Market ups its game ahead of Christmas
ASHBOURNE’S market continues to thrive and grow, with organisers announcing a selection of new stallholders arriving in time for Christmas.
The market, which was rescued by a Community Interest Company and sets up every Thursday in Shrovetide Walk, has recently seen an Ashbourne couple pitching up, offering a range of wooden and metal brainteaser puzzles, family games, kids’ jigsaw puzzles and travel games.
And this week more new traders will be taking on stalls. These include a Young Enterprise Scheme project from Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, with pupils showcasing their business offering eco-friendly seed balls. Pottery by Sally V will also be welcomed to the market, offering handmade pottery including mugs, small bowls, plant pots, wind chimes and mobiles along with handmade Christmas decorations.
And the market will be joined by Hearing Help UK, a charity providing practical support for the hearing impaired community including free advice, advocacy, social activities, outreach activities, assistive listening devices and volunteering opportunities.
Also offering products at the weekly market will be Willow and Rose, which offers flowers for all occasions, along with candles from North Cornwallbased St Eval Candle Company. A spokesman for Willow and Rose explained: “In the run-up to Christmas our market stall will take on a festive makeover with a selection of wreaths, centrepieces, pine cone bundles and handmade gifts. We love crafting and recycling and enjoy hand-made gifts including hand-stitched shopping bags and jewellery, striving to reduce our impact on the environment and minimise our carbon footprint.
“Our love of flowers brought us to create Willow & Rose during the lockdown months and the business is going from strength to strength so that we are also excited to announce that we are about to open our own shop in Burton before Christmas.”
The new stalls will sit side by side with the current crop of established traders, which include fishmonger Lucky Catch, with fresh fish brought from Grimsby, The Loaf, setting up a bakery stall to complement its busy shop in the Market Place and Delicious Coffee, which provides a selection of hot drinks and snacks including pizzas.
Bolstering the food and drink offering will be Au Chocolat, which sells a selection of milk and dark chocolates, and a familiar trader Roy Collectibles will be selling books for adults and children, a great selection of jigsaw puzzles, games, coins and notes.
The market also currently offers a fruit and veg stall, and Lichfield Cheese will be making a return this month, with a range of cheeses and cured meats.
A selection of new stallholders are arriving in time for the festive shopping season
Market organisers