FRESH IDEAS SUCCESSFUL COMPETITION FOR YOUNG MARKET TRADERS

Horsham hosted a heat of the UK Young Market Trader of the Year competition on Sunday 30 April.

Organised by Horsham District Council in association with the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) and local market operators, the event provided up-and-coming businesses with an opportunity to showcase their products. There was a broad range of goods including handmade chocolates, cakes and savouries, bags and accessories, crochet and home décor, eco-friendly household products and artisan liqueurs.

Viburna Spirits, an artisan liqueur company, was declared the winner. Jade’s Sweet Bakes, Plastic Free Refills, Resident Pheasant and CWJ London were all highly commended. These companies go forward to the South-East Regional Final at Borough Market in London on Sunday 16 July and then potentially the national final in Stratford-on-Avon later in the summer. The judges were led by a team from the NMTF and included John Bartlett (Sussex Faire), Ben Morris (AAH) and Sarah Gorrell (BBC Radio Sussex).

The NMTF Market was one element of a spring campaign by the Council to attract new, young traders to the District’s markets. It was held alongside the West Street Entrepreneurs’ Markets, which was launched in January. The Entrepreneurs’ Market provides a platform for many types of stalls, ranging from traditional fruit and veg to antiques.

Zac Coden of Coden Events, which runs the West Street Entrepreneurs’ Markets, said: ‘The young market entrepreneurs’ competition was a success and we will definitely partner with the NMTF to bring it to Horsham again next year. We were impressed by the variety of goods on offer, from sustainable household products to high quality cakes, chocolates and liqueurs, and it was a joy to welcome so many new traders and customers. We are actively looking to support more young traders in Horsham and were encouraged by the number of people who approached us on the day to enquire about having a stall in

Horsham as part of West Street Entrepreneurs’ Markets.’

WORDS: Ben Morris

PHOTOS: Alan Wright

Further information:

For more on Horsham markets: visithorsham.co.uk/category/ markets

For more on the NMTF YTM: nmtf.co.uk/campaigns/ytm23/ For more about having a stall at a Horsham District Market: horsham.gov.uk/business/district -markets

Over the next few pages, we feature some of the young market traders to find out about their hopes for the future.

Resident Pheasant

Anna Laird

A friend ‘gifted’ me some chocolates during lockdown, but the box didn’t fit in my letterbox. I had the idea of starting a chocolate gift box company that did things differently, and at that precise moment I spotted a pheasant in the garden. That is where the name comes from!

We specialise in letterbox gifts that contain either three, six or nine chocolate bars. Customers can select the flavours online and add a free message. Our dark bars include orange, mint, 70%, ginger zing and orange explosion, and the milk chocolate range incudes honeycomb, fudge, sea salt, caramel sea salt and billionaire shortbread. We also have a white chocolate bar, Eton mess. Each flavour has its own branding, inspired by vintage patterns. Lots of people say, “I had curtains like that once!” I’m a self-taught designer and create the branding myself, working with a chocolatier who crafts bars, buttons, chocolate bombs and other novelty items. Everything is eco-friendly and we use a compostable film too, so there is zero plastic. residentpheasant.co.uk

Although our focus is online trade, markets like this one in Horsham give people a chance to try our products and learn about our business and ethos.

@respheasantuk

Renovated 16th Century Barn

New House Farm Shop and Tea Room is located in a beautifully renovated 16th Century barn in a quiet spot on the rural outskirts of Horsham. People come from all over to enjoy our cafe and local produce.

Strawberry Fields Tea Rooms

Enjoy cakes, sandwiches and Ploughman’s from our Strawberry Fields Tea Rooms, with outdoor seating available. Menu includes baps, sandwiches, toasties and cake, with full English Breakfast from 10am-12pm

Pick Your Own Strawberries

You can pick our famous strawberries, a perfect day for all the family. Please check our Facebook page and website for updates about on when the fruit is ready for picking.

Jade’s Sweet Bakes

Jade Field

The business started in lockdown, as I wanted something to do with my four children. Two years later, it is a full-time business for me. I was obsessed with brownies, but couldn’t find any that I really loved in my home town of Hastings. So, I made my own and shared them with family and friends.

My sister was encouraging and suggested that I set up a business, but I wasn’t so sure. She ploughed on regardless, setting up an Instagram page that gave me a platform. We developed a partnership with Hastings FC, where our bakes sell well, and also visit pop-ups and markets across Sussex.

The Family Law Partners office is in central Horsham. We also advise clients in Billingshurst, Cranleigh, Crawley, Godalming, Guildford and surrounding areas.

The range of products has expanded too. We like to be different and quirky, making things you wouldn’t expect to see in a bakery or shopm like cookies with ganache centres, cornflake blondies, and brownies with Smarties. Other treats incorporate Frodo bars or Milky Ways. My children are helpful and give me ideas, including the Oreo cookie bar, which is now a bestseller. You can’t argue with kids, as they know sweets better than anyone!

@jades.sweetbakes

A different approach to family law

Our Horsham team deliver exceptional client care and promote the use of alternative dispute resolution to help minimise both the emotional and financial cost of separation.

We can help you with:

• Divorce and Separation

• Dissolution of Civil Partnerships

• Cohabitation disputes

• Children matters

• Prenuptial and Postnuptial agreements

• Cohabitation agreements

• Mediation and Collaborative Law

For a confidential conversation and to learn more about our fixed fee appointments contact our team:

01403 599215 info@familylawpartners.co.uk www.familylawpartners.co.uk

AnyBobs

Kathryn Bland

I started crocheting just as a hobby, but it reached the point that I had made so many things that I needed to sell some. I went along to a couple of Christmas markets last year and although the business is still young, I hope to attend more markets in Horsham.

