Support small businesses in Kent with the Ashford Makers Market

The re-launch of a monthly market has landed in Ashford town centre in a splash of colour and creativity! It is the Craftship Enterprise CIC (Made in Ashford) Makers Market!

It is held in Park Mall shopping centre in the middle of Ashford town on the first Saturday of the month from 10am until 4pm. The market is bursting with amazing handmade, locally designed and creative products from small businesses based across Kent.

This vibrant fun and colourful market is full of different creative businesses selling their Kentish made, designed or created products. You can meet and chat to the makers & creators of the items you wish to buy. Get unique gifts, the most perfect treats, find something totally different to the High Street, seek style and inspiration at our Makers Market. The event has just had its first market this year after managing a couple between lockdowns previously. The team is very excited to get up and running on a regular basis now.

Katy Morrison is the market manager and she says “Our June Makers Market was a really successful event and such a great day. With plenty of sunshine and so many talented stallholders it’s set the bar pretty high for the rest of the year. I absolutely loved hearing the positive feedback from the customers and stallholders alike, and am so proud to be part of Kent’s creative community supporting small businesses”

The first market was a success with many stall holders rebooking for future markets already! Here is what one stall holder, Danielle from Tinybeegle said about selling at the market: “It was great to have the opportunity to sell my products in such a bustling shopping location. The market was really well organised and the manager was on hand and constantly checking in to see if I needed anything. I had a great day selling and it was lovely to meet customers and other makers in person again.”

This makers market is organised by Craftship Enterprise CIC who are community organisation and social enterprise that manage the Made in Ashford shop also in Park Mall.

Founder and director Melissa Dawkins said this about the new market, “It is our aim to support creative businesses and creativity in the community here in Ashford as much as we can. Due to having such a difficult year for creative businesses and the community itself, we felt it was time to re-launch our makers market. This event is a showcase of Kentish creative talent and we hope it inspires our community to get creative, meet the makers and give businesses a little boost too!”

Kentish creative businesses and community groups can register their interest in having a stall by visiting the Made in Ashford website, and then clicking the joining us tab followed by makers market.