Had a pig of a time - I’m so glad the markets are back...
TRADERS HIT HARD BY PANDEMIC TELL OF DELIGHT
AS A QUEUE of hungry punters form outside the famous Porky Pig Yorkshire pudding wrap stall at the Manchester Christmas Markets, owner Eddie Osman can’t help but smile.
It has been a painful 18 months for Eddie and his business through lockdown, which forced the closure of his permanent restaurant on Cooper Street.
So he is delighted to regain his prominent place with his street food operation back at the Christmas Markets this year.
And he says for him, like so many of the traders setting up stall across the city centre this week for the return of the festive event, it is a vital lifeline.
Eddie, 44, says: “I am really, really, really happy to be back.
“We lost out on our restaurant in the city centre back in September because everything was going towards online delivery, it just wasn’t stacking up for us to keep the restaurant open. When lockdown restrictions lifted, we just never got the office workers back in.
“So the fact that street food is back buzzing again, we are all delighted, it’s not just me, it’s everyone opening up today, the staff, the customers, it’s just a joy to see really. We had been really worried over the past few weeks about whether it would really still happen, could it get scrapped again, and you are left putting your life on the line again.
“But to open up now, and to see queues round the corner already, it’s just wonderful.”
It was here at the markets that the word-of-mouth success of his Porky Pig roast dinner filled wraps began for Eddie, originally from Cheetham Hill.
He continues to give away free wraps to any serving emergency services personnel working in the city centre – and they also get to queue-jump – while every 100th customer is also rewarded with a free wrap.
Eddie is one of a host of local and regional traders who have been setting up shop at the Manchester Christmas Markets for years – and to miss out on having the major event last year due to coronavirus restrictions was a devastating blow. Gareth Kitching runs the Pig and Barrel and Clowbeck Kitchen which are usually on Albert Square, but this year have joined the new Winter Gardens hub on Piccadilly Gardens.
Manchester-based Gareth says after a host of summer events were cancelled for his firm, having the Christmas Markets back has been a huge boon.
“1997 was the first ever Christmas Markets back in Piccadilly Gardens and I was there, and so it’s fabulous to be back here,” he says. “I think with this set up with the way they’ve got it, it’s going to be a great place for people to enjoy the Christmas Markets.
“Through lockdown we were on furlough, we haven’t been able to work, all our summer work was cancelled so we’re really happy that we’ve been able to do the Christmas Markets.
“I think people are just ready to get out and enjoy themselves this year, I really do.”
We are all delighted. It’s not just me, it’s everyone opening up today...it’s just a joy to see
Eddie Osman
This year, 88 per cent of traders at the Manchester Christmas Markets are from the North West, with just 12 per cent travelling from overseas.
Most of those who have made the journey to the UK are traders who have been involved with the former German Market on Albert Square since it began over 20 years ago.
That includes Anja Manke, who joined Manchester councillor Pat Karney at the formal launch of the markets on Friday morning.
Setting up a new pitch at this year’s “hub” on Piccadilly Gardens, she said it was exciting to see the event return after the year’s break.
She said: “The past year was terrible for us and we had to stay at home for a pretty long time. But Manchester is a second home for us as we have been coming for such a long time. So for us not to be able to see our friends, but also not to run our business, it was hard. Manchester has always been so welcoming so it is great to be back and it’s an interesting new location for us.”
Detlief Feiste, 53, is known as ‘The Strudel Man’ thanks to his years serving up the sweet pastry treats at the markets.
He’s surprised that just 12 per cent of stallholders have travelled from abroad this year – although he’s aware many businesses haven’t made it through the pandemic.
He says: “I’ve been here a long time, always on Albert Square, but this year we are just at St Ann’s Square.
“The past year we haven’t been able to work, we couldn’t come over and it was tough. Many traders did not survive in Germany, there were no events, there was nothing.”
Detlief, a dad of two from Munich, believes the markets are good for the whole of the Manchester economy.
He says: “Some people complain about the market and say we take money away from the shops, but if we are not there the streets here they are empty, and that is not good for the other businesses.”
It’s a view shared by Manchester council’s ‘Mr Christmas’ Pat Karney, who dressed as Santa to unveil the Winter Gardens to the media on Friday.
He stressed that safety measures were in place to control numbers at the Winter Gardens hub, with a one-way system planned for the busiest times and hand sanitiser stations across the market site.
Pat says: “We’ve got a double mission this year for Christmas, we want to cheer everyone up here in Manchester, everyone has been through a horrible time. And we want to assist Manchester’s economic recovery as well. Thousands of jobs depend on Manchester having a great Christmas.”