Preserving Traditions are all members of Hampshire Fare, the county food group, and will be taking their finished products to the Hampshire Food Festival in June.

Tim Brock of Hampshire Fare said: "Hampshire is pretty good when it comes to locally produced food and we do have the biggest farmers' market in the UK.

"Hampshire is a predominantly rural county with up to 75 per cent being countryside. We have a lot of producers and these four show some of the results that can be obtained through working together.

"From humble beginnings in Romsey, Hampshire Brewery now has ten employees and produces the beer needed by the other companies."

Gordon Edmondson from Hampshire Brewery said: "For the last half hour of the farmers' markets when we are packing up we often have a few minutes to talk to each other, and it was just through this networking that we found we could use one another."

Marcelle Massom, co-owner of Preserving Traditions in Romsey, said: "We have just produced our latest marmalade call St Clements and it uses St Clements Real Ale.

"We only found out about it through talking at the markets."

Dairy Barn Farm, from Stockbridge produces Drunken Bull sausages, made with Pendragon Ale.

Sue Gotting said: "What we are producing is driven by ethics. It's good clean food with local emphasis."

Loosehanger Cheese, from just outside Salisbury, has been making Woodfalls Cheese with pepper and beer.

Co-owner Gwyn Williams said: "People are buying local produce and the demand is there. Hampshire food is proving popular."

Hampshire Food Festival runs from June 25 until July 10 in Brockenhurst.

More information about farmers' markets around the county can be found at www. hampshirefarmersmarkets.co.uk or through www.hampshirefare.co.uk.