BILLINGSHURST ARTISAN MARKET
Published on 1st December 2023
Billingshurst Artisan Market was launched in October and has proved an immediate success. Held in the Six Bells car park off Mill Lane (opposite the library), the market offers a wide selection of stalls, including a greengrocer, fresh pastries and a vibrant mix of arts and crafts. The market is organised by The Great Little Farmers Market, a community interest company that also runs markets in Findon Valley, Goring and Angmering and which donates some of its profits towards good causes.
Sharon Leppard, who manages the market, said: ‘The inaugural event was fantastic, so there was clearly a need for a market in the village. Horsham District Council recognised this and came up with the concept, and it was Tino from Jacob’s Bagels who identified the car park as the ideal location.’
‘We have worked hard to ensure there’s plenty of variety, as when you have two of the same stall, businesses end up competing with each other and neither makes money. The only thing really missing currently is a deli stall. Some traders come to several of our markets, but others are based more locally and recognise that the market is a good place to grow their brand. We have found that, since March, markets have been very popular and people are enjoying being outside, browsing and chatting to stallholders. There has been a surge in new businesses created in lockdown and that has given markets a new lease of life, after a tough period that many didn’t survive. Hopefully, we can help some of these businesses grow and reach the point where they’re able to expand.’
Here, we chat to some of the market traders to find out about their independent business…
Bodhi’s Kitchen: This Worthing-based business was founded by pastry chef David Howland. Along with his partner Holly Couzens, David offers a selection of delicious pies, sausage rolls, tartlets, cookies and other savoury treats.
‘I was a pastry chef and wanted to work for myself, so started the business in lockdown, naming it after our cat, Bodhi. It grew slowly and I am now able to focus on it full-time. We go to lots of markets, including Independent Worthing Artisan Makers and Producers, and offer private catering for events. We also supply The Sussex Peasant, a mobile farm shop that operates in Brighton and villages across the county.’
‘We take great pride in what we do, with everything hand-made in our kitchen. People often remark on the presentation and taste of our pastries, and we’re starting to see repeat customers. It is still a challenging market, as food prices have shot up over the past year, as everybody knows, and you can’t pass that all on to the customer. So, we have needed to absorb some of that cost. Running your own business can be stressful, but it’s exciting too and you never stop thinking about it. Certainly, we’re still optimistic and are looking at ways to expand by visiting more markets such as this and by supplying pastries for weddings and private events.’
StitchWitch: Stitch Witch is the alter ego of Susanna Taghioff, who also runs her own Worthing-based interior design business. Susannah sells a range of items featuring her art, mostly depicting pets.
‘I sell coasters, placemats, tea towels, purses, pencil cases, make-up bags, wash bags, cushions, aprons, and even lanterns and lampshades. All items feature my own artwork, mostly pictures of pets that I have had, or those of friends and family. Sometimes, pictures incorporate several of my paintings, with a cat or dog placed over a specific background or among flowers, as I enjoy manipulating images in Photoshop.’
‘The range is constantly expanding and I’m now working on a West Highland terrier, which will be introduced soon. I also create more photo realistic portraits, but they cater for a different market. Because of the detail involved, they’re better suited to commission work, as you can identify the unique traits in each pet. My market range has more general appeal, as people will see something of their own pets in the pictures.’
Missy & Boo: Gemma Charman set up her own business 18 months ago. Having initially sold wax melts, the mum-of-five has expanded her range to include bathroom products.
‘The business is named after the nicknames of two of my children, Missy Moo and Freddy Boo. It all started as I love candles but the ones I was buying were expensive and didn’t last long. I started making my own wax melt bars, initially in three flavours: fresh linen, clean cotton and strawberry and lily.’
‘Friends and family gave me lots of encouragement, requesting new aromas like lemon sherbet or rhubarb and custard. With all of my children back at school after Covid, I decided to launch my own business in June 2021 and it has been steadily growing and evolving ever since. In addition to the wax melts, I started selling burners and developed a range of bath products, including soap bars, soap sponges and bath bombs. Shower fluff is something that people find intriguing. It is essentially whipped soap, but my name for it is more exciting! We have some great aromas too, like passionfruit Martini. Having recently moved to Horsham from Worthing, I’m trying to establish the business in this area, attending markets and craft fairs wherever I can.’
Lizzy’s Boutique: Liz Hibbert started her boutique clothing and accessories business during Covid. As she lives in the village, the Billingshurst Artisan Market is an ideal place to grow her brand.
‘I learned how to sew during lockdown, mainly by watching YouTube videos. I was on furlough and needed something to do, so I started making clothes for my daughter using colourful fabrics. I really enjoyed sewing and it wasn’t long before friends requested things too, which gave me the confidence to start my own business. I now have a stall at markets and craft fairs most weekends and find demand is picking up nearer Christmas. Most of the clothes are for babies and toddlers, with animals and dinosaurs featuring prominently. I started by making harem trousers, tops and bibs sets, but the range has expanded to include accessories, such as snoods, which came about as my daughter wasn’t allowed to wear a scarf to nursery.
‘I’m still an accountant, although I’d like to focus on the boutique full-time one day. I’ve just opened an account with a wholesaler so I can order more fabric, so the business is growing and slowly taking over my house!’
Hightrees Makes: Steyning resident Amy Bicknell started making earrings during lockdown for her own wellbeing. It was only when the collection started getting out of control that she decided to set up a business!
‘It was something I did initially for my mental health, to ease stress. My early pieces were terrible, but I improved and eventually had so many pieces that my family insisted I sell some! To be honest, even if they didn’t sell, I would carry on, because I enjoy it.’
‘The earrings are made of Polymer, a modelling clay which is easy to shape and decorate, then they are hardened in the oven. I paint them and sometimes add resin to give them extra shine, or use powders and glitters to create something unique. Customers like the quirky pieces like the Grinch earrings. I take pleasure from seeing people wearing my creations. I’ve just spotted a lady in my fox earrings, which has made me very happy!’
Jacob’s Bagels: Tino Da Silva established his bagels company in 2020. As well as being a regular fixture at local markets, Jacob’s Bagels has opened a bakery in North Heath, Pulborough. ‘It all began one morning in March 2020, when I woke up craving a bagel. There are some fantastic bagel outlets in London and other cities, but none that I could find locally, so I decided to make my own! We founded the business in lockdown and did well with home deliveries, offering a range of plain, sesame seed and poppy seed bagels.’
‘As restrictions eased, there was less demand for home deliveries, so we switched our focus to markets in Midhurst, Findon Valley, Worthing and now Billingshurst. The markets have helped us grow the brand and expand our range, with more savoury and filled bagels. Last year, we opened a bakery so customers can buy directly from us, while wholesales continue to grow too, with many cafes and restaurants buying our products.’
‘Some people think they don’t like bagels, but that’s because they’ve only tried the ones you get at supermarkets, which barely count as bagels at all. I urge them to come to the bakery or a local market and try ours to discover what a proper bagel tastes like!’
Further information:
Visit Billingshurst Artisan Market on the third Sunday of every month, 9:30am – 1:30pm.
www.billingshurstartisanmarket.com
