Local food market has stood the test of time: Whiteladies Road Food Market is helping independent retailers in Bristol

National World - LocalTV

Local food markets may seem like an outdated concept—quirky weekend activities that appeal only to a niche crowd. But as reliance on global food chains grows, so does vulnerability to supply shocks, rising fuel costs, and climate disruption

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00:00Behind me is the White Ladies Road Food Market, operating since 2006 in a community interest

00:11model. It challenges the idea that local food networks are obsolete. Instead, it offers

00:16a glimpse of what resilient, community-based food infrastructure could look like, offering

00:22lower packaging seasonal produce from southwest.

00:25So, this is White Ladies Road Market, and it's been running since 2006, and it's got four

00:32lovely traders, wide range of food, plants, crafts, everything's got sustainability at

00:40the heart of it, so we look for things with local food miles.

00:43Local food markets may seem like an outdated concept, quirky weekend activities that appeal

00:49only to a niche crowd. But, as resilience on global food chains grows,

00:55so does vulnerability to supply stocks, rising fuel costs and climate disruption. Let's

01:01find out from the market team how it has evolved in response to growing concerns about climate

01:07change and food security.

01:09I think the original kind of premise was sustainable Redlands, so sustainable local produce, a local-run

01:17market by volunteers, that's why it's so fantastic. Smallish producers from the locality, but

01:23yeah, it's just a really nice place to be.

01:25At the end of it, money goes back into the community. It's just to make it a community event, get

01:32somewhere to people to go to, enjoy, sit down and talk, and it's just kind of a bit old-fashioned.

01:39Run by the White Ladies Road Community Interest Company, this market was created not just to

01:45sell goods, but to drive systemic change. Its founding goals include boosting awareness

01:51of local food systems, creating low packaging alternatives to supermarket shopping, and providing

01:59a fair trading platform.

02:01I think one, like I said, like just being part of the community. The amount of people that

02:05I've met has been amazing. And even like networking, like other traders, it's so lovely to

02:10be like inspired by them. And also, I think just to be somewhere every week. And kind of,

02:15I think, at the beginning when you start the business, you don't have a bit like a lot

02:18of belief that it's, you know, going to go into something. But seeing the customers coming

02:21back every week to buy your cakes is actually, it's just really, really rewarding.

02:25Operating weekly since 2006, White Ladies Market is one of Bristol's longest-running

02:30community markets in community markets. It claims to serve as a regular community touchpoint.

02:36I think it is mainly about the exposure, where a lot of these smaller vendors as well

02:42won't have like a shop front. And it just gives people a chance to get to know who they

02:48are and why there is so much better to get produce from a local, yes, by a local business.

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