Newcastle’s historic Grainger Market welcomes the arrival of five new traders

Grainger Market, in Newcastle city centre, has welcomed five new traders to the historic alleyways.

Yummie Yogurts, Komono Accessories, Lindsay’s, Street Food Sri Lanka and World of Sweets have all opened their doors to customers in recent months.

The market has been at the heart of Newcastle city centre since 1835 and has been home to some of the best independent businesses in the North East.

Newcastle City Council has been working with Grainger Market traders and FaulknerBrowns on development plans thanks to £8.2million of funding from the Government.

Work on creating a space for cultural activities in the market is expected to start soon.

Cllr Nick Kemp, Leader of Newcastle City Council, has welcomed the five new traders to the historic market and wished them well.

Read more: 'Probably the craic' - Grainger Market traders reveal their favourite things about Newcastle's iconic market

He said: “It is always good to hear of new businesses opening in the Grainger Market and existing businesses doing well and expanding.

“These local traders and small independent businesses are the life blood of our city and play a vital role in helping to ensure an inclusive economy that benefits of all our residents.

“We are committed to investing in the city centre and the city as a whole, and as well as planning for the redevelopment of the market, we want to continue to offer a good quality and affordable location, where these businesses can establish themselves and flourish.

“I wish them all well for their future.”

Yummie Yogurts

Having opened at the start of July, Yummie Yogurts has already been popular with new and old customers to Grainger Market.

It is the first business venture for owner Zeynep, who has always had her eyes set on the Grainger Market due to its popularity in the North East.

When speaking about her first few weeks in business, she said: “Opening the store has been a huge rollercoaster of emotions. I recently graduated from law school, so this wasn’t the path that most of my peers went down.

“Yummie Yogurts started as a dream and it is now a reality.

“I couldn’t have wished for it to go any better and a huge thanks to all of the staff in the Grainger Market and our lovely neighbours for their help, they are the best.”

Komono Accessories

Sisters Cora and Carol opened Komono Accessories in the Grainger Market after having spent years of touring other North East markets.

The pair kitted out a unit on Alley 2 to offer Newcastle city centre a haven of Asian-inspired jewellery, accessories and more.

Cora commented: “We have always wanted to open in the Grainger Market so I am really excited. 

“Since being a student in Newcastle, I have always loved the atmosphere and the vibe of the Grainger Market. 

“We have amazing customers who we love seeing at different markets so we’re very proud to open a shop that is in such a central location for them to visit at all times in the year.”

Lindsay’s

Despite being a staple of Grainger Market, Lindsay’s Fisheries is entering a new chapter as they open another unit on Alley 1 to serve takeaway meals using the catch of the day.

Prioritising produce from the North East only, fish fingers, Craster kippers, crab stotties and prawn cocktails will all be on the menu.

Lindsay’s co-owner Blake Fletcher has worked in Grainger Market since he was a teenager and expressed his excitement for the new venture.

He stated: “I’m really looking forward to trying something new in the Grainger Market.

“We already have an amazing range of food traders, but it’ll be nice to add something different and something local. And it makes sense to make this step now.

“The future of the Grainger Market looks great with positive changes coming.”

Co-owner and Blake’s dad, Paul Fletcher, added: “I have worked for Lindsay’s for decades. It’s all I know, so doing something different is really exciting.

“We decided to open the new shop to offer a healthy takeaway option.

“We already had the unit and have been thinking for a while about what we can do with it that’s a bit different  - it was time to step outside our comfort zone.

“We have more to come - it’s just all a learning curve for us and we’re having fun with it.”

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Street Food Sri Lanka

Opened in Grainger Market’s Alley 1 in May by the owners of URY Restaurant, on the Quayside, Street Food Sri Lanka is providing traditional Sri Lankan dishes to the people of Newcastle.

Owned by Dushantha Alawattegama, members of the public can expect to find dishes such as Lamb Lamprais, Seafood Koththu and tradional Sri Lankan rice & curry.

They also serve popular Sri Lankan snacks including Mutton Roll, Vegetable Roti & Godambar Wraps – all served by a hand-picked team of Sri Lankan chefs.

Speaking of opening his restaurant in the Grainger Market, Dush said: “It has been a pleasure to be operating at the Grainger Market and a delight to receive positive feedback from customers enjoying our food and beverages.

“It is definitely something very special to us.

“There’s an established exciting food community in the Market, it has great footfall, there are lots of traders spanning generations and the exciting plans for the future look great too.

“It was the ideal spot to start my new venture.”

World of Sweets

Hoping to open in the coming weeks, Dave and Carine have been kitting out their unit to offer a range of traditional British sweets, rare American candy and some favourites from Asia.

Dave said: “It's been a fantastic first year for Manhua Cha in Grainger Market.

“After a year of having a permanent shop, it's been a delight to welcome back regulars from our old shop and introduce new customers, helping them to find their favourite flavour of bubble tea.

“We can't wait to get our World of Sweets shop up and running. We originally opened World of Sweets three weeks before lockdown in 2020.

“Sadly it just wasn't the right time to start a business, but we’re hopeful that this time will be much more positive.

“With the pandemic behind us, we're excited to bring unusual sweets and treats from around the world, and a range of traditional British sweets which pair perfectly with the historic Grainger Market.

“We absolutely love being a part of Grainger Market. It really is a part of the historic culture of the city.”