It’s 6.50am. A throng of Asian restaurant owners, shop owners and traders from all over Manchester are mobbing a forklift truck stacked with mangoes yet to hit the floor. “This happens a lot; the Asian trade is the future of the market,” says Musharaf Javed, who runs Vegman, the company responsible for importing the wide range of exotic produce that has got one trader tugging five boxes from the bottom of the pallet, prompting shouts of “from the top please!”.
The kind of vibrancy seen at Vegman’s pitch will be exactly what Manchester City Council will be looking to harness in its planned redevelopment of the market. The proposals have long been on and off the table in an ongoing saga that has seen both traders and authorities hit as many stumbling blocks as they have positive ideas about the site’s future.
There is a long-standing consensus that the market is outdated and practical plans to redevelop the site date as far back as 1997. However, under the stewardship of wholesale commercial manager Lee Vallender, who follows Krys Zasada, now policy development manager at the National Association of British Market Authorities, in working on the project, the market’s prospects appear more solid and optimistic. “Due to the economic climate, there has been some delay with taking the project forward, considering land values and construction costs,” Vallender tells FPJ. “However, we have finalised a revised vision for Manchester’s Food HQ, which focuses on an extensive refurbishment of one of the trading hallways, a brand-new fish market and several ancillary units. This is a more affordable model and focuses on the requirement of businesses to become more efficient and compliant with new legislation.”
It has been a frustrating road to this point for both Vallender and traders alike, with several approaches considered and scrapped. “Originally, we were advised to go out to the market to challenge a developer to come up with a deliverable and sustainable scheme for the site using the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) process. The timescale for the initial process would have been approximately two to four months. We would then work with the preferred developer to create detailed proposals for the redevelopment.
“We received six expressions of interest from a wide range of companies, which we shortlisted down to three. However, concerns were raised about the competitive dialogue process not being fit for purpose, and detailed discussions have taken place with colleagues and City Solicitors and we decided to suspend the OJEU notice and re-evaluate our approach. The redevelopment process is continuing, with New East Manchester and Manchester Markets working together to conduct further research to facilitate and develop a detailed proposal.”
Opinions on the market vary, but feelings of concern and frustration are evident and understandable. Some are more forthright than others. Peter Marsh of A&C Produce says: “[The council] needs to come out of cloud cuckoo land; it’s not going to happen and the market needs a revamp in the short term. To be fair, the cleaners do a tremendous job and the recycling is very efficient, but I’ll see God before I see a new market or a definite date.”
Andrew Murison of John Henshall adds: “We have been waiting 12 years for a new market and we would love it if it came, but they simply can’t afford it. We have offered to build our own place but heard nothing.”
But Robert Swimmerton of Richard Jones says his relationship with the market authority is more positive. “I have been consulted on the redevelopment a few times and am behind it,” he says. “Every time I hear something, it is that new companies have been approached but I don’t give them a hard time about it as I find the council quite helpful in general repairs.”
“I can understand the tenants’ frustration,” says Vallender. “They have been told there will be a new market for a decade, but at this point we don’t want to give people a date until there is a strict timeframe.”
It is hoped a timeline will be approved very soon and a consultation process initiated from that. In the interim, the council has invested £150,000 in infrastructure in the last 12 months, including £108,000 in significant electrical work. Plans have been mooted for work on the roof, which currently leaks throughout the complex.
There is a hustle and bustle to the main fruit and veg wholesale aisle at New Smithfield, which belies the idea that it is a diminishing market. Despite a significant reduction in the number of companies at the market, three companies have moved into the main aisle, adding vibrancy, banter and increased trade at the heart of the market. “The aisle is quite lively now and competition is healthy, so we welcome it,” says Murison.
“It has definitely been better since pretty much everyone has moved into the one aisle,” agrees Steve Biddlecombe of Nuttall & Biddlecombe Ltd. “It really spreads the run of business up and down the market.”
With general co-operation and communication on the market good, it would seem natural to have a tenants’ association but it is something that New Smithfield has been without for more than seven years and remains a common goal. “There should definitely be a tenants’ association, but the problem is that most of the gaffers are really hands-on and work long hours as it is, so they haven’t really got the time,” says Swimmerton.
