Page 3 - Market Times April 2024

ON THE COVER
Times FEATURES
April 2024
Penistone — p16
Malton — p42
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From barrow boys and The Goons to street food heaven
Times
April 2024
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Spud Man draws the punters at Tamworth Market
Spud Man Ben Newman has become an internet sensation in recent months, bringing crowds to Tamworth market from all over the world
— p10
Strutton Ground — p4
Tamworth — p10
Unassuming Tamworth Market is an internet sensation — thanks to Spud Man
The front of a queue of more than 60 people eager for jacket potatoes — and this was at 11 in the morning
FEATURE • ALLY PALLY 23 Ally Pally is bringing fine fare from
the country
into the
capital Alexandra Palace and its TV transmitter
More than 20 years after it first set up stall in the leafy park sur- rounding North London’s iconic Alexandra Palace, the award-winning Ally Pally Farmers Market is still going strong. Nicola Gould visits a market that has done well by sticking to its founding ethos of bring- ing the finest affordable, fresh produce to the local market.
ondon’s iconic Alexandra Palace has Lbeen the scene of much drama over more than 150 years, from two dev- astating fires to the very first BBC broad-
cast back in the 1930s — a world first. But locals are more interested in the main event every Sunday — Ally Pally Farmers Market which sets up stall at the Muswell Hill entrance to the park that surrounds the palace.
Launched in 2003 by Chris Elder, a baker and foodie who had started a small market in Bromley where he lived, the market took a couple of years to catch the imagination of the public.
Lawrence Chirita, who is head of opera- tions for City and Country Farmers Mar- kets, said: “The very first farmers market that Chris started was at Dulwich College in 2002. A year later he started Ally Pally and it took a little time to grow.
“We started with about 30 stalls, mainly farmers selling their fresh produce. After a few years the number of traders had grown to 40 or 50, and these days we have more than 70 stalls including farmers and fresh
produce of all kinds, with some hot food and quite a few craft stalls.”
These days the operator runs six markets in London, four on Saturdays and two on Sunday, and Ally Pally is one of the favourites.
LCaitwyraendceCCouhnirtirtay iFsahrmeaedrsoMf oaprkeertast,iotnhse for
family-run business that operates six farmers markets in London
Lawrence said the markets had stayed faithful to Chris’s founding principles which centre on local produce for local people, with affordability, provenance and quality all key.
The rules for traders to stand the market are strict, with producers and makers needing to travel from within a 100-mile radius of the market, although one Brecon trader was given the green light because of the quality of his meat and Welsh products. Lawrence said there was a tasting panel
to ensure all the food was the right stan- dard and the team likes to retain a balance, so that there is a certain amount of healthy competition for fruit and veg, for example. But a limited number of the same line ensures that individual traders can sell enough to make their journey to market worthwhile.
So who shops at Ally Pally and who are the traders who stand the market? Lawrence says locals love the market and it tends to attract Londoners from up to five miles away, all wanting to get the best fresh produce, meat and fish, enjoy
t
Ally Pally — p22
Bedford — p28
Rawtenstall — p34
NEWS, REPORTS etc
A barn of
a market in the foothills of the Pennines
Bedford’s diverse market is growing all over town
Exciting new chapter for Rawtenstall Market
LSD brings back popular river festival 9 What next for historic Retford market? 14 Big plans for Lancashire markets in Rossendale 20 Ramsgate outdoor making a return 20 Record number apply to take part in YTM 2024 21S Smallest town digs deep to save market 27 Plans for major investment in Kirklees markets move forward 32
Medieval market in Northallerton 33 NMTF’s Tracey Jones calls it a day 41
Pioneering Peter Gott receives Cumbria’s outstanding contribution award 41 Spring Into Markets free online guide 46 Obituary — Keith Payne 46 Free online business listing for members 47 Operators — check your Market Near Me entry 47
Editor: Roy Holland 01226 352808 • Assistant Editor: Vanessa Higginbottom 01226 352812 • Journalist: Nicola Gould • Email: [email protected]
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