WHITSTABLE HARBOUR VILLAGE BLOG

Famous Five Foodies

2011-10-06T02:55:00.000-07:00

British food fortnight seems the perfect time to launch our five new food huts in the Kentish Food Quarter. It took nearly five years to acheive it but finally we have a Kentish market that can sell Kent's best loved product- food.

It was a tough job selecting the best local foodies to be installed in the smart new huts but I think we have it about right with our very own famous five.

First of all we welcome back Phil at Volks Coffee. Phil is passionate about fair trade gourmet coffee and is now using locally blended beans. You are just one sip away from never going near the the boring corporate coffee brands ever again.

Next door to Phil in Hut 21 you will find a warm welcome from Lorraine and Theresa (pictured right) at the Chai Stop; Kent's own award-winning curry company. You can enjoy their delicious authentic dishes hot to warm you in the harbour or take home portions for the freezer.

Mersham Game are a traditional Game Dealer from Bank Farm near Ashford. Ellie is a trained chef so can help advise you on how best to enjoy their venison, pheasant, pigeon and pies. Free range eggs and local market-garden produce are also available, direct from their estate.

You can sense the culinary buzz from Julia and Sarah at the Whitstable Diner from the other end of Harbour Street. This is simply top class nosh using locally sourced ingredients. The thinking man's fast-food diner. My recommendation is the chilli and garlic prawns on a fresh sesame seed bun. Quick and delicious.

Lewis at the Kentish Cheesecake Company will always have a word or two to offer on the subject of his home baked cheesecakes of distinction. As the winter approaches he is also starting hot crepes.

Everyone is open at week-ends and Chai Stop and Whitstable Diner are also open on Thursdays and Fridays so brave the chilly winds and get down to say hello.

Whitstable Harbour Village not Tesco

2011-05-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

There was a story in the local KM last week about a couple complaining that staff had been rude to them in Tesco. Well what did they expect?

Tesco recently announced worldwide profit of £3.4 billion for 2010. They are not going to be that worried about a little whinging from one local couple.

At least the couple in question, Michael and Jacqui Johnson, have the option of shopping elsewhere in Whitstable. In many towns and cities across the UK they would not have that privilage. Tesco is fast becoming the only game in town.

Once the local independent shops have been driven out Tesco can be as rude as they like because you won't have a choice any more.

Tesco and the other mega-stores destroy independent retailers and the vibrant communities they support. They dominate supply chains to such an extent that they can dictate pricing to farmers and other suppliers.

Tesco probably have more impact on the local economy, local community and local landscape than any political party or government organsisation.

But no-one voted to live in Tesco land.

So, Michael and Jacqui, why not pop down to the Whitstable Harbour Village this week-end?

Enjoy some shopping with real people who live locally and are friendly by nature.

At least they wont be rude to you and you know what? Every little helps.

Santa in the Harbour

2010-11-29T09:14:00.001-08:00

Very many thanks to all who supported the Whitstable Harbour Christmas Market, last Saturday and Sunday and helped keep Christmas local.

Nearly 200 children visited Santa in his grotto over the week-end after his spectacular arrival from Lapland. Santa arrived at Whitstable Harbour Village in his own sailing boat hauled by a special detachment of the Whitstable Sea Scouts.

The Big Tree Cider Company kept the Kentish mulled cider flowing as visitors braved icy temperatures to enjoy fabulous music from local musicians. The Whitstable Choral Society, Malcolm J Holland and the sensational Rachael Gerrard performed on Saturday. Many of the songs were signed for the deaf, thanks to the services of Helen James.

Shoppers enjoyed Christmas food from Cloudberry Cafe, the Market Grill and Cocoa and Spice and a range of gifts from local independent traders.

Sunday saw Whitstable Whistlefish add some festive songs to the atmosphere before local favourite, Myles the Magic Wizard entertained children with his jokes and tricks.

Many thanks also to the Whitstable and District Chamber of Commerce for lending their information hut for the indoor gift market and to the Whistable and Herne Bay Lions Club for arranging the special visit of Santa Claus.

It was a lovely community Christmas event offering an alternative to Christmas shopping in air- conditioned shopping malls full of corporate chain stores.

It also raised money for local good causes.

Terrified in the Harbour

2010-11-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

It's not every day that you see a load of witches, several ghosts, Frankenstein's monster, a werewolf and two vampires in a working harbour but that's why Whitstable Harbour is a little different.