I try to appeal to a wide range of ages, so I have hair accessories like scrunchies, seasonal items such as woolly hats, as well as pillows and blankets made with baby-safe wool, which is kind to sensitive skin. One of the most popular items is the HugAlls, which are cuddly creatures that can be made happy or sad, or other facial expressions!

I hope that they will become a product that I can brand in future, as I like the idea of customers being able to choose not only the size and colour of their HugAll, but also its mood. Perhaps they could come with a certificate too, like the soft toys at Build-A-Bear workshops. But first, I need to establish a portfolio of products and build my presence online

@_AnyBobs_ AnyBobs23@gmail.com

DragonSprite

Jess Scott

I make hand-made items relating to fantasy games and cosplay. Most of what I do is aimed at fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other live-action role-play (LARP) games. In DND, you play with a 20-sided dice and a 20 is an important score. I place a dice within potions and you can shake it to see your score, adding a little extra fun to the game. The potions all come in different colours, but are not fragranced and are purely decorative. Lots of people like to use them for ‘life and death saving’ throws in DND. I also sell candles, wax melts and cosplay accessories such as elf ears. The candles and melts are also DND themed, with names including Charm Person, Critical Success and Bardic Inspiration. Each one has its own own distinctive scent.

I live in Horsham, where there is a strong DND fanbase, but no local shop catering for them. Gobsmack Comics is great, but it doesn’t have a stay-and-play area, so some of us cosplay enthusiasts are hoping to establish regular events where we can meet for LARP games.

I launched my business at the end of 2019, attending markets around Greenwich and continuing online during the lockdown. I make my products using leather, from handbags to small accessories such as hip flask pouches and passport holders.

I receive a lot of commissions, so people can choose their style and colour and customise it for their needs and lifestyle. Price varies, as some leathers cost more than others, and bags or wallets with extra compartments take longer to stitch. We offer a ‘buyback’ scheme so when customers upgrade their CWJ London bag, I’ll buy back their old one to ensure it’s reused.

As I am diabetic, I’ve made a bag that stores my medical equipment. This is an idea I’m trying to develop, as medical bags usually have a clinical look and I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting something that is affordable and stylish, as well as functional.

Viburna Spirits

Benedict Derbyshire viburnaspirits.co.uk @viburna_spirits

While walking my dog during the pandemic, I started picking fruit from the hedgerows in Cornwall and accumulated quite a lot. I had the option of making a pudding or a liqueur and chose the fun option!

In my naivety, I thought I was picking sloes, so my plan was to make sloe gin. What I made tasted wonderful, but it wasn’t sloe gin. I realised I’d actually been picking kea plums, so my first spirit was a happy accident! The business grew from there, and I called it Viburna Spirits, as vibernum is Latin for hedgerow.

I have seven liqueurs including a limoncello, coffee liqueur, blackberry liqueur, toffee coffee and a crème de Cassis, made to a traditional French recipe dating back to the 1890s.

Selfishly, I base everything I make on what I like, and hope that others enjoy it too. I am a huge fan of the espresso martini and our coffee liqueur is fantastic on its own, or to use in a cocktail. I find most limoncello in the UK is too bitter and sour, so have created something new, with more floral notes, and it can truly be enjoyed after a meal.

Although we are based in Oxted, Surrey, we have visited market towns in Sussex and Kent too, introducing people to the products. A lot of people try samples and then buy a selection of miniatures, and hopefully come back to order larger bottles on our website. So, markets are ideal for reaching potential customers.

The Melting Pot

Sarah Griffin

My business is only a few weeks old, as I am studying confectionery and patisserie at Westminster Kingsway College, while also working at Kipling’s at Newbridge Nurseries, close to home in Broadbridge Heath.

At college, we recently learned how to make filled chocolates, and I loved it so much that I decided to make my own at home and establish a small business. I make 12 chocolates, with four fondant cremes (strawberry, raspberry, orange and Irish cream), four ganache (chocolate, hazelnut, orange and peppermint) and four caramels (salted, cherry, lime and lime and passionfruit). They are made with natural ingredients and they are all available as dairy-free chocolates too, so we are vegan-friendly.

If I was to pick a favourite, it would be the lime caramel. It’s a twist on the traditional hard-boiled chocolate limes, which have a lime outside and softer chocolate centre. I’ve just turned the two around! The business is only in its infancy and I do not have much stock at the moment, but I hope to be able to give it more focus once I have completed my college course.

Plastic Free Refills

Jozef Wozniak plasticfreerefills.co.uk plasticfreerefills

I was previously a waste analyst, travelling around the country visiting landfill and other waste streams to assess and weigh composite materials, sending the data to local authorities to hopefully improve their recycling systems. It was a messy job, and took me to all corners of the UK. I built up a knowledge of what happens to our waste and how small differences can make a significant difference.

Sink sponges really niggled me, as so many people buy cheap ones from the supermarket and chick them out when they’re oily or dirty. It’s incredible how many you see in landfill. I needed a change, so I took this knowledge to form Plastic Free Refills, promoting ethical and sustainable products. I was living in Wales prior to Covid and started the business there, before moving back to Horsham, where I grew up. People in Horsham are more in tune to sustainable products and recycling. We sell products by the likes of Arundel-based ecoLiving, including eco-friendly loofahs and bath sponges. Sea sponge really doesn’t want to be taken out of its natural habitat so you can wash yourself in the bath!

The refill service is also popular, with shampoo, conditioner, cleaning products and laundry detergents available, so people can refill empty bottles. It’s cheap too, which is something that surprises many people.

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