Charter Market shortlisted for national award
St Albans Charter Market has been shortlisted for a prestigious Great British Food Award for the second year in a row.
Residents can vote online to help its traders – who have worked throughout the pandemic as essential suppliers – to win the title of Best Food Market 2021.
Great British Food Awards are a celebration of the country’s finest local, regional and artisanal produce and has been running for eight years.
They are organised by the Great British Food magazine and the market shortlist was nominated by its readers.
The Charter Market, held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, boasts an astonishing array of food and drink produce stalls as well as takeaways.
Among the range of foodstuffs on offer are speciality breads, fresh fish and seafood, cheeses, high-quality butcher meat, handmade chocolates and gourmet cupcakes.
There is also a variety of fruit and vegetables, wholefoods and vegan snacks.
Takeaways showcasing the cuisine of the Caribbean, Peru, Spain, Brazil and other countries are also available. This includes paella, jerk chicken, pizza and noodle dishes.
Traders kept the market open throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns as it is a major source of food for many people.
The market is run by St Albans City and District Council and lost out to London’s Borough Market in the competition last year.
Ellis Butchers of Victoria Street, St Albans, has been shortlisted this year for the title of Best Family Butcher.
People can now vote for the Charter Market at: www.greatbritishfoodawards.com/vote.
Councillor Mandy McNeil, Vice-Chair of the Regeneration and Business Committee, said:
I am thrilled that our market has been recognised again by being shortlisted for this major national award. Hopefully, we can win it this time.
Our traders did a fantastic job by supplying their many regular customers with food and other essentials during the COVID-19 lockdowns and this is recognition of those efforts.
We managed to keep the market open throughout by making it gazebo-only for COVID-secure reasons with traders bringing their own gazebos, doing the putting up and dismantling themselves.
Our retail and hospitality offering, including our fabulous market traders, are at the heart of our City and help make it a vibrant destination. Our market encourages thousands of people to come to the City Centre at weekends and during the week, with our food market being a firm favourite for residents and visitors.
I’m asking people to show their support for our traders by voting for the market in the Great British Food Awards.
A win would provide a marvellous boost to our local economy as it will be confirmation that we have the best food market in the country. I’d also urge customers of Ellis Butcher to consider voting for them, too, as they are a great local business.
The other nominees for the market title are Borough Market, Whole Foods Market, both London, Altrincham Market, Greater Manchester, and Bowhouse, Fife.
Pictures: Charter Market trader Paul Fulton at his stall, top; other takeaway stalls, below.
Councillor contact:
Mandy McNeil, Vice-Chair of the Regeneration and Business Committee:
cllr.m.mcneil@councillor.stalbans.gov.uk; 07584-198999.
Contact for the media:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.