Belfast city hall

Belfast city hall

Wholesalers, importers and farmers who are either trading or retired are invited to a charity reunion event, organised by Belfast wholesalers The North Down Group.

The event aims to bring together traders from across the city’s scattered wholesale sector, as it became fragmented when companies relocated from the fruit market’s old central location.

The ‘Market Reunion Dinner Dance’ will be held on 25 January at The Malone Lodge Hotel in Belfast. It hopes to raise a minimum of £5,000 for children’s charity NSPCC.

Tickets will be sold at around £70 for a double ticket, or £700 for a table, and there will also be an auction to raise further funds.

Organisers said that they are expecting about 250 people from across the Belfast fruit industry, including many second or third generation traders.

Brian Dean of The North Down group said: 'There are a lot of characters who keep the wholesale industry going and this event will be a chance to get everyone together.'

The Belfast Fruit market used to be at one central location before various larger companies, including The North Down Group and Total Produce, relocated.

The old location is now not used for the market, and has been replaced by two principal sites as well as various other outlets across the city.

The North Down group’s site is at the Kennedy Way Industrial Estate and the Total Produce site is at the City Business Park.