Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Introducing the new .. Chestnuts Market
Hello everyone
I’d like to introduce myself – I’m Marika Gauci and I will be running the new Chestnuts Market held at Chestnuts Primary School. N15. Launch date is Sunday March 15th, which is Mothers Day, then every Sunday. 11am – 3pm.
A brief background: I previously worked in the music business: performing, recording, song-writing and event management for many years before trading up for the glorious food industry!
Inspired by visits to the legendary Borough Market, I started assisting in cookery schools, trained and worked as a professional chef, organized many pop ups and catered for films. In 2009 I started my own small cookery school www.marikas-kitchen.com where my pie classes in particular took off, and to this day, I run large Pie making workshops in the City. In collaboration with www.school-of-booze.com we run Pie Making/Beer Tasting classes for parties and corporate events. I am also a published author of a cookery book – The Little Book Of Pies (Square Peg) and have appeared on television and radio including the Good Food Network and BBC London.
As a Green Lanes resident for 17 years now, I deeply love the area and passionately believe in contributing to the continued improvement of the locality in any way I can: I covered management of the previous Harringay Market for 6 weeks and also supply our www.harringaylocalstore.co.uk with fresh hot pies three times a week.
I believe the location www.chestnutsprimary.com is perfect for a local market as we are a short walk from the High Street, are on two main roads and opposite is Chestnuts park –the park café is not open Sundays, so think of those sunny days where you can get scrumptious treats and drinks for your picnic. The area incorporates Tottenham, Haringey and Harringay. The School has kindly aloud us all to use the front playgrounds, so lots of playing for the children whilst parents and friends relax on the plentiful seating and shaded areas.
I hope I qualify running this new market for our area, I have lots of plans and excited to share with you. I am lucky to have some really amazing local friends who are helping me (Martha, Emily, Helen, Cara, Jorja, Georgina and Clive) Thanks guys!
I have secured some wonderful producers and food stalls already – but we are always looking for more, please do get in touch ASAP if you would like to join the fun or have any suggestions.
www.facebook.com/ChestnutsMarket
Will keep you all informed – Bye for now.
Marika
Tags for Forum Posts: Chestnuts, Haringey, Market, Sunday, food, in, market
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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I appreciate that as a middle aged psuedo Middle class white male I have a fair few advantages over most people in the world. However reading what you have written, taking the piss out of our children's names, the food we like, the clothes we wear and our "dominance" of local spaces.
Firstly, that's not very nice. I could name a local space open for all that was restored, nay gentrified by a group of middle class people who allowed the children schooled locally to rename it, but you probably were thinking of commercial spaces "dominated" by white middle class people.
I'm an immigrant to this country and have lived on the ladder since 2001. I have enjoyed all the different food choices I have had around here since then, I miss Flame although it has been replaced with at least half a dozen other Turkish restaurants and I think Jashan is still the best Indian I have ever had (and I've experimented). I had a very narrow palate before I came here and have to give credit to the local restaurants for expanding it. however this is not my "native" food.
I was very pleased when Blend opened up at the top of the Ladder as well as Jam-in-a-Jar and more recently the Harringay Local Store.
So here you are complaining that a local market, started up by a non-English female entrepreneur is encouraging gentrification and more people with funny clothes and funny names and funny diets to come to the area. You know what? Most of them were already here and just shopped and ate elsewhere.
With a chip on your shoulder like that you'd be welcome in New Zealand.
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Permalink Reply by Jonathan on
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You're missing the point John and don't seem to really have a grasp of the arguments that are being made. Maybe read through the comments once more and have a think...
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Permalink Reply by Gordon T on
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Well Jonathan, what's your estimate of the turnover of this one-day-a-week, 6-hour market as a proportion of the weekly turnover of all the food shops (restaurants, takeaways, grocery shops, fresh foods) along Harringay Green Lanes?
1%? 0.1%? 0.01%? Economic/socioeconomic changing percentages?
Please do offer an estimate.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Pike on
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Maybe you can set up stall selling those chips on your shoulder. You know 5 mins up the road there is the nationally reported fried chicken capital of the world... with a side of fly-tipping thrown in for good measure. Less than a minute away is a bookies doing down the area.
You haven't made any suggestion as to what could be done to attract the diverse mix you seek and you don't make an effort to bring them to the space.
