07/08/2026
GREAT TORRINGTON PANNIER MARKET – MEET & GREET: WHAT WE HEARD AND WHAT COMES NEXT
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us at Great Torrington Pannier Market for our Meet & Greet.
It was a really positive and open evening, bringing together traders, residents, local businesses, community representatives and people who simply care about the future of this historic market.
The evening wasn't about presenting a finished plan. It is still very early days for North Devon Handmade Collective, which was appointed by Torridge District Council on 1 July 2026 as the licence holder for the market for three years.
Our approach is one of stewardship, not management.
Great Torrington Pannier Market has been part of the town since 1842. Our role is to respect what already exists, support the people who make the market work and find ways of developing it without losing its character or place within the community.
Friday & Saturday General Markets
One of the clearest messages stated was reassurance that Friday and Saturday will remain General Market Days. The existing market is not being replaced by specialist or artisan events. Our ambition is to strengthen it. We want to create more reasons for people to visit Great Torrington throughout the week, with the hope that visitors discovering the market through new events will also return for the traditional Friday and Saturday markets.
Wednesday Luncheon
Andrew described this as "one of the best ideas the market has seen in recent years" and gave full credit to Market Manager Sam Duckworth for developing the concept.
NDHC intends to relaunch the Wednesday Luncheon as soon as possible. The idea is simple: create a reason for people who live and work in Great Torrington to come into the market for lunch, discover different local food businesses and spend a little more time in the market. We believe integrating the Pannier Market into the everyday life of Great Torrington is an important part of its future.
Understanding Where We Start
A key part of the discussion was the importance of establishing some baseline measures so that we can judge whether what we're doing actually works. Financial performance, trader occupancy and frequency were discussed and, perhaps most importantly, what customers actually want from their market.
In 2025, 53 different trader traded at the market, but only three attended 50% or more of the available trading days. So far in 2026, 34 different traders have traded, with again only three attending 50% or more of the available days. The message isn't that there aren't enough traders. It's that we need more regular traders, more reasons for them to trade and more reasons for customers to visit.
As we look towards 2027, trader loyalty and commitment will form part of the conversation, alongside customer demand, product mix, standards and the overall experience the market provides.
Sunday Events
The other major focus area was the development of Sunday events.
Our first planned Sunday event will be DeStash taking place in September. Our previous DeStash at Barnstaple Pannier Market attracted 40 traders and created a fantastic buzz throughout the day. Despite the summer holidays, we've already sold around a quarter of the available spaces for the Great Torrington event, so we're optimistic about a full house.
Looking further ahead, we're developing a programme that could include:
🎨 Designed in North Devon
🥕 Produce Makers
♻️ Eco & Sustainability Events
🧶 DeStash
🕰️ Vintage & Retro
🧘 Mind, Body & Soul
👨👩👧 Family Days
🐾 Pet Days
💎 Collectables
👩 Women's Day
🎄 Seasonal events
🎁 A last-minute Christmas Stocking Shopping event
These aren't intended simply to be additional market days. The aim is to create different visitor experiences that attract different audiences, giving people new reasons to discover Great Torrington Pannier Market and the wider town.
Listening to the Community
Perhaps the most important message from the evening was that we don't have all the answers and we're not pretending we do.
Our Community Questionnaire remains an important part of the process. We're asking residents, visitors, traders, local businesses and community organisations what they think the market needs.
The feedback will help inform the decisions we make as we move forward, and a summary of the findings will be shared once the questionnaire closes. You can find the questionnaire here, https://www.northdevonhandmadecollective.co.uk/gtpm-survey
🤝 This Is About Working Together
One thing came through very clearly during the evening. The future of Great Torrington Pannier Market isn't something that NDHC can deliver alone. It will require traders, customers, local businesses, community groups, volunteers, the town and the wider community working together.
The market already has enormous strengths: History. Character. Location. Dedicated traders. And a community that cares. Our job is to build on those strengths not replace them.
Thank you once again to everyone who came along, asked questions, shared ideas and gave us their time. We're only at the beginning. But we're excited about what Great Torrington Pannier Market could become, and we're looking forward to working with the community to make that happen.
Let's see what we can achieve together.
