Page 6 - Market Times October 2024

6 NMTF’S YOUNG TRADER OF THE YEAR 2024 A trio of the other talented category winners...
Food and Drink — Sophie Thornton
Sophie runs Fizz Origin selling cocktails and sparkling wine.
Sophie, 28, from Coventry, said her business had started in a somewhat random fashion. After working in hospitality for many years she longed to be her own boss. When her stepfather spotted a drinks trailer for sale online, she jumped at the opportunity.
“Now I trade on a lot of LSD events and I have travelled as far as Wales to sell,” she said.
Grocery — Lydia Dunn
Lydia, 25 and from Durham, trades as Bites Baking Company. She said she had always loved baking so began selling her baked goods on markets.
“Customers told me that they would like to try a lot of my different baked goods rather than just one large slice, so I rebranded as Bites selling a selection of small bites,” she said.
General Retail — Libby Ramsden
Libby Ramsden, 24, explained that she started her business Herd and Hive selling honey from the bees on her partner’s Yorkshire farm to diversify from farming. She then bought a herd of goats and sells goats’ milk soap alongside her bee products on markets in “God’s Own County”.