Grocer hoping to be Market Hall 'catalyst'

The latest stall holder to open at Derby's Market Hall has said he hopes to be a "catalyst" in boosting footfall at the venue.

The newly refurbished hall reopened in May last year after undergoing a £35m makeover but was criticised for lacking a traditional market feel and having several unoccupied units.

David Martin, who opened his fruit and veg stand Martins Fruits last month at the hall, said the venue had had a "tricky start... but the building is fantastic and I think it will work".

Derby City Council has previously said it has received "positive feedback" from local businesses and hoteliers about the Market Hall's impact on the local economy and wanted to "carefully curate" stalls.

Martins Fruits was originally opened by David Martin's father James in the Eagle Market in 1989.

Martin's daughter Jaime now helps run the new stall in the Market Hall - which offers fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as nuts, eggs, and plants.

"The Market Hall's had a tricky start and maybe a bit of an identity crisis with what it wants to be.

"But the building is fantastic and I think it will work," Martin said.

He said trade in the run-up to Christmas went "really well".

"Since then it's been a bit more mixed with the bad weather and January being a funny time anyway... but generally it's been pretty good.

"We have a long history of markets in our family, so we like being on markets and we like the atmosphere.

"We hope to be a catalyst for the Market Hall," Martin added.

He said he would like to see a butcher's stall at the venue "to grow it and generate footfall".

Martin said feedback from customers had been "positive".

Chathuri Ranasinghe and Indika Kalahe, who moved to Derby from Sri Lanka last year, said: "We come from a place that has a lot of markets. It's a nice thing to have.

"We like to see the fresh produce but maybe there could be more of it. More sounds and smells of a traditional market - a bakery perhaps.

"We saw pictures of what the old market looked like - the building now looks great."

Andy and Kath Blake, from Derby, said: "It's a welcome addition. It's just a pity there's not more stalls this size and shape with a wider variety of goods on.

"Overall we were disappointed when it opened. It looks really nice but there's not the right amount of stall holders to bring the footfall in.

"If there were more stalls like this we'd come more often."

The city council has also announced monthly farmers' markets will take place at the hall from 25 January.

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