New traders have been revealed for Ffos Caerffili – Caerphilly’s own container-style market – which is set to open to the public on Friday, March 15.
The first of its kind in Caerphilly, a full programme of events has been announced across Friday and Saturday, March 15 and 16 to celebrate the launch of Ffos Caerffili, featuring live music, local school choirs and workshops led by Ffos traders.
The opening of the market indicates the first stage of the Caerphilly Town 2035 Placemaking Plan, with funding support from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Initiative.
Alongside the widely known Caerphilly institutions already announced, including Bab Haus, Upmarket Family Butchers, and new venture Two Shot Social, Ffos Caerffili is delighted to announce three new independent traders are set to join the market.
More traders will be announced as launch weekend approaches.
Cardiff crowd favourite Bao Selecta, famous for quality street food with a Taiwanese twist, will take up residence in the market from Friday, March 15.
Nick, owner and operator of Bao Selecta, said: “We've been coming to Caerphilly for days out for years and we know locals are crying out for a bit of Bao Selecta goodness.
“We’re really excited for the chance to showcase our new dishes, which we've been perfecting for quite a while.”
The Circular Studio, a Caerphilly-based vintage and second-hand clothing shop that also offers workshops repurposing pre-loved items, is one of the new enterprises joining the market.
Owner Sam Eastcott is thrilled to be opening her second site in Caerphilly, saying: “I’m really looking forward to becoming a part of the Ffos Caerffili family and building a community of traders.
“I can’t wait to meet more of the community and spread the love for second-hand clothing across Caerphilly.”
In addition, Joe’s Plant Place will be moving into the new site, offering plant expertise and engaging green workshops for all ages.
With eight years of horticultural experience, local man Joe Carey is keen to share his knowledge of houseplants and the mental health benefits they provide.
Joe said: “In these often-hectic times, houseplants are the perfect thing to keep your mind occupied.
“The enjoyment I get from them is what I want to share with the public of Caerphilly, and I hope they realise the mental well-being you can get from taking care of your leafy friends.
“Aside from being a permanent houseplant hub, we’ll be offering hands-on plant workshops, so the thing I’m most excited about is working with people of all generations to show off the love that gardening provides.”
Ffos Caerffili will be home to 28 traders in total, ranging from food and drink outlets to individual stores such as The Circular Studio and Joe’s Plant Place, ensuring that there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The Ffos Caerffili launch weekend will be filled with festivities for the whole community to get behind – launching with a day of live music on Friday, March 15 and a community-led, family-friendly day of fun on Saturday, March 16, which will be an all-day-event, featuring workshops led by market traders, live music, and an evening of drag performances to close the night out.
Market operators Steve Bines and Grant Jones said: 'We are hugely excited that the opening of Ffos Caerffili is now fast approaching and that we’ll soon be able to share the wonders of the site with all local residents.”
“We've been working extremely hard with all businesses involved to present a great range of local traders and are thrilled that the space will soon become a vibrant and buzzing centre of quality goods, produce and services within Caerphilly.”
Cllr Jamie Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Caerphilly Council said: “As we count down to the opening date, it’s great to see a positive reaction from residents to the news of more operators signing up to be part of the exciting Ffos Caerffili experience.”
“The market will inject new life into the town centre, by facilitating an attractive blend of independent traders, offering a wide range of choice for shoppers and visitors alike. As a Council, we will continue to work hard to develop private sector businesses in our town centres”.
Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, said: “Ffos Caerffili is a fantastic example of how local authorities can utilise our Transforming Towns programme to revitalise town and city centres to create a sense of place for their communities.
“More than £2.5m of funding support has been provided through the programme which will ensure that Caerphilly retains a town centre market provision. In additional, the market supports the wider delivery of government priorities and is easily accessible to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, encouraging more active travel within the area.
“I am looking forward to seeing how our town centre partners continue to utilise the funding to strategically develop and regenerate their communities to create vibrant highstreets and long-term sustainable growth.”
Ffos Caerffili will officially open doors to the public at 9am on Friday, March 15.
Follow @ffoscaerffili on Instagram for more information on Ffos Caerffili opening plans, and for your chance to win a £50 voucher to be spent at any Ffos Caerffili trader across opening weekend.