“We could really benefit from an association,” agrees Javed. “Knowing where to put questions would be useful as the council talks to me now and again, but there are some things to be discussed.”
Vallender agrees it would represent progress for the market. “We have tried very hard to try to get an association going as we need to have a working group that will contribute to the redevelopment from a design and function perspective.”
The market authority, Manchester Markets, has made huge strides in dealing with the considerable waste created on site with a composting facility, composing of six composting towers, located in the corner of the market. The facility is funded by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and run by not-for-profit organisation Fairfield Materials Management to deal with the organic, cardboard and wooden waste on site - the resulting mulch is composted and used for landscaping.
Kenny Leah, Manchester Markets’ waste strategy co-ordinator, says the development is a considerable benefit to the site. “It has been open about five years and employs six to seven local people,” he explains. “The waste is heated at around 62°C to break down the pathogens and then left for six weeks before redistribution.”
Elsewhere on the market, the authority has to deal with anything from pest control to essential maintenance. After careful consideration, a team of eight full-time and four part-time cleaning staff has been assembled to work quickly through the market at various times to deal with waste. “Rents are always going to be the major issue you have to deal with as an authority,” says Phil Metcalfe, assistant wholesale market manager. “But we have been offering a lot of help and advice on environmental health, electrics and doing repairs. We are doing a lot in terms of debt management at the moment as, with the recession, we don’t want to lose any of our traders, so we have gone around offering help and advice on that with weekly payment plans and going through accounts with people.”
One move, planned by Vallender, which could potentially revolutionise New Smithfield is to create a retail market on the site in the style of London’s Borough Market. In a glossy document, prepared by Vallender to outline the market’s future, it is envisaged that bustling crowds could benefit from a composite retail market supplying fruit and vegetables, fish and baked goods, among other products, with the success of farmers’ markets also cited as a consumer trend in the move’s favour. “The fish market already retails; a retail market could possibly be three days a week and could encourage the wholesalers to retail or the stall holders to source from the market. With a new Metrolink tram due here, the market could become a real destination for shoppers,” says Vallender.
But Riffat Amin, of A-Z Fruit and Veg, is sceptical about the move. “I don’t think it’s a great idea as a lot of our trade is from shopkeepers who retail near the market,” she says. “It’s not about the money for the wholesalers, but it is our customers who could suffer from the competition.”
The future for the market, on the whole, looks positive. A strong central trading base has become coveted, with new businesses and expanding traders looking for more space. The proposed revamp could see the 35-acre site reduced to 20a, creating a more streamlined, busy and efficient site, but with increased trading space. Despite the lack of a tenants’ association, a good spirit and cohesion exists on the market and the boom in Asian trade could well see New Smithfield enter a new era.
A* FOR A1’S MANCHESTER MOVE
A1 Veg Ltd opened up its operations in New Smithfield in June, building on bases in London and Birmingham and supplying the likes of the Bakkavör Group and Marks & Spencer. “We heard that there is a big scope for customers here,” says accountant Syed Raza. “Our main focus is driving custom and more units here will definitely help in the future. We have taken a lot more money per day than we had expected, which is very positive, but we are not satisfied with the cleaning at the moment; there is still a lot of stuff left outside at 3pm when we finish.”
BIDDLECOMBE WEATHERS STORM
Steve Biddlecombe of Nuttall & Biddlecombe Ltd says business has been difficult of late. “Trade has been tough, especially as the weather has been pretty bad - the best salesman is always the sunshine,” he says. “The market is definitely in need of a revamp, but the issue has been rumbling on for about 10 years - it’s fine as a warehouse really. We could definitely do with some cleaning help, though; they don’t provide enough bins and the one we had was stolen.”
COMPETITION HEALTHY FOR MANCHESTER WHOLESALE FRUIT
Brothers Michael and David Elliott set up Manchester Wholesale Fruit five years ago, mainly focusing on retail business with some catering custom. Michael tells FPJ that the market has changed in some respects. “There has been a bit of change with newer firms coming in, which I think is positive as it creates a proper market and we don’t mind a bit of competition,” he says. “The recession is hitting everyone and everybody is struggling, but the ethnic trade is obviously faring well.”
