New Jesmond Food Market on Armstrong Bridge is here to stay; Anna Hedworth explains why the North East is ahead of the game when it comes to interesting food initiatives.
Byline: David Whetstone
On two recent Saturdays the curious and the hungry have congregated on Armstrong Bridge in Newcastle for the Jesmond Food Market.
Some of those who were just curious might have found that, all of a sudden, they were also a mite peckish. On these days, you see, the air has become infused with tempting aromas.
Jesmond Food Market is a new and very welcome kid on the culinary block.
It is the latest enterprise bearing the hallmark of Anna Hedworth, an innovative food entrepreneur who blogs as The Grazer and organises supper clubs while also serving breakfast and lunch at her Cook House kitchen -- fashioned from shipping containers -- in the Ouseburn Valley.
"I've been organising food markets on a small scale for about four years in Jesmond and the Ouseburn," says the former architect who loves to cook.
There were spring and autumn events in places including a tennis club and a pub and among those who visited were members of the Jesmond Residents' Association (50 years old last year).
"They approached me and said they wanted to do something regular in Jesmond and could I help them," recalls Anna.
"We started discussing it last autumn and there was talk of closing Acorn Road -- the busy little shopping street off the main thoroughfare of Osborne Road -- and other roads and it didn't really seem feasible.
"Then we thought of the bridge and we took it from there. We approached the city council and they have been really helpful.
"Felicity Mendelson (councillor for South Jesmond) has been involved with myself, the residents' association and Ellie Dowding of Food Newcastle, which has drawn up a Food Charter for Newcastle."
The council gave approval for a three-month trial, with the Jesmond Food Market making its first appearance on May 16 and its second on June 20.
On the first occasion it was sunny; on the second it was a bit drizzly and damp. But on both occasions, says Anna, people seemed to be having a good time.
More to the point, there was plenty of buying and selling going on.
"At the first market one stall sold 300 packs of sausages in one hour," laughs Anna incredulously.
Well, there's no arguing with that kind of demand.
With the third of the initial trial run of markets to come on July 18, it seems the council is already convinced of their value and popularity. Anna says she has been told she can keep going and that's the plan, with roasted chestnuts and mulled wine in the run-up to Christmas now a very real...
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