Around Chestnuts Park is a nice community. The park is used by everyone in the area throughout the year. It is not just an assumed white middle class dominated space. The market, in the highly accessible Chestnuts Primary, can only add to that characterful mix and support our community and the park. I hope that those who use the park will take advantage of the market.
Bought from Antonio at Capocaccia - that's one those funny Italian names in case you didn't know - and Marsh Foods for the record. Not expensive and very good quality produce.
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I did make suggestions for a more diverse and less white-middle-class market. See above.
It's interesting to see how many people feel passionate about this debate.
Clearly the questioning that something new in the area is not inclusive to all threatens some people.
I feel very said that equality, diversity and opportunity don't seem to be important to people anymore. I've lived in this area since 1994 and just don't want to see haringay go the same way as Stoke Newington and Hackney In general.
Great examples of accesible venues are places like T- chances on Tottenham high road and The Beehive on Bruce Grove. Both have people from races, ethinicities an Sochi economic backgrounds. Brilliant!
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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Jonathan/ Billy
There could be a lengthy discussion about the definition of " Middle Class"
But first, how do you define " white " ? Are Greeks, Turks, Italians, Hispanics, white; or only those who used to be described as " Caucasian " ( BTW, Caucasians are quite dark-complexioned ) ?
My Columbian friend has what I would describe as a deep suntan, but any suggestion that she is not white is deeply resented. I think it's lazy, imprecise, racist and offensive to trot out the " White " sneer.
If you would like me to, I will be happy to show you how the term " Middle Class " is similarly meaningless.
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I find it sad that we are having a debate like this when someone puts themselves out to actually get involved in the community and set up a market for the benefit of all becomes subject to this kind of attitude.
It is easy to hide online and basically become a 'troll' with negative remarks.
However let me look at your remarks and see if any stand up to scrutiny.
Firstly a market is not set up to be a political statement, it is there to provide the local community with quality food and produce, and a community hub for people to enjoy.
As a trader myself, I know there will be many stalls applying to get a pitch, the market organiser will then choose in order to get balance and base it on the quality of the offering.
Of course they may approach a stall they know to be of quality.
Of course they will only accept people that have the correct paperwork, including council registration, hygiene certificates and public liability insurance - all there for a very good reason to make sure the public is kept safe!
You start by saying that these spaces are 'are little bubbles away from reality' - really well what does this actually mean - anyone there will be from the local community.
Any market I have traded at in Haringey has had a very diverse customer base.
Markets rarely make a large profit, indeed it is likely the organiser is making very little if any (usually just covering costs) and as a trader i can assure you I am not rich, but rather doing it for the passion of the job.
You then just rant about stereotypes, with derogatory comments about names people are called which really lets your argument down. As for the pricing - let me explain - £6 is a very reasonable price for food that is prepared from quality ingredients / high welfare meat and cooked to order.
For too long food has been seen at a low price that does not reflect the cost of production (but this is another debate) . In the end you get what you pay for - cheap will mean poor quality ingredients and bad animal welfare.
However what is really annoying about people like you and your comments is that you do not say what you would do differently?
Are you interested in attending a local market? ( or just destroying it?) if you would like other stalls there, can you advise who they are or suggest they apply to the market organiser?
Why not start your own if you think you can do things better?
Why do you wish to cause ill feeling about a community market which is really there just to give people a good alternative to chain stores or supermarket shopping at the weekend.
Of course if you don't wish to go to markets that provide high quality goods at fair prices there are plenty of places to spend your money elsewhere, just don't put your ranting political agenda online and try to apply it to a community Sunday market.
There are plenty of other people that do value a quality local market and I certainly hope they take no notice of the detractors on here like yourself.
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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To be fair, for every po-faced whinging comment there are invariably ten supportive ones, so I wouldn't take it too seriously or engage with the negativity. The footfall and general good vibes at this weekend's event tell quite a different story, after all.
I happen to know that a lot of the traders at this event support important initiatives and champion causes that we should all be getting behind if we can afford to do so . Can't really see any rational arguments to the contrary.
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It's a great idea. Chestnuts Park is used by many local groups. On Sunday the playground is home to Columbian Volleyball. They tend to bring their own food but just shows there is a market for your market.
Don't think there are many farmers at farmers markets. 'Bout time for a rebrand.
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Permalink Reply by David Martin on
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Hi Marika- Great news. I think everyone was sad to see the old market go, so great to see someone taking up the helm. I hope it goes well.
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