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As they continue to go from strength to strength, take a look at the blueprints for the new Barnhill Market.
Blog by Mill Magazine as part of Paisley Food and Drink Festival 2021.
From humble beginnings with The Asparagus Hut, a sheltered area with an honesty box, James Mackie is well on his way to starting a food revolution in Renfrewshire.
The Hut expanded into a warehouse, warehouse to a farm shop, farm shop to a family destination with the addition of rides, soft-play, go-karts, trampolines and even dinosaurs and now they will host a monthly market.
Unlike most markets however, James isn’t charging stall holders a plot fee to make a profit. All funds raised from plot fees will go directly into advertising the market itself.
The aim is to help local small businesses grow within Renfrewshire by giving them a physical presence in the community.
Expansion of the farm doesn’t stop there. Plans to turn the farm shop into a locally sourced supermarket will be the first of its kind in Scotland and will feature a Renfrewshire baker, butcher, fishmonger, ice cream maker and of course Barnhill in-season fruit and veg.
All meat will be reared in the county with Barnhill’s in-house animals providing the pork, chicken, eggs and speciality asparagus hailing back to their humble beginnings.
Barnhill has amassed a fantastic social media following with over 13,000 people interacting with the farm shop on a weekly basis. So, when it came to finding vendors for the market, all they had to do was put the word out on their Facebook page and within a week all spots were taken for the markets first proposed date of the 29 May 2021.
There are two options available to a budding market stall holder at Barnhill. Option one: a brightly coloured hut reminiscent of the famous seaside huts in Sheringham, Norfolk, installed with access to electricity, or we have option two: a plot location for those wishing to bring their own table, stall or gazebo.
Something worth mentioning to anyone reading this article, contemplating the chance at becoming one of Barnhill market stall holders is that they will be hosting these markets on a monthly basis with no tie-in contract, which means businesses can join in with the market around their work schedule.
Those who may feel their business would benefit from becoming a permanent feature of the market on a monthly basis, or once per season, the door is always open to return.
So far, the roster of vendors includes jewellery makers, candle entrepreneurs, arts and craft experts as well as cakes, sweeties and home bakes galore.
If you would like more information on the market, there will be updates on the Barnhill Farm Shop website as they become available, on their Facebook page or even pop in-store and have a chat with the staff.