For the Harbour Halloween Fun Day, nearly 60 children entered the annual fancy dress parade organised by village traders, Lynn Bolton and Keith Webber and some were as young as two years old.

However, cynical you might be about Halloween as a commercial American import, it was a lovely sight to see all those children dressed up and having fun.

Thanks also to Uncle Myles the Magic Wizard for providing some excellent entertainment and all the harbour village traders for being even more scary than usual.

Head in the Clouds in the Harbour

2010-10-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

Number 13 might be unlucky for some but that doesn’t apply to Lynn Bolton, the founder of Head in the Clouds, who is busier than ever with a new range of posh puddings as the winter approaches down at Whitstable Harbour.

Lynn has been trading from her fisherman’s hut (Number 13) in the harbour village since July 2009 and her award winning boutique meringue business has grown from strength to strength since then. Lynn now supplies some of the top retailers in the country including Selfridges.

If your childhood memory of a meringue is a rather brittle and dusty white container for tinned fruit, then think again. Lynn’s meringues are all hand made with free range egg whites from Monkshill Farm between Whitstable and Faversham using a secret family recipe.

No wonder they have been sampled by the Royal Household but Lynn is sworn to secrecy about the details.

The first thing to say about Lynn’s meringues is that they look sensational. They are beautifully presented with stylish packaging but the taste is even better. The meringues are sweet and crusty with a soft sticky interior which is just yummy.

There are some brilliant new ranges being lined up for Christmas including a fat vanilla snowman with a fondant icing scarf, peppermint flavoured Christmas trees and my personal favourite; the reindeer cup-cake meringue.

The fisherman’s hut in Whitstable Harbour Village gives Lynn a chance to meet local people and get customer feedback every week-end. She has also managed to win long term customers from the people she has met in the harbour.

“I am now supplying a wonderful cafe and bakery in Leighton Buzzard run by South African Chris and his French wife Leatitia who I met in the harbour” explains Lynn.

Head in the Clouds is open 10am-4pm every week-end at the Whitstable Harbour Village until Christmas and you can also see their new winter range at http://www.headintheclouds.uk.com/christmas.html

Whitstable not a Clone Town...yet

2010-10-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

Great news last month when Whitstable made the pages of the national press for being featured in the New Economic Foundation (nef) Report into so called Clone Towns. The nef report found that Whitstable was the most diverse town in its entire survey with an impressive 92.1 on the diversity scale.

The nef report, Re-imagining the High Street: Escape from Clone Town Britain, also brands the multiple chain outlets as “fair weather friends” who have either abandoned the high streets entirely or given up so-called secondary locations.

The report is a remarkable achievement for Whitstable and offers a fabulous opportunity for the town. Whitstable could establish an international reputation as a vibrant local business champion with encouragement for local independent retailers, restaurants and other businesses in the town.

The nef survey also offered welcome encouragement for those who try and help Whitstable be a diverse and locally owned business environment. The local business clubs, Whitstable and District Chamber of Commerce, Made in Whitstable, the local farmers market, the folks from Transition Town Whitstable and the Keep Whitstable Different Campaign. Not to mention the actual business owners themselves who struggle against government interference, red tape and increasing costs on a daily basis to keep their businesses going and keep Whitstable different.

Ironically, the report came out just a few days after it was reported that the Bingo Hall in Oxford Street is to be turned into another one of Wetherspoon’s 780 cheap boozing venues across the UK. The “Yob and Vomit” as it has already been tagged by some locals will be one of the first businesses seen by visitors to Whitstable. Visitors eager to enjoy the town’s diversity and the locally owned independents shops and businesses will be sorely disappointed.

Whitstable Harbour could be ideally placed to be the driving force of Whitstable’s international reputation as a diverse and locally owned shopping, eating and leisure destination. The businesses in the harbour are all locally owned and the harbour itself represents the town’s rich maritime heritage based on a reputation for unique locally sourced food - Oysters. Isn’t this a unique and gold plated opportunity for the harbour to benefit the whole community?

Just imagine the national headlines: Whitstable vows never to be a clone town. In a bold new strategy announced today Whitstable became the first town in the UK to commit itself to supporting locally owned business and local produce and saying” no” to multiple retail chains. The town’s famous harbour is to be the centre of a new local business hub and independent local retailers in the town and those offering local produce will be offered business rates holidays to allow them to flourish.

