Fresh premises mean fresh promise for Church Street Market

It may not have been the prettiest of places, but the old Church Street Market was certainly loved. Steeped in heritage and character, the market was one of the city centre's most historic. However, this once bustling commercial centre had in recent years diminished to a run-down shack housing five stalls. It was a relic of a bygone time, neglected amidst the redevelopment of the surrounding Northern Quarter and Arndale Centre.

The ramshackle stalls were flattened in January 2010 to gasps of dismay from the local area. The gasps quickly changed to cheers however when news spread that the market was not disappearing, but being reborn in a shiny new home more fitting to its place at the heart of a modern city centre.

In March 2010, Church Street Market was brought up-to-date with a £300,000 redevelopment project, which saw the tired outdoor street market replaced by a permanent, high-roofed steel and glass structure with space for 11 stalls. Existing stall holders have been re-homed in the new premises, and new faces have joined the original market community.

One of the most long-established and best-loved of Church Street's stalls is the second hand book shop, which has been happily rehoused in a corner plot at the end of the row. Eddy Hopkins has been selling rare comics and second hand books on the site for over 40 years, and despite the left-bank character of the former stall, which fitted into the bohemian nature of the Northern Quarter, Eddy is optimistic about his new premises.

"Some say they like the old place because it had a certain amount of character, and some say they like the new place because stuff is easier to see. So it's six of one and half a dozen of the other."

Eddy is enjoying the space afforded by his new premises however, and the opportunity to increase his store to offer more books. "It's a bit airier, more spacious, and there's more room for taller bookshelves. So it's better in that respect."

Another of the market's original stalls is the family-run fruit and veg outlet, McCalls. Managed today by brothers Tony and Mark, the business has been in existence for a century, with five different generations of the family steering the stall though decades of change in Manchester. As testament to this impressive history, canvas prints decorate the walls of the new premises, depicting different generations of the McCall family selling fruit and veg from various incarnations of their market stall.

"That's our grandfather in 1926, when he was 16," says Tony, pointing proudly at a black and white image of a smartly dressed lad presiding over a fruit and veg cart. "He was working for his mum on Back Piccadilly."

Speaking of the new, more spacious premises, Tony explains how the extra space has made things easier for their customers. "It's great, really good. It's enabled us to compact everything and make it easier for everyone – people with buggies, disabled people, everyone."

The brothers have also used the extra space to diversify their product range, and now stock Afro-Caribbean and exotic foods – something which Tony says has attracted a more diverse customer base.

When asked about the potential competition from the neighbouring Co-op and Tesco mini supermarkets, Tony is bullishly unfazed. "Well if they see that something's going well they want a piece of the action," he laughs. "We've been here since 1926, so they've got to be following our lead."

Sadly, the iconic Church Street record shop did not make the transformation to the new market building, with the owner taking the redevelopment as an opportunity to retire. But new traders have jumped at the chance to open stalls in the new-look market, with a couple of fashion stalls, a pet store and a fresh food outlet joining the Church Street veterans.

'The Farm' is owned by Richard 'the foodie farmer' Morphett, who has been trading on the new Church Street premises for around eight weeks. A regular at regional farmers' markets, Richard has made Church Street a permanent home, from which he sells home-made ice cream, fresh meat, hog roast, sandwiches, and home-made soups from Cowside Farm in Hebden Bridge. The stall is enjoying a roaring trade, and offers a great new eaterie for shoppers and workers looking for lunch-on-the-go.

So it's with a new lease of life and a fresh, modern look that Church Street Market looks forward to the future. A future which, thanks to its redevelopment, now looks likely to be just as rich as its past.

For more information about Church Street Market, click here.

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