Buxton Market celebrates fifth birthday

The market, which was re-launched in April 2016, celebrated its fifth anniversary on April 27 and to mark the occasion the market directors, volunteers and council members all met with customers and traders.

High Peak Borough Council Leader, Cllr Anthony McKeown was on hand to cut the cake and said: “The Buxton Market Community Interest Company is an excellent example of a community company with hard-working volunteers making a difference in our community.

“Since they took over the market, it has gone from strength to strength despite the occasional challenges, mainly weather-related from being the highest market in the UK.

"The council has recently renewed the market licence for a further five years and I hope it will continue to thrive.”

Market Director, John Estruch, thanked everyone who stepped forward to help the company to take over running the market from High Peak Borough Council five years ago.

He said: “The input we have had from volunteers – many of them directors of the company - has played a key role in our success, especially over the past year.

"It gave us the flexibility to continue trading, albeit with reduced numbers, when others closed.

"We were also able to furlough our staff and have recently recruited an administrator to help the market to continue to grow and to thrive.

“We are delighted that HPBC has agreed to extend our licence for a further five years. Over the past year we have seen the market grow considerably as people recognise the benefits of outdoor market shopping.”

The birthday market was just one of a series of special markets being held throughout the year, including an outdoor pursuits market; Festival Fringe on the Market; gardens and plants; and a Christmas market.

Alongside these there will be regular craft, quirky and vintage markets on the first Saturday of the month; with food and drink markets on the third Saturday of the month.

All the special markets run alongside the regular market, which has grown steadily over the past year, despite the pandemic.

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