Page 14 - Market Times December 2020
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FEATURE • AMPTHILL
approached her boss, Mark Bonner.
“I agreed to give it a go back in March
or April time,” she said. The fresh veg, much of which is grown on the farm, has found an enthusiastic following on the market.
“Over the last few months I have built up a lot of regular customers. We listened to their concerns and have ditched plastic bags and sell everything in paper bags now. I really like the friendliness of this market. There is always someone to chat to — but I haven’t been through a winter yet,” she said.
Fish man John has only been standing Ampthill market since January. He drives his fresh fish van from Lowestoft after a customer on another market tipped him off that Ampthill was looking for his line.
 for essential food stalls and the traders really worked hard to make it work,” Donna said.
Local people responded by supporting the market. And as long, socially distanced queues formed in the Waitrose car park for the supermarket, many spotted the market stalls and decided to shop there instead.
The good news is that a lot of people who hadn’t shopped on the market before the pandemic suddenly discovered the friendly, personal service and quality that market shopping provides.
And traders say that these new customers are sticking with them.
Among the market trader stalwarts who kept the market open through the spring and early summer were the fresh fish man, John Cooke, the fruit and veg stall staffed
by Sarah Hammond and the olives stall run by Ali Hussaini.
Donna said: “The fruit and veg business is actually a local farm that trades in Market Place on a Saturday and is very popular. When I needed a replacement fruit and veg stall for the market during lockdown they stepped in.”
Enterprising traders offered a delivery service. The fishmonger went that extra mile — literally. When his elderly customers could not get to the market he dropped off their fish on his way home. Olive trader Ali also stepped up to the plate and helped the council organise COVID-19 compliant trading.
Sarah Hammond, who works in Priestley’s farm shop, was asked if she would run the market stall after Donna
John Hayden has recently started trading on Ampthill market selling the high-quality soaps and scented products he used to sell in offices
   Donna Searle, deputy town clerk, is responsible for the charter market which dates from 1219
Maria Harris-Ash who has a shop in Ampthill called Absolutely Shabbylass launched the craft market on Market Place
  Sarah Hammond, pictured with Ampthill’s Mayor Ian Titman, began standing the fruit and veg stall on the Thursday market at the start of lockdown at the request of the town council and she has grown to love the friendliness and community feel of the market
Joanne Canalella launched The Fudge Can on Ampthill market this summer after she was made redundant from her job in recruitment after being furloughed during the pandemic














































































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