We arrived at midday so the lunch trade was well underway and the Market was bustling with shoppers. 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 scent that fills the building.
The 36,000 sq. ft Market hall complete with its unusually waved roof is best appreciated in person to understand the beauty of the building and what’s inside.
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, there will be a whole host of activities happening within the Market.
• Competition running throughout December to win Theatre Royal Plymouth Sleeping Beauty Panto tickets
• Meet Santa and have your photo taken with him
(Saturday 3rd, 10th & 17th)
• Facepainting with Karen Mills
(Saturday 3rd, 10th & 17th)
• Magic with Children’s entertainer Wishy Washy (Saturday 10th)
• Ocean City Sound Choir (performing every Saturday in December)
• Interactive storytelling
(Saturday 17th)
• Open 7 days a week until 24th Dec
* Visit the website
for more information
To take some of the guesswork out, we will be telling you about a few things that you can expect during your visit to Plymouth Market this festive season.
You won’t be able to resist the smell of The Nut House’s honey cinnamon cashews. Christmas and cinnamon go hand-in-hand so be sure to grab yourself a bag or two.
The Nut House has been in the Market for over 8 years and they always find Christmas to be their most popular time of year. The current owner worked as a florist for 20 years but fancied a career change a few years ago, and what better than a nut and chocolate shop?
Not only do they sell a wide range of nuts, but they also sell chocolate-covered nuts, sweets and a colourful array of Turkish delight. Bring your jars with you to fill up – The Nut House support zero waste too.
Calling all toy car and bear collectors and enthusiasts! Head to Cars & Bears in the centre of the Market and grab a fantastic addition to your collection.
The owner and founder of Cars & Bears, Bob, is a fond collector himself, previously having a very large collection of vintage Corgi cars. Bob decided to turn his hobby into a business by starting up his toy car shop within the Market. What started off as one small shop, grew to three times the size with the addition of vintage collector’s bears. With prices ranging from £1 to £400, there’s something here for any car or bear fan. Perfect for Christmas.
No Christmas is complete without an iconic festive wreath to dress your front door. Petals flower shop offers real and artificial bouquets and wreaths that can be completely customisable and made to order.
Since the first lockdown, houseplants became very popular due to their health benefits, therefore they have now stocked a range of beautiful houseplants.
For a handmade festive wreath, make sure you head down to Petals during December.
If you’re a movie buff, look no further, Michael’s Movies and Music will have the film for you. From classics, westerns, war films to modern action, sci-fi and romance, Michael’s has the lot! And there’s sure to be something for music fans too – just ask Michael, there’s nothing he doesn’t know about the movies.
Michael at Michael’s Movies & Music started at Plymouth Market in 1995 to pursue his passion for film and music. He had fond childhood memories of the market and loved going with his Mum and Dad; he says “those days you had to shuffle down the aisles as it was always so packed”. Despite the rise of streaming, the DVD and CD market is still very strong which allows Michael to stay busy until he decides to one day retire. Visit Michael’s Movies & Music on Stall 136.
Take a step into Turkey for a bite to eat at Tantuni. The owner has been working in restaurants internationally for 24 years until he decided to start up his own restaurant in Plymouth Market.
Tantuni offers fresh Turkish street food with recipes and ingredients from his hometown in Turkey. Turkish breakfast, omelette, soup, meze dips, Turkish casserole and sharing platters are some of the things you can expect at Tantuni. They also offer sweet options such as Baklava, Panna Cotta and the best cheesecake we have ever tasted!
Fishing novice or expert angler – Market Tackle and Bait has everything you need to land yourself the catch of the day!
Market Tackle and Bait sells an amazing range of well-priced fishing gear, from hooks and rods to floats and landing nets. There’s even hookless crab lines to keep your tiddlers amused and safe when they accompany you on your fishing trips. And if you need top quality bait, there’s also a wide selection on sale both fresh and frozen, most of which has been locally sourced direct from Plymouth trawlers.
You can also book shore-guided trips with the ‘Bassman’ – just ask Paul for more details. Happy fishing!
Grab some festive ribbon to tie up your Christmas gifts at T&J’s Workbasket. They have been trading for 45 years at the Plymouth Market, one of the oldest running stalls in the market. T&J’s Workbasket is a family business with three generations running the shop.
T&J’s Workbasket supplies all of your haberdashery needs stocking a huge range of fabrics, buttons, thread and ribbons.
With over 60 traders in the Market, we were unable to visit all of them, but there is so much more to explore!