AN "undercover" stall at Organic Foodies Farmers Market at Ramsgate Public School has drawn criticism after it turned out be a collaboration between two fast food chains.
Shopper Rowan Meres said the stall — advertising chicken and salad made to "Mum's secret recipe" — was nothing more than a stunt by Red Rooster and Sumo Salad.
Ms Meres felt deceived by the people running the stall who told her they were a new stallholder selling home-made food with no additives, preservatives, artificial colours or flavours.
Ms Meres said she ate only whole food and shunned fast food and cheap vegetable oils.
She has a daughter with intolerances to preservatives.
"Preservative-free is important to me," she said.
"Red Rooster is not preservative-free.
"I thought I was supporting a new stall."
When she asked if they would be returning to the markets, the stallholders told her she was eating Red Rooster.
"If I wanted to eat Red Rooster I would go to Red Rooster. I go to farmers' markets to eat whole food," she said.
"I didn't like that they had aligned themselves with a farmers market."
A manager from the markets, Kristina Theo, said she was approached by Red Rooster representatives to have the stall at the market but she declined.
"They approached us, we kept saying no, they approached the school principal — we didn't have any say in it," she said.
Red Rooster national marketing manager Anna Jones said they were transparent surrounding their ingredients and were happy to answer questions from customers.
Ms Jones said Red Rooster shared the same values as the Organic Foodies Farmers Market which is why the venue was chosen.
"Ramsgate Market is family-oriented and all about real food," she said.
"We are focused on always being transparent surrounding the ingredients of our menu, including at our market stall.
"All questions surrounding the products and ingredients were answered with honesty.
"All proceeds [$650] from the day are being donated to MND [motor neurone disease] research."
Do you think it was appropriate for Red Rooster to have a stall at a farmers’ market?