Unfortunately, the Harbour Board is too busy tearing itself to pieces in an internal feud about how best to run the harbour, to do anything constructive or pro-active. Not that constructive or pro-active were terms readily associated with the Board at the best of times but here was an opportunity to put a modern and coherent management system in place for the Harbour just when it was needed. Instead Canterbury City Council seems to have succeeded to taking something recognised as pretty ineffective and actually make it worse.

Its critics may accuse the Harbour Board of producing little more than hot air or only offering a talking shop for retired people but you can’t help thinking that a great opportunity to put a modern coherent system in place and do something really constructive for Whitstable has been lost.

In a few years time when Whitstable eventually becomes another depressing clone town full of empty shops, charity outlets and the odd multiple chain of estate agents, we may look back and remember those national headlines and wish we had done something constructive rather than let such opportunity slip past.

Visit Whitstable?

2010-08-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

The transformation of Whitstable from a quirky and close knit coastal community to a mainstream visitor and second home destination has been more noticeable than ever this summer.

Never have more visitors been seen ambling aimlessly down the middle of the road or driving their precious darlings at high speed to their next wholesome educational activity in massive gleaming SUV's.

Tatty old beach huts become designer statements. More houses become holiday cottages or second homes. More litter is dropped. Residents can feel increasingly like animatronics dummy's at Disneyworld- being pointed at and asked the way to the nearest public toilet.

I have not yet seen any offical statistics but the EPICentre food and drink event on the opening week-end of the Oyster Festival was the most crowded I have ever seen the harbour.

For the first time, temporary loos had to be installed and the excellent SERCO rubbish team were working like demons to keep everything looking clean and tidy.

Most people who live and work in the town can see that tourism is having a massive impact. In many ways this can be positive. It allows us all to enjoy fabulous pubs and restaurants. It offers an opportunity for locally owned business to benefit financially from the towns increasing popularity as a visitor destination. The Harbour Village is supporting the WHIT card scheme so that local people are encouraged to use their local traders and local services all year around.

But tourism and leisure also creates a massive strain on the towns infrastructure at week-ends and in the summer months. This must be planned and managed effectively by local government even in tough economic times. Its not good enough just to leave it to local business to sort out.

Is this change being managed at all at the moment? What investment is planned in tourism infrastructure? Does anyone care what the impact of tourism will be on Whitstable in ten years time? Does anyone have a strategy for sustainable tourism so that the community benefits directly from visitor spend?

Somehow I doubt it..

The village..coming to a town near you?

2010-07-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

We are all stuck in a sort of strange Limbo Land down at Whitstable Harbour and its not just festival fever.

It’s like Waiting for Godot or Waiting for Tesco is probably nearer to the truth.

We can’t expand, improve or invest in the village while we wait along with everyone else for the “comprehensive re-development” of the South Quay. If you thought this was a dead idea think again all harbour lovers- it is alive and well but just sleeping gently over at military Road in Canterbury.

Options need to be kept open by our dear friends at the council. That big deal could be just around the corner.

So if we can't get on with things, we are going to look elsewhere.

We now have 23 local businesses earning their living from the village, most operating from their own fisherman’s huts which I still think is quite a cool idea first suggested by Mark and Ann Pardoe.

Visitors to the town and locals can spend their money with people who live and work in the local community. It acts (partly) as a showcase for local arts and crafts. It attracts visitors to the town and adds some life to what was an ugly section of the harbour. It now generates over £¼ million every year for the local economy and of course, pays rent to the harbour and rates to the council.

There is not a big downside that I can think of.

The only problem is that the village is full and we would like to expand and improve. But all that’s on offer is what is effectively a six month lease. Just in case that big money development is just around the corner the council can kick our little huts out, and move Mr Tesco in.

Doesn’t make you feel all that welcome to be honest.

So if we can’t expand in our own home harbour, we are going to look at taking the harbour village idea to another Kentish seaside town near you. Explore Kent’s creative coast and the pleasures of Margate, Ramsgate, Deal, Sandwich or Broadstairs?

Any Kentish town out there like their own village?

Oyster Festival Fever

2010-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Whitstable Oyster Festival is about to commence this week-end and you can already feel the frenzied excitement reaching boiling point across the town.

Festival fever grips the people of Whitstable in different ways of course but for so many it is an opportunity to wear pink and explore their feminine side.

Indeed many people in Whitstable don't need a festival about a shellfish as an excuse to dress up in strange clothes and exhibit themselves in public places, most notably in Whitstable Harbour.

