Altrincham Market is still thriving a decade after its national food award

Altrincham Market has become one of the best-known places to eat and shop in Greater Manchester, and as Christmas approaches again it is worth remembering how far the market, and the town around it, have come.

Altrincham has been a market town since 1290, but by the end of the 2000s its centre was struggling. A 2010 survey found that its High Street had one of the highest shop vacancy rates in the UK, and the town was blighted by run-down shop fronts and a loss of business confidence.

The turnaround owed a great deal to the market. Improving it was a key aim of the regeneration effort, and in a 2013 bidding process Trafford Council handed the running of the venue to Market Operations, a company founded by local resident Nick Johnson and his partner Jenny Thompson. Their pitch was a modern market with a collective of independent food outlets at Market House, the grade II listed building from 1879 attached to the covered market. The reinvented market opened in 2014.

Recognition came quickly. In 2015 Altrincham Market was named Best Local Market at the Observer Food Monthly Awards. By 2016 independent shops and restaurants were springing up around the building, and in 2018 the town took first place in the Great British High Street Awards.

The market has helped launch long-running local businesses too, including Honest Crust, Pico's, Great North Pie Co, Little Window, Mumma's, Reserve Wines, Jack In The Box and Tender Cow, a good snapshot of the mix of independent traders that keeps people coming back.

The people behind it have been honoured as well. In the King's New Year Honours announced at the start of 2024, Nick Johnson and Jenny Thompson were both made MBEs for services to the business and food sectors. Market Operations went on to repeat the formula with Mackie Mayor in Manchester city centre and Picturedrome in Macclesfield.

Johnson, who grew up in Altrincham, has described the town as a place that had lost its sense of identity and needed to redefine itself. A decade on, the market has been copied in towns and cities across the UK.

For anyone planning a festive day out in Trafford, the market remains a lively place to meet friends, eat well and support local businesses. Traders and opening times can change, so it is worth checking before you go.