The 2025 NMTF’s Young Traders Market National Final enjoyed blue skies and sunshine, which was a stark contrast to last year’s stormy conditions that saw the opening ceremony delayed. This year we opened on time; the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon was undertaken by the Mayor, Dani Hunter, and the Chair of the council for Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Councillor Kate Rolfe, and met with cheers and applause from the traders and public.

The 13th annual final was not unlucky for us, the fantastic setting of The Waterside in Stratford-upon-Avon was abuzz with talented young traders selected from across eleven regions throughout the UK. The quality and talent of the young traders again were outstanding, and it was evident from their products and presentations how they achieved a well-earned place at the national final.

The winner of the 2025 Young Market Traders title was won by Abigail Proctor from Abi Through the Ears. Almost a veteran of the YTM, Abi has been part of the YTM campaign for the last five years, improving year on year to reach the point where she secured the overall winners’ crown. Her dedication to her business and bubbly personality over the past five years has constantly shone through, and her customers flock to buy her handmade hair accessories and giftware. Based in Stoke-on-Trent, Abi makes every scrunchie by hand in her home studio, ensuring they have the perfect balance of elastic and fabric to make sure they are pretty and practical.

Joe Harrison, the NMTF’s CEO, said the event for 16 to 30-year-olds aimed to nurture and showcase young talent and encourage more young entrepreneurs to start their journeys on markets.

The YTM campaign, having now completed its 13th year, has gone from strength to strength over that period of time.

More traders are taking part, and year on year, more operators are offering local events.

This is, in the main, largely due to the work carried out by our dedicated team here at NMTF, going above and beyond to make each year more successful than the last.

Also, the collaboration with our friends and partners at LSD Promotions, without whom we would never pull off the amazing event of the National Final, which has to be one of the market & event industries’ best, loved by so many, particularly the shopping public that visit it and support these young entrepreneurs.

Together with our new YTM sponsor Market Place Ltd and all the regional final hosts and those local operators that have put on those local heats.

The campaign can only strengthen the future of our markets industry and, in turn, the high street of our town and city centres.

For two days over the busy August Bank Holiday period, the beautiful location Waterside in Stratford-upon-Avon hosts approximately 94 traders aged 16-30. This year’s intake saw the inclusion of two youth clubs from London, four past winners, who undertook the serious role of judging, and representation from the under-16 traders in the ‘Young Traders of the Future’ category.

The young entrepreneurs sold their products in one of four categories: Food and Drink; Arts and Crafts; General Retail; and Grocery.

This year’s trending products were crocheting and handmade silver jewellery. A notable mention for outstanding crocheting skills was Leah Morgan, who reenacted the works of Shakespeare through crocheting - it really was a fantastic display.

Announcing the winners, Joe said the standard and quality were so high that all the young traders should consider themselves winners, and he thanked the Chair of Stratford-upon-Avon District Council, Coun Kate Rolfe, and the Town Mayor, Coun Dani Hunter.

Coun Fradgley said she hoped that people beyond the town of Stratford had been inspired by the quality and entrepreneurship of so many young people.

Coun Fojtik said: “This has to be the best market I have ever been to in my life. The quality of the traders and the efforts and the work that has gone into it is amazing. You are the future of market trading.”

The winner of the Food and Drink category was Luke Lehepuu from Ho Ho’s selling a new and trending Korean street food, Hotteok - a crispy, chewy pancake filled with sweet or savoury fillings. The highly commended Food and Drink award was awarded to Jade Penrose of Da Silva’s kitchen.

Sophie Thornton, who in 2024 won the Food and Drink category, received a highly commended award with her Fizz Origin horse-box bar for 2025.

The Arts and Crafts category was won by Jasmin Heywood of JLH Print, with Alex Howell of Alex Aligns and Nicola Davis of Nicola Davis Crafts scooping highly commended awards.

The Grocery section was won by Alex Ward of Chill Chava. Joe Fellows of Farm Fermented Foods and Rachel Hood of The Barnsley Outdoor Sweet Stall were highly commended.

Abigail Proctor triumphed in the General Retail category, that led her to win the overall title and previous category winner Libby Ramsden of Herd and Hive scooped a highly commended award alongside Northern Ireland trader Patrick Frazer with his business, The Candle Bottle Bank.

The People’s Choice, which was voted on by members of the public, went to Lewis Giles for his food offering - Flip n Bun.

This year, the judges were successful candidates from previous finals. They were Frankie Farrar of Stirring Silver, Alice Smith of AVMS Art, and Ben Staves of Ben Staves Art.

Abi Proctor said

After four years of competing, winning Young Trader of the year is such a proud and meaningful milestone for me which is why I think I got so emotional! This achievement represents not only the hard work and dedication I’ve put into growing my business but also the resilience and passion that has carried me through every stage of the competition. Being part of Young Traders has shaped my journey, pushed me to keep improving and given me so many opportunities that I’ll be forever grateful for! To win is such an important moment and it means the world to me and my business. Thank you so much to the NMTF for the guidance and support you’ve given me over the last four years, it means more than you’ll ever know, and I’ll be forever thankful.

Libby Ramsden, 24, explained that she started her business selling honey from the bees on her partner’s Yorkshire farm to diversify from farming. She then bought a herd of goats and sells goats’ milk soap alongside her bee products on markets in “God’s Own County”.

Sophie Thornton, 28, from Coventry, said her business has started in a somewhat random fashion. After working in hospitality for many years, she longed to be her own boss. When her stepfather spotted a drinks trailer for sale online, she jumped at the opportunity.

“Now I trade on a lot of LSD events, and I have travelled as far as Wales to sell,” she said. As overall winner, Abi received £700 (£500 as overall winner and £200 as a category winner), a year’s free membership of the NMTF, free membership of online events and traders’ directory Pedddle, and the opportunity of a pop-up retail unit via NMTF affiliates Space and People.

The other category winners each received £200 in cash and NMTF Membership.

A collection from young traders at the event raised £377 for the Mayor’s charities Stratford Family Club, Welcome Hills School trust Fund and Ward 12 Birmingham Children’s Hospital, which the NMTF pledged to match the fund.