‘Sorry, we’re full, says Reigate Farmers Market’….Really?
‘Sorry we’re full’, is not what you’d expect to hear said about Reigate Farmers Market
Credit: Adrian Webb
When looking around Reigate to move here I was delighted when I saw a sign that said there was a ‘Farmers Market’ in Tunnel Road every fourth Friday of the month. However, the first time I ventured to check it out, to say I was disappointed was an understatement. I was surprised that despite being in the County of Surrey and it’s plethora of wonderful local producers, I was greeted with just a couple of stalls.
To me this is rather tragic for the town which boasts many residents who are staunch supporters of shopping local and supporting independent local traders. So I started to look into this and try and find out why we don’t have a thriving regular market in the town when we should.
As well as talking to local folk about it I scoured the web too and the first thing I found was an article in the Surrey Mirror (5th March 2012) ‘Reigate farmers’ market in doubt as only two stalls remain‘.
“THE future of a once-thriving farmers’ market hangs in the balance as just two stalls remain.
After more than a decade of trading, the butcher, a baker, a cheese maker and a French tart stall have all gone from Reigate in recent months, with more than 20 traders lost in the last three years.
It leaves only Reigate Beekeepers in the High Street and McCarthy’s bread stall in Tunnel Road.”
The first question that springs to mind of course is WHY more than 20 traders had been lost in a year and that a butcher, a baker, a cheese maker (shame there wasn’t a candlestick maker) and a tart stall disappeared in the space of a couple of months?
According to a spokesman for Hughmark who manage the market, it is the fault of the people of Reigate, ” The people of Reigate do not support the market. It’s as simple as that.”. The people of Reigate may beg to differ on that point.
More to the point, if they were losing traders hand over fist what were Hughmark doing to combat this? Also a query must lie in the hands of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council as to what they were doing as well to combat the declining market and as to whether Hughmark were conducting the market in the manner as agreed in the Licence Agreement they would have to have with the council?
A spokeswoman for Reigate and Banstead Borough Council said at the time that the local authority worked with Hughmark to advertise the market, both throughout the town and by trying to attract new traders.
“Since the economic downturn, visitor numbers to the market have fallen considerably and the number of stalls has also decreased. Shoppers have less disposable cash to spend and this is something that is having an impact on many businesses.
We are currently in discussions with Hughmark about how we can expand and improve the diversity of the markets across the whole borough [run by Hughmark], including in Reigate.”
This statement was made in March 2012, it is now January 2014. These seem to be extortionately long ‘discussions’.
Then in May of last year The Surrey Mirror also reported Reigate’s farmers’ market set for major overhaul. Yay!
“It used to be a bustling bazaar with the smell of fresh produce from local companies wafting through Tunnel Road and High Street but in recent years the spectacle of open-air stalls stretching as far as the eye could see has been reduced to just a few canopies”.
The Surrey Mirror quoted Reigate Business Guild chairman Shirley Cox saying,
” a new-look attraction could be up and running within weeks. It is something we need to do, it will be good for encouraging footfall into the town, it is definitely worth a try.
It needs to be a mixed market, to fill the whole tunnel – it could even be called Tunnel Market rather than a farmers’ market.
A rejuvenated market would be good for the town”
She said it may switch to a Saturday and local traders will be encouraged to take stalls.
Moving the market from a Friday to a Saturday would be a sensible move.
It appears that all parties concerned are keen to do something and make it work, so why has nothing changed? Why do the council continue to issue a licence to Hughmark given the less than impressive track record of the last few years?
I spoke to Shirley Cox who has been trying to move things forward regarding the market but as yet has failed to make an impact despite a succession of meetings with the council, where nothing has been actioned. As we have seen Shirley and the Reigate Business Guild has very succesfully set up and run the Reigate Christmas Fayre, which this year was a phenomenal success. The Reigate Business Guild does not want to run the current market but is supportive and would work alongside the management company holding the licence.
To try to get to the bottom of this stagnating position of the market in Reigate further I contacted Reigate and Banstead Borough Council and requested details about the current licence for the market under the Freedom of Information Act
Information garnered from my request are that the Licence Agreement for Reigate Farmers Market with Hughmark ran from 2006 but however, expired in 2010. There is no ‘Licence Agreement’ in place at present but that Hughmark are operating under a ‘rolling’ agreement and that the conditions in the expired contract still apply to the rolling agreement.
There will not be an official Licence Agreement in place for a few years due to the redevelopment of Redhill. Not sure why this should effect Reigate only that the council may wish to have the same licensee operating a market in both towns. Given that the tender process for both Redhill & Reigate Markets will not be open for bidding for ‘a few years’ I asked if there is a an opportunity for other operators to bid/offer to manage the Market. The answer was YES.
I had a good look through the expired Licence Agreement that was sent to me and there are a few issues that if were RBBC and Hughmark were running the Market for me I would certainly raise. Though there was one in particular that stood out for me.
Contractor’s Obligations Recruitment:
“To actively recruit stallholders ensuring that at each Farmers Market there is a diversity of produce for sale particularly providing fresh meat and meat produce, seasonal fruit, vegetables and salad produce, eggs and bakery goods including organic produce”.
One would say that perhaps Hughmark are not adhering to the recruitment clause, particularly as a local food trader recently contacted Hughmark as a prospective trader. They were told that they were ‘full’ but if they were to submit photos and a full explanation of what they do someone “may” take a look at it. If there was interest then they “may” be able to squeeze them on the market.
Hmm! What’s going on?
It’s not as if the cost of a pitch at the Market is going to break the bank at £25 for traders, this given, one would have thought that a professional operator of markets would not have a problem in recruiting more than two stalls. Or maybe they are happy with breaking even or making a few pennies on the £600* annual fee payable to RBBC?
Many questions I know, a few answered but surely the question begs, why do RBBC continue to have an agreement with Hughmark as the market is failing? Surely it is in the interest of RBBC to have a successful and thriving market?
So, can we have a successful market in Reigate? YES, I believe we can. Is there an opportunity for other operators to bid/offer to manage the Market? YES, there is.
We love our food in Reigate, you only have to look at Twitter to discover that. Apart from the local butchers and Cullenders (for cheese) in the town, our only other grocery offerings are available from Morrisons, to wit I will say no more! Though if you have plenty of money in your pocket you may do your regular shop in M&S Food!
Please, please, please can we put the ‘market’ back into ‘Reigate, a market town’.
*As per the Licence Agreement 2006-2010. Current fee payable not released subject to commercial confidentiality.
