Market fighting to survive
LOCAL producers are deserting Stratford-upon-Avon’s once lauded farmers market saying footfall has fallen dramatically in recent years.
Stratford Farmers’ Market on Rother Street takes place on the first and third Saturday of each month and was once named as one of the top five in the country.
However, existing stallholders claim it has been in decline in recent years and many others have been forced to leave.
It once had around 40 stalls, but today it is more like ten or 12.
Blame for the current situation has been levelled at the market operator, Geraud, who traders say have failed to promote the market effectively.
They claim the market has become badly organised under the company and that too many stalls unconnected with farming and local produce, have been allowed to have stalls.
One business that has decided it will no longer run a stall are Worcester-based Croom Cuisine.
Gary Tucker, head cheesemaker there, said: “I’ve been running the stall at the market for the last two years, we used to make quite a bit of money there but now when you take in the cost of the stall, my wages, the travel expenses, it’s just not worth it for us.
“Footfall has really gone down, you get a lot of tourists looking around on a Saturday but they don’t necessarily buy anything.
“I know that the local producers are leaving, you get a lot of craft-type stalls there now and you’ve got to ask whether they really belong at a farmers’ market.”
Leanne Hodgetts, business development manager at Croom Cuisine, added: “It used to be a fantastic market, it was a good day, and we regularly made £600-£800 each time we were there, now we’re lucky to make £300. It’s been in a definite steady decline.
“I don’t think the market organisation has been brilliant either, Geraud come around and take your money and that’s all you ever see from them really.”
James Pavitt, who worked closely with the original market operator, Sketts, and the NFU to originally set up the market, said: “I have not been closely involved with Stratford Farmers’ Market for some time but I’ve heard the kind of things these traders have been talking about.
“I used to be the co-ordinator of the National Association of Farmers’ Markets and was involved in developing the certification for farmers markets.
“Part of that certification stipulates that producers sell their own produce direct to customers.
“This is useful because they can get direct feedback about their produce. I feel very strongly that a farmers’ market should do what it says on the box, it needs integrity, without that it just becomes a food market. I’ve heard that some people are just selling things that are bought in.
“The new operator took the commercial decision to hold a normal market on one side of the square and the farmers’ market on the other. For me that doesn’t work, it just confuses the public.”
Market customer, Shelagh Hamer, said: “Stratford Farmers Market started 17 years ago, gained the farmers market accreditation and at one point was named by BBC Good Food Magazine as one of the top five markets in the country.
“It used to be a fantastic market, it was advertised for days in advance with banners, but when Geraud took over that all stopped.
“Producers are just not coming anymore, it’s turned into a tat market and it’s sad because I have supported it for 17 years.
“It was a lovely atmosphere, but it’s gone now, a lot of producers have left because it’s not what it was and they don’t make enough money from it.
“As a Stratford resident the farmers market is about the only reason I have for going into the centre of town on a Saturday.”
Stallholder Pete Drinkwater, from Ebrington-based vegetable producer Drinkwaters, said: “I think we’re the last remaining original stallholder, we’ve been here about 20 years. We’re a family-run company and we have a large number of regular customers in Stratford.
“I don’t want to blow my own trumpet but if we went it would kill the market. Other traders have said to us: ‘If you go we might as well all go’.
“Footfall has fallen dramatically, we’re not planning to leave, but if many more traders drop out it will be a disaster for us.
“It all started going downhill when they took the market off Sketts, they used to promote it around town with posters. “I don’t know what the district council were doing taking it off a local company like Sketts and giving it to Geraud, who are based in Liverpool.
“They don’t market it now and that’s something they need to look into, they need fresh ideas to turn it around.
“A lot of customers are getting fed up of it now, there are stalls here which have no place at a farmers’ market and the market suffers as a result. Having tat stalls down one end just doesn’t bring in the type of customers we need at a farmers’ market. It’s not a well organised market either.”
Matt Steele, national operations manager for Groupe Geraud said: “We’re currently working with the team at the council to create an accreditation scheme for local producers, so we can improve and grow the farmers’ market.
“We are introducing a number of trader incentives such as reduced rent, introductory offers and a trader referral scheme.
“We work closely with all of our traders and would always encourage those with concerns to speak directly to our team who are on site every market day.”
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