Fresh aromas, vivid colours, eclectic treasures, buzzing crowds – a mere stroll amongst the many stalls of an Artisan Market are enough to invigorate the senses and whet the appetite.
These markets aim to keep things authentic, providing a rare but enchanting opportunity to meet the many food & craft producers & suppliers from the North Coast and Glens area.
It is a haven for anybody who cares about the quality and provenance of the food they eat, for those that seek something different from what is found on supermarket shelves. It provides a cornucopia of exquisite handcrafted, artistic items and an opportunity to interact with the artisan who has produced them.
But it’s not just the sheer quality of the items on offer that makes an Artisan Market so special. It is also about the people and the place, locally based craftspeople and producers who are passionate about their products represent the North Coast and Glens area.
Our stallholders are themselves primary producers – people who grow, make, create, style, rear, craft or bake the products that they sell. As a result, the Artisan Markets have become a vast repository of culinary knowledge, artisan craftsmanship and skills from previous generations. It’s a place to explore, to ask questions, to discover new flavours, stumble upon raw talent, unearth entrepreneurship, nurture bygone mastery, and to savour a unique, buzzing atmosphere.
How it came about
‘Naturally North Coast and Glens’ belongs to the Ballycastle Town Market Group.
The Ballycastle Town Market Group was initiated by the Ballycastle Chamber of
Commerce, and then handed over the traders to manage. A group of volunteer
traders took on the task of managing and developing the market, to bring it from its
initial stages to the market you see today. A successful funding application with the
Coastal Communities Fund, allowed us to invest more into the market and provide
a better service to our members, and the local community.
The Original ‘Naturally North Coast’ brand was gifted to us by the former Moyle
District Council, this was re-developed and expanded to include the Glens area.
The name change reflects our aim to embrace the area where our members are
based and the area we want to promote.
With our initial successful markets based in the beautiful town of Ballycastle,
we wanted to bring the benefits of local markets to other neighbouring towns suffering from economic decline and show support to neighbouring community events. We also wanted artisan producers, artists and crafters from around the North Coast and Glens area to be able to use the market and the additional services we offer our members to launch small businesses, develop and succeed.
Benefits to Towns
Towns as we knew them have changed considerably over recent years our aim has been to help revitalise, add a new dimension and inject the buzz and effervescence back into the community.
Many towns across the country are suffering because so many of their residents are choosing to shop elsewhere.The explosion of online shopping, free parking and other enticements to out of town shopping centres, the demand for convenience – is what is driving our towns into extinction.
The low numbers of visitors in our towns is causing a loss of vibrancy and attraction to residents having a direct detrimental effect on retail businesses. The town then becomes less attractive to new businesses and thus the downward cycle perpetuates itself.
People now demand so much more, they want an experience, they want customer service, and they want choice and knowledge, character and diversity.
By delivering the Artisan Market to towns and community events across the area we are fulfilling all of these demands, and helping to reinvigorate the towns we live in and encourage economic growth in the area.
We provide an exciting, unique market that brings people together as a community. It encourages more people to visit their town and rediscover the many things it has to offer. The market is also a very useful tool for encouraging social interaction particularly between rural and urban communities.
We strive to source the very finest local artisan traders and products to deliver a high quality and heterogeneous mix for our visitors. This offer complements rather than competes with the high street retailers providing a synergistic environment.
Community groups and not for profit organisations are encouraged to use our free community pitches and get involved in a creative way. We offer them a platform to showcase themselves to the wider community, raise awareness, and fundraise which provides a unique local feel and sense of pride, as well as valuable exposure.The Market is a place where our visitors can connect and interact with the specialists, meet friends, be introduced to new ideas and enjoy their town to the full.
Our events have a warmth about them, they increase visitor numbers to the town, they improve the dwell time spent within the town, they showcase what the town has to offer and ultimately we provide an exceptional day out for our visitors.
By buying locally sourced goods, and supporting small independent businesses, everyone can contribute to local economic development by increasing employment, encouraging consumers to support local business, and thus keeping the money within the local community.
Benefits for Traders
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Markets cut out the middleman allowing increased financial returns through direct selling, price control, and a regular cash flow.
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They provide the trader with direct customer feedback on produce and prices.
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Transport and packaging requirements are less thus reducing the Trader costs.
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They provide a secure and regular market outlet. This is especially valuable for; new producers, makers, and small scale businesses who are unable to produce the quantity required by larger outlets or are starting out and not in a position to supply larger outlets or open up shop.
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Regular trading allows traders to develop their business skills while earning an income, increasing the likelihood that their business will grow and develop.
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With the increase in market numbers throughout the country it is possible for individual traders to attend a substantial number of different markets.
We to provide additional support and benefits to our members,
to find out more information about trading with us as a member or casual trader please click this link.
