Brixton’s Farmer’s Market appears to have been saved thanks to a group of stallholders who plan take over running it themselves.
Last month London Farmers’ Markets (LFM), who currently run the Sunday market, announced that it was no longer financially viable to keep it going and that the last one would be held at the end of July.
However, some of the stallholders, including the Old Post Office Bakery, have banded together and proposed that they take over running it as a community interest company (CIC).
Lambeth council have said they are supporting the traders and are happy for them to take it on a short-term lease.
Richard Scroggs, owner of the Old Post Office Bakery, said it was very good news.
“Hopefully this way Brixton’s Farmer’s Market will be even better,” he said. “Keeping things local is always great and I think this way we can be more flexible.”
“Nothing against LFM but they had quite firm guidelines about what was allowed, as they are running more than one market; this way we can be more flexible. We can react to what our customers want and then hopefully we will be able to extend the lease.”
Cllr Jack Hopkins, cabinet member for Jobs & Growth, said: “We have been working with stallholders to try and ensure that the market continues and are fully supportive of plans to form a CIC.
“Brixton Farmers’ Market is an important and popular part of the area’s character and I’m hopeful that it will continue to thrive for many years to come.”
[…] Brixton’s Farmer’s Market seems to have been saved. […]
Well they are going to have to make it better. It’s lost a lot of business to Herne Hill, a greatly superior venue with ten times the range of stalls plus food and drink, and it goes on all day. And some of the organic veggie stalls are stupidly expensive.
You are absolutely right Tim. The market is very unappealing, the food is poorly displayed and very expensive, no comparison to the very well run Herne Hil market. If the new organisers want to make the Brixton one better, just copy whet they do there, or at least make some sort of effort. A really decent farmers market would attract something new to the area and help bring in additional shoppers that benefit the other traders in the town.