‘Quirky place with a soul’ Market still pulling in crowds of shoppers
SNinety-nine per cent of the people that come in here are happy and smiling; it’s not like working for a big company
Gareth Thorne
T Nicholas Market is regularly named as one of the country’s top places to shop away from the big chains that tend to dominate high streets.
The Guardian named it in its top 10 British markets back in 2010, and it was recently namechecked as one of Europe’s best places to get street food by Travelmag.
The market has over 60 different shops and stalls, and according to traders who make their living there, it is fully deserving of its reputation.
Nelia Stagg works in Kalahari Moon, a small shop among the market’s narrow lanes that sells South African goods.
She told the Post that St Nicholas Market “feels like a quirky place with a soul”.
“All customers that come in are very friendly and open and have a laugh,” she said.
Nelia thinks the thing that sets the market apart is how multicultural it is – she says it is like a “rainbow of nations” due to the “wide range of not only things, but people who come from all over the world to start businesses here”.
She started working in Kalahari Moon last year, but its owner Rose has been running it for 17 years, and Nelia says it authentically captures the South African spirit.
“The only way I can explain it is people who come here for the first time, their eyes light up. It’s just like a traditional South African shop. Space is at a premium, everything is rammed together.”
St Nicholas Market has been running since 1743, so it has become accustomed to change over the years, including the addition of the popular night market.
One of the things for which it is now known best is street food, and according to one retailer this is a relatively new addition to the market’s appeal.
Gareth Thorne, who manages Treasure Island Sweets, says the street food scene first popped up around eight years ago and is now one of the main attractions.
He said the market was now “all about street food”, which drew
more customers into shops like his. But he said he was not sure how long this would last because “not everyone can afford £10 for a burger”. However, he welcomed the change.
Gareth says it is the independence and individuality of the market’s traders that help draw in customers. “It’s not like that bootleg goods stuff you find in other markets; everybody here is quite particular about what they do,” he said.
Treasure Island Sweets is one example of that, with its walls covered with shelves stacked full of colourful jars containing retro sweets.
Gareth said: “Ninety-nine per cent of the people that come in here are happy and smiling; it’s not like working for a big company. In here they’re firing off their memories from when they were younger. We’ve still got the same customers we had 20 years ago.”
And he added that although they were often busy, the mornings could be quiet. “It would be nice to see more people in the mornings, but Bristol doesn’t move before 12 o’clock!”