Kirkgate Market, can it survive?

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Wed 11 Jan, 2012 10:09 pm

Complain to the market management. I never buy any of those meat offers. Callards is the best they don't bother with those 'deals'.

Post by **chameleon** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 10:55 am

Anyone notice these :http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-le ... 4136345The steatement in the BBC article 'Additional extensions were added in the 1970s and 80s', is of course rather less than the entire tale, suggesting it was only enlarged rather than the fire-raged sections replaced.Those dtructures were said to be temporary but some years ago now, presumably because of cost, reports indicated that these structures would be made permanent. Reports since then seem to swing either way on that one.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 1:52 pm

I enjoy the 'atmosphere' of the market, more as a visitor to a live free attraction.I don't really 'use it' or spend. Kirkgate Market is well known and has, or did have, coach trips from Newcastle and beyond.It's current form was dictated by needs of soot-blackened Edwardian (Victorian?) olde Leeds, down through to the early 1960's.It was, and is pre-supermarket + '2 cars'. It ideally suited main tramway or bus route.As with the (ex) Lounge Cinema, can it survive? Do you want it?How much did you / I spend at Kirkgate Markets Last 6 months?2 years?5 years?Last 5 years I spent about £18.50 there. I can't believe what Bruno say's next......!

Bruno · Post by **Bruno** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 2:12 pm

My first Saturday job was in Kirkgate Market, in the 1970s, at Sealand Foods at the top of Row A. I worked in the side that sold liver, kidneys, pigs hearts, chicken necks and rabbits. One lunchtime I walked down the fruit stall and bought a couple of peaches for my lunch; the ones on display looked lovely, but when I opened my paper bag I found I'd been slipped a couple of half rotten bruised fruits.I went back to the stall, but the stall holder told me in no uncertain terms to go away, so in a fit of teenage rage, I walked up to Boots on the corner and bought a bottle of Domestos. I returned to the fruit stall and soaked the display of fruit with Domestos. The stall holder grabbed me and called the police who came out from Millgarth and arrested me. They took me away and charged me with.......wait for it......bleach of the peach!I'll get me coat.

geoffb · Post by **geoffb** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 2:35 pm

Jogon wrote: I enjoy the 'atmosphere' of the market, more as a visitor to a live free attraction.I don't really 'use it' or spend. Kirkgate Market is well known and has, or did have, coach trips from Newcastle and beyond.It's current form was dictated by needs of soot-blackened Edwardian (Victorian?) olde Leeds, down through to the early 1960's.It was, and is pre-supermarket + '2 cars'. It ideally suited main tramway or bus route.As with the (ex) Lounge Cinema, can it survive? Do you want it?How much did you / I spend at Kirkgate Markets Last 6 months?2 years?5 years? Last 5 years I spent about £18.50 there. We get fresh fish from Bethels weekly, bread from the continental deli and thats all now. I wouldn't touch butchers row with a barge pole, the "fresh" fruit and veg is not worth a light, quality is awful. Got a pie from the Yorkshire pie company and that was ok but not to the quality mentioned on here before Christmas. I think that the way forward would be to make it into a farmers/ local food cooperative a bit like Borough market in London, but could it attract enough stall holders, and would the prices be competitive.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 3:32 pm

I'll say again. Callard on butchers row.If you get dodgy fruit and veg report it, it's against the stallholders T+Cs. I spend £40 a week there, half the supermarket price, never have the problems mentioned above. It did happen years ago and was one of the things the mgt tackled to address declining use.

Post by **chameleon** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 5:39 pm

Bruno wrote: My first Saturday job was in Kirkgate Market, in the 1970s, at Sealand Foods at the top of Row A. I worked in the side that sold liver, kidneys, pigs hearts, chicken necks and rabbits. One lunchtime I walked down the fruit stall and bought a couple of peaches for my lunch; the ones on display looked lovely, but when I opened my paper bag I found I'd been slipped a couple of half rotten bruised fruits.I went back to the stall, but the stall holder told me in no uncertain terms to go away, so in a fit of teenage rage, I walked up to Boots on the corner and bought a bottle of Domestos. I returned to the fruit stall and soaked the display of fruit with Domestos. The stall holder grabbed me and called the police who came out from Millgarth and arrested me. They took me away and charged me with.......wait for it......bleach of the peach!I'll get me coat. I read all the way through that without seeing what was coming at the end - beautifulThe good news isit must have worked! Some traders did have a reputation ffor giving you duff stuff but, these days it seems to be very much 'taken from the front' or for some, pick your own, even 'out back'. Took Mrs C there before Christmas ( not a shopping person) and she was delighted, not least with the prices but particularly with the fish - being someone who grew up on the coast and considers fish only to be fit to eat if it's just jumped out of the sea into your bag!

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 5:58 pm

I'd love to be able to do my weekly food shop from Leeds's Kirkgate market and know that I'd saved money against shopping at a bland supermarket and know that I'd got superior quality products from specialist fruit and veg sellers / butchers etc. Unfortunately this isnt possible. I believe that the market is badly organised and badly run. Also the products on sale in the market arent necessarily cheaper than what supermarkets sell and sometimes the quality of goods is appauling. For starters they ought to put sellers who sell similar goods together, you can end up going round in circles trying to find certain things and still not find them, like someones said in a previous post they've opened a hairdressers in the butchers aisle? Whats that all about? Also prices in the market I find arent any cheaper than most supermarkets. Yes sometimes you might get a good deal on something, but its not guaranteed. Then there are some pretty low trading practises that go on where you end up getting half a bag of rotten fruit and veg... I only go to the market nowadays if I am passing or have time and I have a look for a bargain - quite often I find nothing of interest. I used to really love the Thursday second hand market, but I'm talking about over ten years ago, before they redesigned the outside stalls. Yes the modern stalls are better but something seems to have been lost, the Thursday market used to be buzzing and virtually every stall would be occupied and it would be packed with people buying and everytime I'd spend a fortune buying some great stuff. Nowadays the Thursday second hand market is a shadow of its former self with just a handful of regular sellers who stick it out, and often their wares are tired / overpriced stuff that I'm surprised they even break even selling. Its strange that a city the size of Leeds doesnt have a thriving antiques and collectables culture like you get in some far smaller places like York. I mean I dont even think there are any antiques sellers in the city centre now. I really think the future for Kirkgate Market lies in the council running it into the ground and then probably either relegating any remaining sellers to the bottom end of the market and perhaps retaining the outdoor section. The Kirkgate section will most likely get developed into the only other branch of Harrods outside of London which the council would love as it would be another feather in Leeds's retail cap along with Harvey Nichols, even though I doubt the majority of Leeds' population have ever bought anything there, I know I havent. Who knows? I'd like to think there is a place for a market in Leeds but in its current guise I believe its in terminal decline.

Cardiarms · Post by **Cardiarms** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 6:11 pm

Fruit, veg and fish is consistently cheaper at the market than the supermarket. Meat less so. The 2nd hand market has probably died due to the rise of car-boot sale and ebay.

geoffb · Post by **geoffb** » Fri 13 Jan, 2012 6:11 pm

Top post Jon, I totally agree with you. If you want to see a well run market head for Barcelona,s la Boqueria on Las Ramblas, I see a Council fact finding mission on the cards, bags I volunteer:-)