bury’s world famous market
A DAY OUT WITH A DIFFERENCE!
Bury Market is the biggest and arguably the best market in the North West. So much so that it has acquired the label ‘Bury’s World Famous Market’ from the many customers all over the world who keep coming back to visit. This market had been on our radar for quite some time and it was Saturday 2 December, at 10.30am, when we spontaneously decided to visit this much revered shopping mecca. And to add a little extra interest to our day (as if we needed it) we decided to travel by Metrolink tram. We shot out of the house, parked our car at East Didsbury terminus car park, set off in the waiting tram, changed very efficiently at Exchange Square Manchester and arrived one hour later at our destination. As our tram swept through central Manchester we were struck by the ubiquitous Christmas decorations, stalls and struggling crowds and began to wonder whether Bury Market would be similar - perhaps a little too much to endure. But we had worried needlessly. As we walked towards the market it became clear that, despite a few seasonal touches, Bury Market needed no such atmospheric support. It simply oozes charisma, with an atmosphere all its own, and you will get this all year round. Bury Market dates back to 1444 but the current site has only been occupied since the 1970s. There are three main venues: the Market Hall which was rebuilt in 1971 following a devastating blaze two years previously, The Fish and Meat Hall which opened in the late ‘90s on the site of a former bank, and the covered Open Market with over 300 stalls.
by Garth Aspinall
The Fish and Meat Hall The centrepiece of Bury Market is undoubtedly the Fish and Meat Hall which is an eye-catching, lively, modern market building, built in an oval shape and constructed of steel and glass with large projecting canopies that afford a high degree of weather protection to the shop units that string its external perimeter. Here you will encounter Morecambe Bay potted shrimps, succulent steaks sourced from local farms and seasonal game birds brought to market straight from regional estates. From further afield, fresh tuna and monkfish are available. We were thoroughly entertained by the theatre of the stallholders shouting out their wares and announcing the ‘deals of the day’. This hubbub is a stark contrast to the sterile environment of the modern supermarket; high street butchers and fishmongers are becoming a rare sight in modern towns and cities and the collection of skills and produce on offer within this one building is a reminder of what a pleasurable experience shopping for fresh food can be. And the prices are frankly amazing!
The Open Market The outdoor Open Market has over 300 stalls offering a wide range of goods from clothing and soft furnishings to garden plants and electrical items. Most of the aisles are covered with polycarbonate roofs which bring great weather protection without losing the outdoor feel. This part of the market, particularly noted for its wide array of locally grown and world foods, has won numerous Continued over
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