Ellie Gill’s column on the changes of the last two years.

The latest Covid-19 advice for markets.

Features on Fleetwood Market and Grimsby’s Freeman Street Market.

All the news from NABMA.

Complete list of all UK markets (e&oe)

Britain has a proud history of markets that date back many hundreds of years.
Over the centuries they have evolved – and continue evolving. – The Editor

The post Market Trade News June 2021 is out now. appeared first on .

Street food is increasing footfall from exactly the people we’ve been missing: the younger generation. In this internet age, young folk aren’t following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents. When they want to buy something, they all too often buy online.

Happily, the proliferation of street food vendors is helping to change all that. The sights, smells and sounds of all the cuisines of multicultural Britain can be enjoyed on your local market place — and it is pulling in the younger generation. In fact it is often becoming an inter-generational affair — a family outing, no less.

Once they’re there, it’s the job of market managers and traders to keep them there. Entertainment helps and so does the banter and atmosphere of a good, old-fashioned market. That’s important, because it plays a huge part in keeping these new customers and ensuring that they see our vibrant market culture as a place they will want to return to again and again.

This is of course to be encouraged, but starting up a street food stall isn’t as easy as it sounds. If you are selling food to the public, there are a lot of hoops you’ll need to jump through. To help you get started, the Nationwide Caterers Association (NCASS) have kindly offered to give you some advice . . .

So you want to be a street food trader?

Most markets have some opportunities for food traders, regardless of their main focus. In recent years food-to-go has begun to play a greater role in provision at markets and has started a bit of a renaissance in the market industry.

As a new business it’s safe to assume Environmental Health officers, event organisers and insurance providers will consider you a higher risk than experienced catering businesses. If you’re just starting out it’s critical that you start the right way and trade legally, safely and profitably.

Every catering business in the UK must adhere to a series of legal requirements in order to trade:

• Register with your local authority: It is a legal requirement to register your business with the Environmental Health Department prior to trading. Mobile caterers must register with the Local Authority in which their premises are kept.
Within your first three months of trading, your Environmental Health Department will carry out an inspection of your premises to ensure that you are trading legally and safely.

• Get the right licences to trade: If you trade on public streets or roadsides, you will require a Street Trading Licence. They are not required if you operate solely on private land or at events or shows, provided the organiser is in possession of a valid licence.

• Do a Risk Assessment / HACCP: All food businesses in the European Union must have a Food Safety Risk Assessment based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) principles. Members of NCASS have access to an online risk assessment tool that allows them to create Food Safety, Health & Safety, COSSH, and Fire Safety risk assessments on the fly.

• Get Food Hygiene Training: Anyone who works on your stall must receive training

• Get the right Insurance: It is a legal requirement for caterers to have Employers’ Liability Insurance if they employ one or more staff members. All caterers should also have Public Liability Insurance which protects business owners should customers or members of the public suffer personal injury or damage as the result of your business.
Nobody knows more about market traders’ insurance than our resident expert, Bill Imber (phone 01342 327250 or visit www.gmisl.co.uk).

• Get a Gas Safety Certificate: All gas equipment which is used for catering purposes must be inspected and tested annually by a gas safe engineer. This is a legal requirement.

• Hand Washing Facilities: By law, all food business must have separate hand and pot washing facilities.

Event catering

Event catering is another option for the street food vendor. There are thousands of outdoor public events across the UK every year, ranging from small community events like school fetes or village fairs, through to music festivals and sporting events.

There is definitely money in event catering, but the price of a pitch at big events can be eye-watering — and what happens if it pours with rains and the event’s a wash-out?

At the end of the day, a sensibly-priced pitch at your local markets is a safer bet — especially for newcomers.

NCASS MEMBERSHIP

The Nationwide Caterers Association is helpful to start-up catering businesses.
Find out more at
www.ncass.org.uk or
call 0121 603 2524.

The post Street food: is this the future? appeared first on .

YOU may have noticed that there is a very important election coming up — one in which it is vital that you cast your votes in order to secure a bright future for our industry.

No, I’m not talking about THAT general election on December 12.
The one I have in mind is far more important than a lot of silly squabbling revolving around who goes to Westminster.
I’m talking about making sure you take part in the ballot for the Oscars of the market industry — the Great British Market Awards 2020.

Entries are now open for these awards, which are organised by NABMA. They are looking for nominations of the best of British Markets.

Who wins? You decide!

That’s why it’s important that you cast your votes. We want to see the hard-working and imaginative beacons of our industry to get the recognition they deserve.

“Join with us and help promote and celebrate the excellent markets that can be found in our cities, towns and local communities,” says NABMA.