You might think that a town famous for fishing and commercial diving might have a gruff and macho edge to it but you could not be more wrong. For every gravelly voiced oystermen has his camp side and the festival is the time to celebrate it in public. So join the party...

Hot Hot Harbour

2010-07-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

It's over 30 degrees C and the harbour is hotting up this summer with lots of interesting news and great music from Whitstable's own radio station, Red Sands Radio on 87.7 FM.

Malcolm is setting a new trend in pink as harbour men explore their feminine side and visitors treat their sunstroke with chilled juices and smoothies from the Whitstable Juice Company and cold strawberry tartlettes from Cocoa and Spice.

Rob Morris and Steve Randall at the new Harbour Smiths have made a strong start with their stunning range of hand crafted silver jewellery. Romney Marsh Arts and Craft Gallery have a leading ceramic artist on hand for the next few weeks. Enmanual Moldonado (right) is from Nicaragua and has been involved in ceramic arts for over 15 years. Meet him and check out his amazing work in Hut 9.

Frances at the Craft and Teddy Hut is now stocking the toys from local children's author Emma Thomson. Each special toy animal has a secret associated with the corresponding book.

So tune in to Red Sands Radio, get down the harbour and make the most of the summer. It won't last forever.

The Arty Village

2010-06-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

The famous Whitstable Biennale starts on Saturday, offering two weeks packed with weird arty installations and unexpected creativity. Criticised by some for being too elitist, the Biennale is always well organised, highly inventive and brings visitors to the town outside the peak summer holiday season.

Last Bienalle, Malcolm's hut was covered with a huge knitted tea cosy. This time Keith's hut (Hut 14) will be the subject of an art installation called "The ontological possibility of Utopia"by Jack Brindley, David Spraggs and Charles Brown.

The Village celebration of all things arty started early when our longest serving resident artist, Michael Richardson (Hut 5) was selected for the Royal Academy of Arts, Summer Exhibition. This is a huge accolade as this year only a few hundred selections were made from over 11,000 entries.

It means Michaels work will hang alongside the likes of Tracy Emin, Antoni Tapies and Gillian Ayres and he is likely to be (even more) coveted by some of the leading galleries.

Michael spent some time as a sailmaker and yacht designer, so marine themes are his favourite but his sumbission for the RA was actually painted from a freezing snowy ditch near Goudhurst in the middle of winter.

This summer the arty village also offers Juanita Newton, Nina Harris, Printerior Design plus the exquisite silver creations from the new Harbour Smiths.

So this Biennale check out the art scene at the arty and creative Whitstable Harbour Village.

New traders for Summer 2010 at the Village

2010-05-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it is now the fourth summer for Whitstable Harbour Village.

After modest beginnings where the market resembled a refugee camp on the quay-side, we are now up to 20 smart fisherman's huts. Three new huts have opened this year, with three new traders on show for summer 2010 and one more to arrive soon.

In those four years we have been victimised, patronised, marginalised and even pedestrianised but we carry on regardless flying the flag and trying to help keep our local harbour about local people.

No subsidies, no EU grants, no arts council hand outs and no council rent or rates concessions by the way.

About eight of our original traders (artists, photographers, food producers and crafts people) have now moved on to bigger and better things setting up retail premises or galleries in local towns and contributing more to the local economy. The village is finally earning some modest recognition as an incubator for fledgling local business that can start up without taking huge risks or making massive investments.

So welcome to Peter and Jessica at Cocoa and Spice the artisan patissiere. Their home-made cakes, tartes, cheesecake and chocolate mousse are now firmly established as part of my calorie out of control diet. Less guilt is inflicted by the new Whitstable Juice Company who offer juices and wonderful smoothies from locally sourced fruits with special kiddy's juices to keep the young ones in good health. The Juice Company is partly owned by Mark at Granny Smith's green-grocers in the High Street making our third high street retailer to open an outlet in the village.

And more is coming soon including Whitstable's own silversmiths...

Recession will hurt local business

2008-12-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

The United Kingdom is braced for the onset of a deep and lasting recession in 2009 which is set to spread downstream from banking into property, retail and then just about anyone else trying to make an honest living in the private sector.

