Broadway goes up market
Film by Anna Davies and Richard Ridout
Broadway Market, after being abandoned throughout the ’90s, was subject to a renaissance in 2004. It continues to take place every Saturday and is hailed, by some, as a ‘trendy farmers’ market’.
However, there are local residents who feel they are excluded by the market’s price range – whilst others view it as an alfresco supermarket that caters for their weekly needs.
With the 2012 Olympics looming, signs of East London’s planned regeneration are becoming ever more prevalent.
Derelict buildings are being demolished with high-rise apartment-cum-shopping complexes being built in their place – such as the Dalston Square development up the road.
With a seemingly inevitable rise in rent and property prices, residents have concerns over the future of the area.
Parts of the borough are becoming gentrified, and perhaps the price range of the products on Broadway Market is an indicator of the rises that we can expect to arrive with the Olympics.
Hackney is home to a handful of long-running markets – such as Ridley Road Market in Dalston, which sells mainly fruit, vegetables, fish and meat. It’s very affordable, and caters for a mixed crowd.
Broadway Market manager, James O Nuanain, 32, compares Broadway Market to Ridley Road Market: ‘I think it’s more like Ridley than any other market [in Hackney], but a little bit posher, so it doesn’t compete with Ridley. It’s a little bit more expensive but a similar sort of thing – you’ve got clothes and you’ve got food.”
When asked if local people use the market, O Nuanain says, “Well – locally living people … we’ve got cheap fruit and veg, and there are plenty of deals on the market but it is perceived as the Marks and Spencers…”
“Rather than Morrisons,”says Alistair Maddox, 23, O Nuanain’s assistant.
“In many ways we would rather do a Ridley Road here but if we were doing a Ridley Road thing here then all the people round here that use Ridley Road or Chapel Market would be coming here instead so it would hit those markets, ” says O Nuanain.
They do, however, reap the benefits of the inexpensive Ridley Road Market. Maddox says, “We did the whole Broadway Market Christmas party shop on Ridley Road,”O Nuanain laughs, “It’s cheap”.
Louise Brewood, ex-chair of Broadway Market Traders Association, says she left the association a year and a half ago following a difference in opinion. “I wanted to bring in really good food, farmers’ food, which six years ago was seen as snotty, upmarket, well – actually no, it’s just really good local food.”
She feels the cost of the produce on Broadway Market was justifiable when she was still involved in the market: “At the time I could justify why you paid £5.00 for a loaf of bread and I could actually justify why you weren’t being ripped off”.
She felt it was important for people who had a ‘very small income’ to walk through the market and not feel that they were ‘pushed aside’ when they saw what was available on the stalls.
Brewood would reassure customers: “You are paying £5.00 for that loaf of bread because it’s made of this type of flour, it’s done this way. That cheese has done such and such, that’s why it’s going to cost you £3.00 but I can always balance that out by giving you something of reasonable quality at a different rate, from very low income to very high”.
A local resident, who did not wish to be named, feels differently about the cost of the products on sale at the market. She says, “It was nowhere near as expensive before as it is now. You say that to a woman what’s got about three kids, a single parent – £3.00 for a loaf of bread from a stall.”
Concerned about the impact tourism will have on the area, Brewood says, “I mean Percy Ingles is a perfectly good run of the mill baker; most of us use it on a regular basis. Broadway was about balancing the elements of resident, market trader and shop keeper and I think now the focus is just the market and the income it can bring.”
Greengrocer on his stall, Broadway Market Photo: © The Hackney Citizen Ltd
£5.00 for a loaf of bread on Broadway Market? That doesn’t need analysis, that speaks for itself!
Great film… Pseudo-gangster shrugging shoulders man (Maddox, or Ó Nuanáin I’m guessing) perfectly outlines how those profiting from the market feel about ostracising locals who cannot make modest budgets stretch to enjoy some fresh tasty, but more expensive, produce (00:03:10). Its okay though, poorer people can visit the tescos at the end of the road. Phew.
I copied this from The Broadway Market website:
Spirit represents the soul of the Broadway Market community. When the street was half derelict back in the nineties, he rented a shop and the flat above it and rebuilt the place with his own hands and his own money: the Nutritious Food Gallery became his business and his home. He sold some of the best, and cheapest, Caribbean food in London. Then a developer bought the property and evicted him and his family. Spirit is far too proud to ask for help: the community rose spontaneously to help one of their own, as they rose to defend others evicted by developers. The street market acts as a focus for the community, it exists solely for the community. Spirit was forced out before he could fully benefit from the revival it has brought…
I think it is important to look at the shopping street rather than just the market. The market is just one facet of the way local residents have asserted themselves.
The profits from the running of the market go into social improvements locally. They fund a large part of the local youth club’s work, contribute to assistance for local elderly people and have been instrumental in plans for environmental improvements to the the street.
The street throughout the week is a much more hospitable environment and the BMTRA continue to fight for it to be the retail centre for the area.
Louise’s and the local residents vision was about providing choice so that, whatever your means, there was something on Broadway Market (The street) for you.
That is an ongoing battle and will continue for as long as there are people who love broadway (and there are plenty of those) and who see our wealthy newcomers, street drinkers and everyone in between given the same respect..
The streetmarket on Broadway Market was revived by the community for the community. It exists only to serve the community.
