31 August 2017
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
‘My Goodness’ take up residency in The English Market
The English Market, Ireland’s oldest indoor food market, welcomed a new resident this week as ‘My Goodness’ took up residency. My Goodness was previously a tenant of the Start-Up Stall, a stall that offers small businesses the chance to get a taste of the market and trade in the market on as short term basis of up to eight weeks.
The popular Start-Up Stall in The English Market celebrated 12 successful months in July and now as it celebrates its one year anniversary, one of its first tenants has taken the next step and moved into the market as a grow on stall on what they hope will be a long-term basis.
Owners of My Goodness, Virginia and Donal O’Gara said “We were delighted to get the opportunity last year to trade in The English Market and really try it out before making any big commitments. Lucky for us our stall and products were greatly received by customers and we are thrilled now to take the leap and join The English Market for a longer period. The atmosphere in the market is fantastic and everyone is so friendly, so we are delighted to be officially part of something so unique and special.”
Grand Parade Exterior of English Market. Photo by Gerard McCarthy
Speaking about My Goodness and The Start-Up Stall, Manager of the English Market Órla Lannin said “My Goodness is a fantastic stall and is loved by customers in the market. The team have fitted in so well with the rest of the traders and it’s great to see a resident of The Start-Up Stall now taking up residency on a more long term basis and growing their business. The Start- Up Stall proved to be a huge success and it’s been absolutely brilliant to be able to give people the chance to showcase their product, get feedback from their customers and also to be a part of a live and busy Market. We wish My Goodness every success.”
The Start-Up Stall is a joint initiative from The English Market Traders, Cork City Council and Aramark Property aimed at start-up businesses retailing products or produce that will compliment, rather than duplicate, that of The English Market’s current offering.
The renowned English Market launched the Start-Up Stall last summer to give small food businesses a rare chance to test the market. The Start-Up Stall, situated close to the Grand Parade entrance of the market, is designed and fitted out to the highest standard and is available for short-term lets of up to eight weeks.
Facts & Figures
The English Market trading since 1788, is the oldest covered food market in Ireland and has been trading for nearly 230 years. The English Market is renowned as a food market and an important part of food culture in Cork, with an emphasis on fresh, local, produce as well as traditional Cork foods, as well as providing an array of international produce.
The stallholders are local and independent food producers or retailers, often with generations of families working in the Market. The traditional serve-over-counter stall trading also ensures that the service to the customer is personal and unique. The English Market is essentially about Product, People and Place – as a source of a broad range of fresh, quality produce, the personal service which comes with owner-occupier stalls and the market stall experience, as well as the place itself, which has architectural character, colour, vibrancy and atmosphere which cannot be replicated.