“This competition is the biggest in the markets industry and NABMA is indebted to the generous sponsorship of Blachere Illuminations, the leading commercial Christmas lighting and decorations specialists in the UK.”

Voting forms can be downloaded from the NABMA website: www.nabma.com.

You will be nominating your choices for the following categories:

• Best Large Indoor Market

• Best Small Indoor Market

• Best Large Outdoor Market

• Best Small Outdoor Market

• Best Community / Parish Market

• Best Large Speciality Market

• Best Small Speciality Market

• Best Wholesale Market

• Best Food Market

• Best Market Attraction

Entries for most categories close on November 29, so hurry! (Nominations for Best Speciality and Best Market Attraction can be made until December 31, so that this year’s Christmas Markets can be entered.)

If you require technical assistance, or have any questions, you can email support@nabma.com.

Winners will be announced at NABMA’s One Day Conference on January 30 at The Council House, Birmingham
(see previous post).

The post Great British Market Awards 2020 appeared first on .

The Venue:
Birmingham
Council House
Victoria Square
Birmingham
B1 1BB

MARKETS have been identified as a key influence in the vital and vibrant town and city centres of the future — a fact that’s been recognised by government, which is committed to helping local high streets evolve and adapt to change.

Markets can be a leading influence to encourage flourishing town centres where people live, shop, use services, and spend their leisure time.
NABMA’s One Day Conference at Birmingham Council House on Thursday January 30 will focus on many of the good news stories that can be found today in our markets.
“Yes, there are challenges to face but partnership, leadership and encouraging and developing traders of the future will be at the centre of our programme,” say the organisers.
Last year’s Great British Market Awards provided some wonderful good practice that has already been shared in a NABMA publication. Certain case studies will now be chosen to present to Conference, with a high street association, for a wider discussion.
Finally, as is tradition at the January Conference, NABMA will showcase the awards ceremony for the Great British Market of the Year 2020.

This will be a chance to celebrate with NABMA the very best in the various entry categories and to witness the announcement of who will take the acclaimed title of Britain’s Favourite Market 2020.
NABMA have provided a very special early booking offer with three delegates able to attend for just £300+VAT.
Attendees have been urged to book early, as in recent years this One Day Conference has been oversubscribed. Remember that no booking will be confirmed until payment is received.

To book, go to the NABMA website: www.nabma.com, phone 01691 680713 or email nabma@nabma.com

It’s important that you cast your votes!

The post Come celebrate the winners! appeared first on .

Traders are gearing up for their busiest time of the year, as folk flock to the markets to enjoy the special attractions laid on to pull in the Christmas shoppers. Dave Phillips investigates what’s happening this festive season

 CHRISTMAS is a time for family, friends and festive fun. Everyone’s at home relaxed, wearing party hats, opening presssies, pulling crackers and feasting in food and drink, preferably in front of a crackling log fire. But to get to that state of affairs, millions of people had to shop until they dropped — very often at the nation’s bustling markets.

The weeks leading up to Christmas are usually the busiest in the market traders’ calendar, with shoppers searching for gifts, decorations, trees, wreaths, food and drink. It’s the time of year when canny market managers brighten up the stalls with colourful lights and organise special attractions to pull in the crowds, whether it’s Santa on a reindeer-hauled sleigh, or a local choir singing our favourite carols.The weather outside might well be frightful, but nothing will stop determined shoppers from enjoying the unique atmosphere of their local market at Christmas. So let it snow, we say.This month’s MTN cover star, veteran rocker Noddy Holder, must have known Penkridge Market when he was growing up in the Black Country. But I wonder if it was as much fun then as it is these days? There’s certainly plenty going on there this year.

They will be holding Fine Food and Craft Markets on Saturday November 16 and December 21, selling a wide range of festive foods, gifts, toys and crafts, as well as trees, wreaths and decorations Admission and parking are free, and with an indoor market too, it’s a great place to shop, whatever the weather.

Penkridge is typical of many markets and is a great place to tick off everyone on your Christmas list. For children there will be stalls selling toys, clothes, and personalised gifts, as well as stocking fillers such as sweets, stationery and books. For the men there will be tools, watches, jigsaws and fail-safe gifts like socks, toiletries and chocolates, while for the ladies there’s everything from clothes, handbags and jewellery to candles, perfume and toiletries.

If it’s your turn to cook the Christmas lunch, a market is the perfect place to buy all of your ingredients for a fantastic roast. Expect meat, poultry and game fresh from the farm, as well as traditional fruit and veg stalls (and don’t forget those all-important brussels sprouts).