A&C FIGHTS DISCOUNTER WAR
Peter Marsh, owner of A&C Produce, believes that the retail discounters have bitten into the market’s business and created a situation in which it cannot compete. “It really doesn’t help that there is a glut of fruit from the big discounters,” he says. “It’s a loss leader for them but they are prepared to do it in some of the exotic lines. They set the prices too far in advance and if prices are high here, then people nip into the local discounter.”
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED IMPORTERS
Chris Bridge, chairman of Fred Bridge Ltd, says longevity is a very positive factor on the market. The firm was founded in 1888. He tells FPJ: “You do get an edge being such an established business, even with people being so price-conscious at the moment.
“We’ve just received a Plimsoll report that says we are strong as a business and we are one of the largest players in the industry.”
As an importer, Fred Bridge becomes considerably busier in the winter as local produce becomes short or non-existent.
LOCAL SUPPORT FROM RICHARD JONES
Robert Swimmerton, pictured, heads up the ever-busy Richard Jones and says part of his success is down to a commitment to local produce. “We really want to concentrate on local produce, which is very important in the salads and potato business. I’m a farmer’s son so it’s great to support local growers. It has definitely become increasingly important for retailers in the last three to five years. The supermarkets have this big field-to-fork thing, which is not realistic as there is always a 48- to 72-hour delay going through distribution centres.”
JOHN HENSHALL EXPANDS
Spanning four units, John Henshall is one of the largest businesses on the market and plans to create an 8,000sqft storage warehouse to help ease pressure on space. “We are outgrowing our current space so we want to build our own place and deal with it in our own way,” says Andrew Murison, pictured. “We have already taken steps forward like hand-held devices, which we are implementing at the moment - they give us full traceability and mean we can manage very closely and see exactly where we are losing money.”
IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT
Paul Barton, pictured, owns Barton and Redman, which covers 15 units and employs 50 staff. “We are always looking for more space to move into and more units,” he says. “I don’t think there is anything wrong with the market at the moment; it still does a job even though it is not up to European specifications. It is fairly clean for a working market, which is a good advert for outsiders coming in.”
VEGMAN EXTENDS DIVERSITY
Musharaf Javed, pictured, who runs Vegman with his father Arshad, is looking for new suppliers to extend the diverse range of produce already available from the business, which was set up 20 years ago. “If you look at the market, the majority of the custom is Asian,” he says. “The shopkeepers like to source from the market and they benefit from the more exotic products that are available. We are right behind the renovation; it’s very positive for the market and could bring us up to the standard of the European state-of-the-art wholesale markets.”
WORLDWIDE FLAVOURS ARRIVE IN MANCHESTER
Set up less than four months ago, Worldwide Foods Manchester supplies its Asian speciality supermarket branches from its hub at New Smithfield. Mark Westwell tells FPJ the model works well for them. “We used to buy from the market but, because of the sheer volume of produce, we have now set up here as a distribution hub,” he says. “We are away from the main traders, which suits us well for accessibility, and the turnover of product means we can safely buy with barely any waste.”
TOTAL PRODUCE ENTERS MARKET
Total Produce has extended its vast UK network with the buy-out of Ernest Broadbelt, which has given its position on the market the stability of a national network and moved the traders into the main trading row, C&D. Chris Platt tells FPJ: “It is survival of the fittest so that’s why we sold out to Total Produce and it has given us a platform to grow. We were isolated on the A&B row and feel a lot more part of the market here.”
TOUGH CHOICES HIT INDUSTRY
Fresh Choice has been trading in exotic produce for almost a decade and has seen the recession hit the market hard. Salesman Shafiq Siddiq, pictured left with a customer, says: “Some of the restaurants have closed and there is one that closed just last week, so you can tell it’s hitting everyone hard. The farmers I talk to are struggling too and I think it’s going to get tougher, if anything.”
JAMES BLACKBURN WELCOMES MARKET PROPOSALS
Phil Murphy of James Blackburn says that the recession has not hit business too hard, but a new market would certainly help trade. “The council says it’s going forward but it is a closed shop; it would help if we had a tenants’ association,” he says. “We put forward to have one about 12 months ago, but there are not enough hours in the day to have one. The overheads are the main worry, as they can be a real killer.”
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