Market hopes to bring life back to street (From The Oxford Times)

Market hopes to bring life back to street

7:10pm Tuesday 30th October 2012 in News

CELEBRITY chef Sophie Grigson opened a new community market aimed at breathing life into a once bustling Oxford street.

She launched the North Parade Community Market on Saturday. The 15 stalls aim to complement rather compete with goods sold by the pubs and shops in the street.

The chef and food writer said: “It was lovely, so nice to see. I think North Parade was made for that kind of farmers’ market.”

Organiser and Oxford city councillor for North Oxford James Fry said: “It went tremendously well. I think it’s fair to say it was more successful than we ever expected.

“It brought a lot of buzz to what is otherwise a very quiet street on weekends.”

Several stalls sold out with two hours of the market still to go, including Eat Cake, a bakery venture by Osney resident Lilina Licata, who was helped out by nephew Michael Meredith, visiting from Leeds University. He said: “My aunt is looking forward to the next one.”

The market will take place on the last Saturday of each month.