Two years ago the project was on the verge of bankruptcy. Reorganisation was imperative. It is now a thriving social enterprise generating hard cash for community initiatives and reliable employment for local people.
Thanks to hard work by underpaid part-timers and unpaid volunteers, the market is achieving the objectives of its founders: it attracts some six thousand people on Saturdays to what was an empty, dying street.
More than 90 percent of customers live within about a mile and return every week to shop for food. Broadway Market has become a destination. Shops, pubs and cafes are prospering. There is no longer room on the street for drug dealers.
Some, of course, see things differently and their views deserve respect. We welcome criticism. Most of all we welcome volunteers prepared to work to continue the rejuvenation of our neighbourhood.
And congratulations on your film of the market – a beautiful production.
Andrew Veitch
Chair, Broadway Market Traders’ and Residents’ Association.
My Nan used to live in the flats just over the canal bridge and I remember the OLD Broadway market,which was REALLY for locals. I know it all but disappeared, but people like my Nan still live there and no way could they afford the prices that are being asked for produce. It’s a good thing that the market is being regenerated, but don’t let the real locals suffer and get pushed out !!
A lovely film, I agree, and some interesting comments.
The market has brought huge benefits to the community-and from its outset was a joyous initiative that gave those of us involved huge pleasure as we watched it grow-Louise in particular did a wonderful job in leading this and pushing things through.
I agree that some of the stalls on the market are expensive, but they do attract customers who appreciate the value of real organic and farm-produced food,. As Louise says-the quality ingredients used mean that they cost more to produce,-so most of us can only afford small portions as a treat. However, many people can and do come and buy these delicious foods- and also have a good time on our beloved Broadway market!
For the rest of us local residents, there are plenty of wonderful shops on the market, who provide good food and competitive prices at all times. . Incidentally, they have also done well from the revival of the area. When I moved here 17 years ago most of the shops were derelict. Now they do a good trade all week,
It is a shame that your film did not truly reflect the current situation or the philosophy of the BMTRA. . . the vision is exactly as it was,- and the association is more open than ever before to input from local traders and residents, who regularly attend meetings.
Recently, in response to the growth of the market and the influx of new shop traders, there have had to be changes in the way BMTRA is organised. Obviously this has not been without its problems , but as a result there is now a large team of volunteers involved in running things.
In particular, BMTRA have been fortunate enough to recruit professional volunteers to undertake the vital financial roles, which has made an enormous difference. In addition they have called on the services of a range of other enthusiastic local residents who have helped in diverse ways-such as designing the website, or providing artwork.
One result of this is that they are now able, whilst still maintaining the original spirit of the market, to generate profits. These profits are now being given back to the community in a variety of ways, and positive relationships are being forged with many local groups.
I loved the film but would have like it even more if there had been more informed comments from the people working hard behind the scenes at the moment.
Otherwise-lovely!
thanks.
That market is so gentrified it hurts, go down to fulham’s north end road market and see what a real market is like.
Khalil
The good thing about the east end is diversity and the market is only one part of a diverse area. It’s good to be able to get nice things locally. Some of the produce is on the expensive side though.
this is what happens to areas, who has got most money wins and who has got best (tightest) jeans is the coolest.
the price of the food is stupid, but it tastes good! its like wholefoods in southken looks amazing and makes you feel good about yourself
bring back hanging and clean up the slums of these trendy fools!
I was born around the corner from Broadway Market in 1656 (sic). So much has changed since I’ve been away! Spirit seems very important. The original aboriginal. His mythic pioneering struggle reminds me of how people remember Martin Luther King saying ‘I have a dream’, but remember nothing else of the speech. A dream about what exactly?
Broadway Market community member, Graeme Archer made a speech at Conservative Conference where he invoked Kevin Costner’s ‘immortal’ words – ‘Build it and they will come!’
The trouble is the actual line is –
‘Build it and HE will come.’
Understood in that way, we must only hope that like me Spirit returns soon to claim his inheritance. Because Broadway Market belongs to Spirit!
Nice one, Edmond (I think). Except that Graeme Archer is a Tory activist (see Conservativehome and an unfortunate video from the Tory party conference on YouTube) and has absolutely nothing to do with the Broadway Market community. He speaks for himself, thank goodness.
I think I understand Andrew…Although you made a comment earlier: “The streetmarket on Broadway Market was revived by the community for the community. It exists only to serve the community.” I’m just trying to get a handle on who is and who isn’t part of ‘the community’.
You say that Graeme Archer ‘has absolutely nothing to do with ‘the Broadway Market Community’, so who decides who is or isn’t?
You? Or do ‘the community’ decide? Do they vote, like joining a golf club?
Perhaps you have a set of rules that people agree to abide by when they join?
I’m just thinking…if I buy a loaf from the market every day and go home and eat it, would that make me part of ‘the community’?
But if I bought my loaf and whilst eating it wrote a letter criticising the market or the Broadway Market traders’ and resident’ Association, would that mean that perhaps I wasn’t?
And if Tory activists don’t make the cut, who else doesn’t?
Please, Please, Please, residents in the ‘anomalous’ social housing are being affected disproportionate noise – now from the the new reckless record shop whose speakers are pointing largely at us and lots of others
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