New on the market

Situated in the heart of Diss, our historic Market Place hosts a traditional, bustling Friday market all year round. There are also a few traders who sell on a Saturday and weekdays too. Most of our traders have been here a while. One of our regulars has been on the market for 43 years! We love our longstanding sellers. But we also like new blood too. And recently, we’ve been excited to accommodate several new market traders – and we’d love you to meet them.

Brownie and the Bean Charlotte and Luke Giddings, founders of Brownie and the Bean, moved to Diss just over four years ago from London to open a food and drink business. After a lot of research, they landed on the idea of having a converted horse trailer as a mobile café, serving coffee, cocktails, and Luke's mother's secret family brownie recipe. “We spent our first year doing events, festivals, and pop-ups,” says Charlotte.

“Sadly, when COVID hit, we decided to shut the hatch for good and start selling our brownies on their own. “The brownies were always popular among the people of Diss, so it made perfect sense to get a space on the Thursday market. You can find us there on the last Thursday of the month and we always have specials such as previews of new flavours and exclusive bakes. “Thank you to everyone in Diss that continues to support us! We love seeing familiar faces, hearing your feedback, and making new friends!

Florenco’s Coffee Conor Florence launched Florenco’s Coffee at the end of 2020 during lockdown aged just 18 years old. Powered by his true passion for coffee, he loved the idea of being able to take that everywhere. “We serve from our vintage rice horsebox, which I bought in January 2020,” says Conor.

“It ended up becoming a great lockdown project where I worked on the trailer and developed my drinks recipes. “We sell a full range of espresso-based coffee drinks, seasonal specials including our best-selling LOADED hot chocolates and a great selection of teas. I also love supporting local suppliers for our delicious range of ‘sweet treats’, including triple chocolate brownies, flapjacks and rocky road. When we’re not doing specialist events you can find us serving in North Lopham and Diss town centre. “Diss is a hub of activity and throws some pretty spectacular events, which we have loved being a part of so far and hope to be a part of for years to come.”

Photo: Photo Elite, Market Hill, Diss

PrettysWax PrettysWax was created in March 2021 by mother and son, Di and Tom Pretty. They sell 100% soy wax melts, in recyclable packaging. “We absolutely love our home to smell amazing and wanted to create the same experience for all of our customers,” says Di. “We offer high quality products at very affordable prices.” Di was born in the Two Brewers pub in Diss. When an opportunity came to sell her products in her hometown, she jumped at the chance. “What better place to reach Diss and customers from the surrounding area than to join the market traders on Diss Market Place. I love our town! “We first started selling on Diss market back in November 2021, every Friday until Christmas Eve. We also traded at the Diss Christmas lights switch-on. We met many amazing people who have since become regulars.”

Due to full-time work commitments, PrettysWax now attend Diss market one Saturday per month and customers can also buy products online at www.prettyswax.com with free local delivery. Lola & Me Dog Treats On 25 June 2020, Penny Gibson and her family embarked on a 15-hour round trip to pick up Lola, a 4-year-old French Bulldog. And within weeks Lola & Me Dog Treats was born. “In 2020, after suffering a breakdown, I took a long look at my work-life balance,” says Penny. “With a passion for our four-legged friends, I decided that a dog would give me a reason to get up every morning and enjoy Norfolk’s great outdoors.

“As soon as I saw Lola I knew this would be an unbreakable bond. She needed a special diet and this, combined with my passion to bake, sparked the idea of a dog treat business. “Our dog treats are all fresh, homemade, vegan and gluten-free and have no added sugar or salt. “Each month we go from strength to strength with new products, ideas and a passion for life. Lola has a new life and so do I.”

If you’d like to apply for a pitch on our market, visit our website: www.diss.gov.uk/market-place