Discerning shoppers expect plenty of choice, especially when it comes to locally-produced cheeses, breads, pickles, preserves, homemade cakes and puddings. The more the merrier, because canny market managers realise that punters will home in on markets with a reputation for multiple stalls selling these goods.

If you still need to buy your Christmas turkey, there is no better place than a local market. Returning to Penkridge, the market there holds Christmas poultry auctions which will be held on December 19 and 23, with around 300 oven-ready birds going under the hammer in each auction, including turkeys, geese, ducks and chickens, all reared on local farms. These sales are open to the public and, like all auctions, are a lot of fun.

Over in Cumbria, the organiser of Barrow Market Hall, the indefatigable Jacqui Armstrong, has got a host of special festive events planned for the lucky inhabitants of Barrow in Furness, starting on Wednesday December 4 with children from St Pius School singing carols and running a tombola. They must love to keep their eyes down for a full house out Barrow way, because more tombolas  follow on Friday 6th, Saturday 7th, Saturday 14th, Monday 16^th, Wednesday 18^th and Friday 20th.

There is also the Barrow Bid School Christmas Choir Competition in the Market Hall on Friday 6th, with the Barrow Male Voice Choir performing the following day.

The post We wish it could be Christmas every day! appeared first on .

The five areas are Marefair and Gold Street, the Market Square, Greyfriars, Fish Street and St Giles’ Street and Abington Street (Eastgate).

Northampton Forward is undertaking the consultation, and the proposals are now available to view, along with an online survey, at www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforward

A series of public consultation events will also take place in the Grosvenor Centre, starting this Saturday 18 May, giving people the opportunity to view the proposals and discuss them with Council staff.

Further events will follow on 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 May, will all events running from 11am – 3pm and located on the upper level, next door to Bewitched Coffee and opposite Costa Coffee.

Cllr Jonathan Nunn, leader of Northampton Borough Council and Chair of the Northampton Forward Board, said: “We have ambitious aspirations for our town and want to ensure that we can translate them into something deliverable.”

“So we’ve asked 5plus architects, who have done some brilliant work revitalising Manchester and other towns across the country, to develop these proposals for us.

“We are extremely keen for people to give their views, so please do go along to the Grosvenor Centre and have a chat with us.

“If you can’t make these consultation events, all the information and an accompanying survey can be accessed from the Borough Council’s website until the end of June at www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforward

“We absolutely want to develop a plan which people can get behind and which delivers the best result for Northampton residents and visitors.”

Potential changes include delivering modern retail units, introducing more office space, and encouraging higher levels of residential.

The plans could also look at improved public spaces and shop fronts, along with the creation of attractive links between the various parts of the town centre, to make them more accessible.

Grosvenor Centre Manager, James Roberts, who is also on the Northampton Forward board, said: “There is enormous potential to be realised within Northampton, this coupled with a fantastic energy to drive change by passionate individuals, community groups and the Northampton Forward board, means there are exciting challenges to transform the town.”

Northampton Forward is a public/private partnership which was formed earlier this year to create a vision for the town and drive forward a strategic programme of improvements.

Its board is formed of a wide range of partners including:
• Northampton Borough Council
• Northamptonshire County Council
• Northants Police
• Grosvenor Centre
• Northampton Town Centre BID
• University of Northampton
• Royal and Derngate
• LiftNN (Community representative)
• South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP)
• Tricker’s
• Northamptonshire Chamber

Consultation events are as follows:

Grosvenor Centre, Unit 32 – 34 Newland Walk (opposite Costa Coffee and next to Bewitched Coffee)

18 May, 11am – 3pm
20 May, 11am – 3pm
21 May, 11am – 3pm
22 May, 11am – 3pm
23 May, 11am – 3pm
24 May, 11am – 3pm

Alternatively, the proposals and the online survey can be accessed online at: northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforward

Paper copies of the survey are available from the Guildhall One-Stop-Shop on St Giles’ Square during opening hours, and any questions about the consultation can be sent to regeneration@northampton.gov.uk or Regeneration (consultation), First Floor, The Guildhall, St Giles’ Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE.

The consultation closes on Sunday 30 June.

The post Public consultation on Northampton Town Centre Masterplan now open appeared first on .

The result is a vibrant shopping destination where space is at a premium with more than 25 businesses providing a diverse range of products and services under one roof.

They include the area’s only vegan supermarket, a collectibles company which will scour the world to track down much-sought items, and a pet supplies shop which even sells mini houses for hedgehogs.

The shops are run by people new to business as well as experienced retailers.  In Alta Ego Cleveland College of Art and Design graduate Nicole Bean sells the jewellery, textiles and sculptures she has created.

Nicole had shops in various parts of Middlesbrough before moving to Dundas Market in 2017. Business is going so well for her that she has just taken on extra space.

