Reputedly one of the best places to live in England, Frome is a vibrant, welcoming place to visit with its historic buildings, loads of independent shops and a now-famous monthly market, known as Frome Independent. The Oxford Mail said of Frome: ‘Talk about a wake-up call. When it comes to buzz, most towns should want what Frome is having’ We visited on market day, specifically to do this review, but left wanting to live there and to be part of the community. The market was outstanding, and easily the best market we have ever attended, either as a trader or visitor.
There were easily over 200 stalls and photographing them all was not possible as there were too many people standing in front of the stalls. Such good news for stallholders who do have to put up with some rubbish weather and markets where there are just not enough people to sell to! Seriously impressed with this market which is produced and organised by a small team of three Frome residents who also have dedicated local event staff on market days. With so many people, a good number of car parks, along with park-and-rides are organised on event days. Busses are free but a £2 donation is suggested. The organisation is excellent.
A short clip of the whole market in November 2021:
What is lovely is the novel idea of having Suitcase Pitches for new stallholders. These were 80-100cm square areas (actually in the middle of a walkway leading up a hill) where a small table is provided and the pitch costs between £15-£20. Perfect for new businesses to see if their ideas have ‘legs’. Reminiscent of traders of yore, or ‘Del Boy’ on a street corner, persuading us with his latest venture!
Having a chat in this clip with a business that had just begun trading on the day that we visited. The pitch fee for under 26-year-olds is £5 cheaper. What a lovely incentive to encourage the young into market life!
Meeting up with old friends at new markets is one of the nicest things about market life. We traded next to Charlotte of Hedgerow Cordials at Badminton Horse Trials in 2018! Here she is being lovely, as always:
| Pitch Cost | Ranges: Suitcase Stalls £15=£20 | Food/Designer Stalls £50+ | Street Food £150 |
| Contact for Stalls | Read the website thoroughly and apply here |
| Market Day | First Sunday of the month from March |
| Market Times | 10.00am until 3.00pm |
| Parking | Lots of parking and park and rides around town |
| Facilities | Public loos by the bus station |
| Added Benefits | This market attracts visitors from miles around, just to experience what a lovely market can be, so lots of footfall, at every market! |
This market has to be one of the best in the UK but getting onto it as a trader is not easy. If you are local, from the South West and are a designer or selling something unique, then you have more of a chance. You will not see a single stall that is represented by a big company. Wares are strictly unique and local. There is a chance to get a stall though because stalls turn around every month with new stalls making appearances all the time. Applications are accepted at the beginning of the year for all the year’s markets. When the website suggests visiting before application, that is highly recommended. You will get a better idea of what is required.
Good luck and Happy Trading!