Be in no doubt, this will be the deepest and toughest recession since the 1930's and the UK will struggle more than almost any other country to emerge from it for three critical reasons:

1. The UK became over dependant on banking and financial services in the city and on the magical rise of property prices. Over the last ten years no-one worried about adding value anymore by productive processes or innovation. Even though little real wealth was being generated, we still felt better off because although average salaries had not increased significantly for over ten years, our house was valued at thousands more each year.

2. Much of the public sector in the UK thinks it is the private sector. There used to be a clear demarcation between the private sector that generated wealth via taxes which funded the public sector, who spent this money wisely on essential public services that society needed to function properly. It was quite simple really. Today, the lines are blurred and confused. Local authorities, agencies and NHS Trusts employ consultants to formulate business plans that will allow them to engage with partners and stakeholders while formulating a sustainable strategy. It is all fairly harmless when there is lots of public money to waste but quickly runs in to trouble when tax revenue dries up and essential services fail to be delivered efficiently while it is only the real private sector that can drive the country out of the recession.

3. The politicians running the UK economy appear not to have even the vaguest understanding of basic macro economic principles, or they prefer to play party politics, when they should know better. While the government had little choice but to shore up the poorly regulated banking sector with our money in order to avoid a complete financial melt-down, they cannot now complain that the banks are not lending enough. As new shareholders in some of the big banks the taxpayer does not want to see the banks playing fast and loose with our cash.

This double standard combined with the inept attempt to stimulate a petrified economy with a 2.5 % cut in VAT is as the Germans might say, "crass". The Germans have a good track record on running their economy during the deep recession of the 1970's. It was not them left going cap in hand to the IMF for a bail out. It was the UK.

This might be a "global problem" because it passes responsibility elsewhere but the impact of the "global recession" will be felt more keenly in the UK than almost any other country.

Santa Arrives by Boat

2008-12-04T10:59:00.000-08:00

Santa's overworked reindeer were given a well deserved rest last week-end, while Santa arrived in Whitstable harbour by boat, for the 2008 Christmas Market.

Despite the cold and rain, Santa set up his grotto on the quayside, thanks to Whitstable and Herne Bay Lions Club, who were raising finds for local good causes.

Local producers and independent suppliers like Ramsgate Brewery and Meopham Valley Vineyard plied their wares while live music from Malcolm J Holland cheered the chilly Christmas shoppers.

Full video of the arrival at :

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=52397

South Quay 2008

2008-01-07T04:22:00.000-08:00

Two great bits of news rounded off the first year of trading at South Quay, the new market and meeting place in the heart of Whitstable Harbour. Firstly, Canterbury City Council officially rejected all three of the large scale development proposals submitted for the South Quay, in Whitstable Harbour. The market wil not be replaced by Tesco's..at least for the time being.

Secondly, our plans to upgrade the site and introduce new fishermen's huts was approved. The path is now clear to try and develop our beautiful site on the Kent coast into what some have called "Covent Garden by Sea"; a truly vibrant market and visitor destination based on local products, local business and local people.

Will Kentish Trader be replaced by Tesco ?

2007-08-22T09:09:00.001-07:00

Kentish Trader is committed to opposing giant supermarkets and promoting local producers and authentic independant business. Ironically, it has been proposed that the heart of our efforts at the successful new South Quay Market in Whitstable Harbour, will be replaced by a supermarket.

Canterbury City Council and the Whitstable Harbour Board have asked three developers to submit schemes for the redevelopment of all, or parts, of the South Quay. Their aim is to develop Whitstable Harbour as a "thriving and successful port for the benefit of stakeholders and the local community".

The developers are Allied Land plc, Olympian Homes Ltd and Shepherd Neame Ltd. One of the proposals actually sites a large rectangular concrete supermarket on the quayside and arguably, only the Shepherd Neame proposal seems to indicate that the developers have ever visited the harbour. The other two proposals might be better suited to Dubai or for a new resort for a dictator in South America.

Many people visit Whitstable Harbour and the South Quay Market because there are very few places left in England that are quirky, authentic and genuine. The fishing boats are real, the products are local from real people and the fish market smells of fish.

While we have no objection to re-development and improvement of the harbour, please don't let it become another ubiquitous retail zone with flats occupied by lost souls monitoring the price of their property investment.

In our view, this would not only be a tragic betrayal of a proud marine heritage but it would be commercially inept.