“I’ve been trading for 15 years. This is the best setting for me,” she said. “Independent shops are a good thing for customers because they get the personal touch.  They like to speak to people and they like to look at things.“It’s important that we have this kind of community, because we all help each other out and the management is really helpful as well.”

Animal lover Lucy Martin-Hall, 21, was new to business when she opened her shop – Leo Libra Pet Supplies – last summer (2018). She benefitted from Dundas Market’s business creation and growth scheme where start-ups can rent an Enterprise Unit for as little as £10 per day. Lucy said that helped her through the early weeks and – after a successful Christmas and a move to a bigger shop – trade is flourishing.

She said she has been supported by the market manager David Harris, who has been particularly helpful with advice about how to use social media to promote Libra Pet Supplies.

“He’s always there if you have any problems.  I wasn’t thinking about expanding until I spoke to him and he told me about all the benefits, which I’m already seeing,” said Lucy.  “He helped me make the right decision.”

Her bigger shop has enabled her to widen her range of products, which already include items for snakes and bearded dragons, as well as food, toys and tiny houses for hedgehogs.

Ian and Karen Riley ran a successful website selling collectible gifts.  The Celebrity Gift Company was launched after Karen realised the high demand for items after selling Betty Boop figures online.

Like Lucy, the Rileys opened a shop in Dundas Market last summer and have just moved to a bigger unit to cater for the thousand different lines they sell.

“We’re a family business and we can’t compete head-on with High Street retailers, but our difference is that we stock everything they don’t,” said Ian. “Our three big sellers are Betty Boop, Disney and Elvis.  It’s amazing how many local collectors there are.  They’re after everything: figures, cushions, purses, mirrors, tea pots, oven gloves…you name it.”

And if an item is not in stock, The Celebrity Gift Company will make sure its customers are not disappointed – even if it means finding and importing rare editions from the Far East.

Another arrival in 2018 – The Little Vegan Market – is also going from strength to strength.  It has just doubled its floor space to cater for the growing demand for vegan food and products.

Earlier this year two people, providing very different products, joined the Dundas Market community of traders and fulfilled lifelong ambitions of running their own businesses. In February Byron Pearman started his own tattoo parlour, Beardy Giant Tattoos, and last month Christine Fearon – a former drug and alcohol worker with the Criminal Justice System – opened her florist shop Made with Love.

Dundas Market manager David Harris said he was very proud of all the traders who have helped in the transformation of the market. “Retail is a tough business, particularly today, but everybody’s worked so hard and they deserve their success,” he said.  “It’s extremely satisfying to see people start from scratch – like many of them have – and in such a short time do so well that they need bigger units in the market.  We have even had a number move into larger shop units in Dundas Shopping Centre.”

Contact David if you are interested in starting or moving your business to Dundas Market. Phone 01642 232552 or email. david.harris@dundasindoormarket.co.uk.

The post BUSINESS BOOMING FOR DUNDAS MARKET’S INDEPENDENT TRADERS appeared first on .

On 15 June Middlesbrough’s Dundas Shopping Centre and Indoor Market is holding a Young Traders Market, with the best businesses put through to a regional heat to compete for a place in the national final – where big prizes are on offer.

Traders have to be aged between 16 and 30, live in Teesside and – above all – have a great business idea which they are keen to try out.

“This is a fantastic and exciting opportunity which will hopefully set a young local entrepreneur on the road to great success,” said Dundas Market manager David Harris.

“We’ve held very successful Youth Markets here over the last couple of years, but this is taking it to a new level.”

Dundas Market itself has an impressive track record of nurturing independent traders as they take their first steps in business.

“It’s a great way to start out, it’s low risk and you get very direct feedback from your customers,” said David.

Major retailers – including Marks and Spencer and Tesco – started their businesses trading at markets.  Although they have grown to employ thousands of people, two-thirds of all UK businesses – including small retailers and independent traders – do not employ anybody apart from the owner.

“The number of people looking to do something different and be their own boss has certainly increased,” said David.

“It could be because of the influence of television programmes like The Apprentice or Dragons Den or it could be the decline of bigger retailers.  All you need is a good idea, an understanding of who your customers might be and the capacity for hard work.”

Businesses which took part in previous Dundas Youth Markets have included Caught Red Handed, which makes bespoke picture frames; iGenius Mobile, which provides custom designed mobile phone and tablet covers, and byalishasadiq which sells luxury eyelashes and has subsequently gone on to open a shop in Middlesbrough – The House of Sadiq.

The post YOUNG TEESSIDE TRADERS INVITED TO COMPETE FOR BIG PRIZES appeared first on .