Plymouth Market

Bridging The Tamar

28th October 2022

Shearwater Studios

28th October 2022

Published by on 28th October 2022

As a product of post-war Britain, the 60-year-old market has stood the test of time and remains to be a welcoming hub of passionate sellers and friendly customers located in Plymouth’s ‘West End’. Plymouth Market is an iconic indoor market, popular with locals and tourists but often people are unaware of what’s inside. The market has an influx of local traders coming and going for various amounts of time resulting in a fresh and unique visit every time. As well as the new traders, you can always rely on the long-standing stalls to look after you whether it’s fresh fish & veg that you’re after or watch repairs and engraving. During our visit, we bumped into lots of humble entrepreneurs and had the pleasure to speak to some of them.

At the time of the interview, the Plymouth Market had a whopping total of 61 traders and the market was bustling with people. We arrived on a Monday at midday so the lunch trade was well underway. Plymouth Market house a variety of different cuisines from British and American, to Caribbean, Mauritian and Japanese, therefore, when combined, they produce a mouth-watering aroma that fills the building.

With the freedom of such a large space, they often hold family-friendly events and are heavily involved in the West End Carnival. This Christmas, Santa will be coming to the Market to meet you all, along with a few festive activities for the whole family.

Holding a stall at the Plymouth Market is an affordable way to try out a new business idea without the huge investment of a premise. These stalls provide a safe space to showcase your hard work and in turn, create a growth in the local economy.

The 36,000 sq. ft market hall complete with its unusual waved roof is best appreciated in person to understand the beauty of the building and what’s inside. But to take some of the guesswork out, we will be telling you about a few things that you can expect during your visit.

Fancy trying something new? Mauritian street food vendor ‘Maurish’ has been in the Plymouth Market for all but 6 weeks (at the time of the interview). The inspiration came from the owner’s family roots that originate from Mauritius. With Mauritian food, you can expect a mix of African, Indian and Chinese cuisine, with fresh ingredients, made from scratch that same day.

The chicken curry is the most popular dish on their menu and they have received a compliment from a customer saying that it was the best chicken curry he’s ever tasted!

With specials changing weekly and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options always available, why not come down and try a dish or two?

In need of a fry-up fix? On the right-hand side of the mezzanine market floor is PJ’s Diner, an American/British style diner serving American pancakes, gut buster breakfasts, burgers, homemade cakes and pizza. On the left-hand side of the mezzanine floor is Pete’s Place serving British cuisine such as English breakfast, steak pies and roast dinners.

Both PJ’s Diner and Pete’s Place are owned by Tracy and Keith after the original owner, Pete, decided to sell. Tracy and Keith are proud to call both eateries their own and have nurtured them over the years with the help of their children.

Treat yourself to some natural health supplements. Little Hemp Shop has been successfully running online since 2018 but it wasn’t until January 2022 that they decided to take a space within the Plymouth Market.

The Little Hemp Shop is a Devon-based family-run business that pride themselves on their quality, freshness and ethical pricing. They are the manufacturer of a variety of different Hemp and CBD products from gummies and capsules, to honey and coffee. CBD was legalised for use in the UK in 2018, validating its benefits as a 100% natural health supplement, this legalisation prompted co-founder Marc’s idea
to launch.

They regularly add new products and ensure every product is of the highest quality in the UK market. As the manufacturers, they play an integral part in the whole process from sourcing the hemp to bottling it up and selling it. They also wholesale and white label to 50+ other companies in the UK and Europe. Come on down to try it for yourself.

Bringing Nepal to the Plymouth Market. The newest edition to the market is Nepalese food vendor Everest Flavours. At the time of the interview, Everest Flavours was in its 4th week at the market when owner, Biraj, spoke to us about his new business venture.

Biraj’s idea is to transport people to Nepal with traditional Nepalese decor and authentic flavours. All of the dishes on the menu are affordable ranging between £2-£8 making it a perfect spot to try a few different dishes. Nepalese cuisine consists of lots of rice dishes, they also serve Momo, a traditional dumpling served with two chutneys, one sweet and one spicy to accompany the dish. Pull up a chair and dig in!

Craving something sweet for lunch? Owners Sophie and Kieran have been selling delicious waffles in the Plymouth Market for 3.5 years and they’re not planning on leaving anytime soon. The community atmosphere of the market is something they will never get tired of being a part of.

Kawaffle is the only place in Plymouth to make and serve savoury waffles as the recipe was invented by themselves. Their best-selling waffles are the Choc-a-bloc sweet waffle and the Chilli Cheese Fiesta savoury waffle. They have recently started offering American pancakes too!

The waffle mix is always vegan and gluten-free so there is always an option for everyone. They are happy to tailor the toppings to suit your dietary requirements.

Been meaning to get that watch repaired? Coronet Engravers & Jewellery has been trading in the Plymouth Market since day 1 of the market opening. They are the last remaining original business to have been at the Plymouth Market since the beginning and they pride themselves on that title. The engravers have seen three different owners and thousands of businesses come and gone throughout the years.

Coronet Engravers can personalise almost anything small or large including rings, dog tags and trophies. They also offer watch repairs, jewellery repairs and ear piercings. They find that a lot of their customers are very loyal and often come in specifically for Coronet.

Enjoy a Japanese experience in the heart of Plymouth. Co-founders Anne and Phoenix made the brave decision to set up their first business in the market 1 month ago (since the interview). They knew Plymouth Market would be a fantastic opportunity to grow their idea and meet the other local food traders.

Kiku is bringing traditional Japanese street food to Plymouth with soup Udon and Soba noodle bowls, Sushi and Bento. Kiku is far from your regular lunch spot, Kiku is a Japanese experience that ignites all your senses. Don’t believe us? Then try it for yourself!

This festive season, Kiku has launched a ‘Christmas Sushi Party’ package that can be ordered in advance and picked up in the day for a unique Christmas party feast.
The ground floor of the market is packed with independent stalls but don’t forget about the café’s on the mezzanine floor that offer an array of different cuisines from Vietnamese to homemade cakes.

Unfortunately, due to the sheer volume of traders, we were unable to visit all of them but stay tuned for the December edition where we speak to a few more…

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• Andy’s
• Atkins Farm Shop
• BS Embroidery Plus
• City Fabrics
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• Good Value II
• Hannahs
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• Martins Butchers
• Mishmash Store
• More than Mobility
• Pannier Engravers & Key Cutters
• Plymouth City Nets
• Pull the Trigger
• The Battery Man
• The Shellfish Deli
• U-nique Hair & Accessories