Real People Real Products

2007-08-10T06:55:00.000-07:00

One of the nice things about buying local, is the relationship you build with the people behind the product and their passion for what they do. Our Kentish traders at South Quay are all passionate about local trade and local products. Here is a nice picture of them all looking suitably passionate after a week of trading at the Whitstable Oyster Festival. Admittedly, their passion has been slightly enhanced by some Kentish cider from Upper Mystole Park Farm. From left to right: Malcolm J Holland, Whitstable Garden Company, Godmersham Game, Printerior Design, Karen Mansfield Originals, Ian Rendall Artist, Tim Slatter Etchings and Core Farm Pressed Juice.

ME NO GO TESCO

2007-08-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

We sell these T-shirts at South Quay Market with the slogan ME NO GO TESCO.

Big supermarkets like Tesco drive prices down from local suppliers in order to maximise profits for their shareholders. They would'nt be doing their job properly if they did anything else. If it is cheaper to import a strawberry from the USA that's where it comes from, even if a superior local product is growing a few miles away. Mass purchasing from large scale suppliers also means simpler and more cost effective logistics and distribution. It also means more lorries, more aeroplanes and more cars but that is someone else's problem.

Their so called "carbon-footprint" can always be offset by spending a few million on carbon offsetting somehwere else in the world and keeping the supermarkets "green".

The same product in the same shape sold in all UK stores makes life simple and cost effective for the big supermarkets and cheap for the consumer. With massive market share they can extend their product range to price independant suppliers and shops out of the market. This is exacerbated when local government need town centre parking charges as a major source of revenue, meaning it is much more tempting to park for free at the out of town supermarket.

The first potential problem is that we the consumer can lose all control of what we buy and who produces it. There is no link anymore between what we buy and the community we live in. Eventually, everyone lives in Tesco Land. We just turn up and buy stuff in plastic packaging beause it conforms to a standard size and because it is very convenient. Then we moan because the community we live in is snarled up with traffic and the farms are replaced with fast food drive-ins and out of town shopping malls. Our kids are obese and our high street full of charity shops and estate agents. (At least until Tesco go into these markets too)

But there is a small risk for the supermarket giants. Am I the only consumer who finds large supermarkets dreary, boring and impersonal? No passion for the products sold, no interaction with staff, no style, no character.. Am I the only one who resents that a local dairy farmer or bakery has gone under becuase they could not sustain their business based on supermarket terms and conditions?

What if local produce and local goods were not confined to the local Farmers Market which opens the third Tuesday in the month, so the middle classes can make a gesture of support for local producers? What if local producers, combined forces with local designers, artists and independant businesses? What if these retail hot spots were funky, entertaining and commercially well managed? What if they also had an on-line element, so consumers could still buy when it was raining or when they were not able to make a personal visit.

The ambition of Kentish Trader is that one day when the Financial Director of Tescos reports to the main board, he will have to show one small national blip in retails sales growth.

"I'm sorry JD" he might say, " we have acheived all our growth targets across the UK but for some reason sales are down 1.3% in Kent".

Would'nt that be something?

Why Buy Local?

2007-08-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

In 2005, Britons spent almost £30 billion on locally sourced and ethical products and for the first time ever, more was spent on ethical products then on beer and cigarettes.

Before we get too carried away, ethical purchases only represent about 5% of the average UK shopping basket. Further more, 20% of all our local independent shops closed between 2000 and 2004 and a recent MP’s report predicts local retailing could die out completely by 2015. The big international supermarket and retail giants get bigger and more powerful every day.

Local businesses offering authentic high quality goods and services must market themselves professionally, if they are to be more than an ethical gesture for those who can afford a conscience.
At Kentish Trader, we wondered what would happen if local products from real people were available to mainstream consumers in an easy and attractive way?

Kentish Trader offers you the chance to make a statement with every purchase you make, so don’t wait for an election to choose the type of community and environment you want to live in.

2007-08-02T08:27:00.001-07:00

South Quay Market

2007-08-02T08:07:00.000-07:00

South Quay Market, in Whitstable Harbour on the Kent coast opened on 5th May 2007, with the ambition of becoming a vibrant destination for Kentish produce, art, design and trade. We wanted it to be an authentic alternative to dreary out of town shopping centres, all offering the same range of low quality imported goods from the same factory in Asia.

Why buy American strawberries when the finest fruit in the world is grown up the road in the heart of the Garden of England?

Why buy a mass-produced boring print from a supermarket when you could buy an original painting from a local artist?

Why buy an imported table or item of furnitiure when you could have a unique piece made by a local craftsman from locally sourced timber?

Real products from real people at South Quay..