MARKET KNOWLEDGE

AMÉLIE ROSE KURPIERZ, AMÉLIE’S DOGGY DELIGHTS, YEAR 7, THE GRYPHON SCHOOL

Welcome to Sherborne Market!

What brings you here?

I’ve been coming to Sherborne Market since it began but I started trading last October.

Where have you travelled from?

I live in Sherborne so I just walked up this morning. I have lived here since I was 3 years old and go to the Gryphon School.

Tell us about what you’re selling

I sell natural, homemade dog treats. I make them myself at home in my mum or dad’s kitchen (sometimes with some help). Then I pack them up the night before and lay them out ready for all of the dogs and puppies of Sherborne. It’s all grain-free as a large proportion of dogs cannot tolerate grains. There are peanut butter bones (no Xylitol as that makes dogs poorly), cheesy star biscuits, sweet potato and apple pupcakes. I also sell puppuccinos which go down a treat (squirty cream and a dog treat on top) as well as dried pigs’ ears.

Where and when did it all begin?

I started enjoying baking by myself at the age of 6 and my parents would help me measure out ingredients. But when the first lockdown began in 2020 I asked them if I could bake more regularly so they bought me a cookbook and I would pick out a cake we needed to buy the ingredients for each week. I started getting much better and have even applied to be on the Junior Bake Off twice. Then last summer we were visiting Frome

Market and I saw a woman selling homemade dog treats and my mum encouraged me to set up my own stall at Sherborne Market.

We researched lots of recipes that have been tested and approved online as well as ensuring all of the ingredients are dog-friendly. My little sister is coeliac so I have always made a point of baking without gluten, which gave me great practice in baking without grains for the dogs.

What do you enjoy most about selling at markets?

I have the best job in the world – I get to stroke all of the dogs that come over with their owners to buy treats! I love seeing the smiles on peoples’ faces when they walk by and realise that all of the wonderful snacks on offer are for dogs! I met a 5-month-old black Labrador puppy called Dave last month, who buried his snout in a puppuccino and enjoyed licking it off his lips. It makes me really happy!

If you get the chance, which fellow stallholders here at Sherborne would you like to visit?

I enjoy going to see other pet stalls for inspiration but I love sneaking off for 5 minutes to get food throughout the day and leaving an adult in charge. The food at the market is amazing and they have lots of yummy options!

Where can people find you on market day?

You can find me and all of the other small ‘suitcase stalls’ on Cheap Street opposite Swan Yard.

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