The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Vision to breathe life into city with new food market
‘Spectacular’ plan to boost Aberdeen after recent retail misery
A VISION for a “pretty spectacular” indoor market in Aberdeen has been unveiled, with the charity behind it in talks to secure a prominent – but as yet unnamed – city centre site.
Aberdeen Multicultural Centre (AMC) is drawing up proposals for a “continental-style” food and drink offering in the hope of providing north-east producers with a low-cost place from which to trade every weekend.
But it is also targeted at reducing how far food travels from farm to plate and minimising the plastic wrapping it comes in.
Aberdeen City Council is said to be “all ears” on the potential benefits it could deliver for the struggling city centre at a time when big high street names such as John Lewis and Debenhams are among the dozens withdrawing.
Demolition of Aberdeen’s existing indoor market was approved last year with its vendors forced to begin a search for new homes.
AMC’s board members think it might take around a year to make the market a reality and would then expect to have around 100 stalls after another two.
Those behind the scheme are now gauging interest but believe many food producers, local and Scotland-wide, will be interested in helping to bring the plan to fruition.
Ambitious plans have been revealed for a permanent, continental-style indoor market in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen Multicultural Centre (AMC) is sounding out support and talks are understood to be at a very early stage with the owners of two unnamed city centre locations.
It is understood each could eventually house 100 businesses and producers for a “modest” rent.
The market would showcase local food producers and a multiethnic array of foods, which would be sustainable to involve young people and make shopping more environmentally friendly.
Last night, David McGrath, leading the feasibility study for AMC, said the group had a “50/50 chance of pulling this off” within a year.
High street turmoil has peaked as the pandemic rolls into its second year, with recent announcements that department stores John Lewis and Debenhams will not reopen.
More than 20 shops out of 45 units have closed in the Bon Accord Centre.
Together the losses prompted The Press And Journal to launch its Save Our Shops campaign last month.
Mr McGrath told The P&J: “We are all encouraged to buy locally but it’s actually very difficult to find local produce.
“There are a handful of websites with at best 30-40 producers. We have a list of 300, which is not yet complete.
“We are encouraging more production but not developing distribution channels.
“The idea is to create an indoor, weekly, regular, dependable street market – which needs to be covered due to the weather.
“We have potentially two city centre sites – we can’t go public on them yet – but if we can pull it off it would be pretty spectacular.
“It would be run by a young and dynamic team as we have to create opportunities like this. Young people are getting a very raw deal currently.”
Early responses have shown a “very strong pull” towards making Aberdeen’s multi-ethnic food and drink more accessible, unearthing items such as African herbs and spices which are produced in the north-east.
AMC manager Ahashan Habib said: “We need support to make this a success and bring people and life back to the city centre.”
He emphasised the “awesome” green credentials of the plans, which could reduce use of unnecessary packaging as well as the distance food and drink needs to travel.
Hard and fast rules on how local the traders would need to be – whether from the north-east or the whole of Scotland – will also be determined.
It follows a painful 12 months for small and independent traders hit by the news the indoor market would be demolished and close early as its operator went into administration.
AMC’s plan would be to open to the public every weekend, with wholesale services to north-east hospitality operators through the week.
As a charity, board members are hopeful any new venture would benefit from business rates relief, to be passed on to traders.
They hope to have a close relationship with the Staxx box market whose creators are looking at city centre sites, including Shiprow.
City centre councillor Ryan Houghton said the city authority was “all ears” on how it could help to deliver the new market.
Views can be put to AMC on the proposals at www. bit.ly/2Q5bwhh.