'We're finally here,' say traders as market opens

Darley Street Market has opened for business, with traders hopeful the new site will "revive" Bradford city centre.

The market has been in the works since 2018 and was due to welcome its first customers this weekend, but the launch was brought forward to Thursday.

Keiley Hartley from Dale Farm Foods, who worked at Oastler Market for 25 years, said: "It's been a long time coming, but we're finally here. We were working in a dungeon, now we're working in daylight.

"Hopefully it will make the city centre a bit more lively again, because now there's something to come for."

Ms Hartley can be found working on the first floor of the market, alongside other traditional food traders.

Joining her is her former colleague from Oastler Market, Pelagie Nyemb, who ran Tropikal Foods from John Street for 18 years.

She said: "For almost five or six years Darley Street was dead, so it will bring positivity and it will bring a lot of people.

"Hopefully it will revive Bradford."

A name that has been a staple of Bradford's markets is Taplins butchers, which has been trading in the city since 1916.

Jon Taplin took over the family business 10 years ago and said he was confident people would continue to buy their meat from his stall.

"Any new venture's a gamble," he said.

"It's been a long time coming," Mr Taplin adds - and is not the first, nor last to utter that sentence.

"But when I take a step back and look at it now, it's all been worth it because it's absolutely fantastic.

"I'm hoping it's a catalyst and it will be the beginning of Bradford's regeneration."

Fishmonger Neil Priestley, from Priestley Fish, said that Oastler Market was "really run down".

He added: "This is brand new and it's really exciting times for us now.

"With it being as good and as beautiful as it is, I think it will succeed."

Mr Priestley said Darley Street Market was "10 times better" than his old place of work.

Upstairs is the offer that was perhaps missing from the old markets in the city - a place to sit down, eat from a variety of cuisines and maybe even enjoy a local beer.

Reen Suphatida from Taste of Thai said: "I'm feeling so excited about it.

"I think it will bring loads and loads of people, especially young people.

"When it's lunch time they can come here and enjoy a good vibe and good food."

Jenny Barry runs Jenny's Jerk Chicken, which has three restaurants in Leeds.

She said: "The market is absolutely beautiful and anyone who is not thinking of coming down, I don't know what you're waiting for because this is where you need to be."

The business has been going for 10 years and she even moved her restaurant on Thornton Road in Bradford to be part of Darley Street Market.

Ms Barry said: "In Bradford, people always say 'it's not the place for me', but the council has put so much work in to make sure everyone feels welcome.

"It's not just a market where rubbish could be found, but it's a place where you can also find high-end goods."

The ground floor is where many of the stall traders from the former Kirkgate Market have moved to, including Abdul Ghafoor who runs The Phone Box - previously called Symbian Technology.

"We're feeling excited, it's a long time overdue," he said.

"It's nice, new and clean.

"I'm optimistic.

"I do believe it's going to be a success for Bradford."

Many punters were queuing outside the new market ahead of its opening at 10:30 BST.

"At the moment it looks very good, but not before time," said Kenneth Wilson - the fourth person to remark on the long wait for the market.

"I hope it brings more people into Bradford, because to me Bradford has gone really downhill and I hope this does change things."

Back upstairs in the food hall, Hasna Attar told the BBC that she learned about the market on TikTok - perhaps a sign that the younger generation are becoming aware of its presence in the city.

"I thought it was just going to be a food place, but when I came I found the market downstairs and I thought 'wow that's great'," she said.

Also perusing the food options was Himani Bhardwaj.

"I've been to a few markets abroad and it gives me the same kind of feel," she said.

"It was about eight years ago we were told they were going to knock the old buildings down and replace it with a market, so it's good to come in and see what's in place.

"I can definitely see more people coming in here - and myself - just wanting to support the local businesses here."

Among the positive comments, there was still room for some constructive criticism.

"When I first walked in, I thought it was like a department store really," Shaun Ramsay said.

"We've been waiting a long time for this.

"I love Bradford, it's my home town, but I'd sooner go to Halifax shopping.

"I think the prices are higher here, especially in this food hall.

"I've seen a chocolate eclair over there for £4.99.

"You can go to Greggs and get one for half that price, so why would you come here?"

From 11 July the opening hours for the Fresh Food Hall and Lifestyle Hall will be from 09:00 BST to 17:30 BST Monday to Saturday.

Darley Street Kitchen will be open from 11:00 BST; closing at 21:00 BST from Monday to Thursday; 22:00 BST on Friday and Saturday; and 20:00 BST on Sunday.

See everything there is to know about the new market here.

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