Bath Christmas Market debuts new Christmas Cart project for small businesses

Smaller local businesses are being given the opportunity to trade at this year’s Bath Christmas Market thanks to the debut of Christmas Carts.

Twenty local micro-businesses will be at the hugely popular market for three or four days at time. For many Christmas Cart traders it will be a chance to launch their fledgling businesses.

This year Bath Christmas Market, which attracts thousands of visitors, launches on Thursday, November 24 and celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Over 18 days a vast range of stall holders will fill the city’s historic streets with the Christmas Carts situated in Green Street. 

Phillippa Crowther, who owns Twerton-based jewellery brand Bramble Design, said: “As someone who has been visiting the Christmas Market in Bath for years to do my Christmas shopping, I am now so excited to be a part of it by selling my handmade jewellery in one of the Christmas Carts." 

“I love face-to-face sales, meeting new people and soaking up the atmosphere and Bath is my absolute favourite place so I am hoping to expand my customer base and just enjoy my time there.”

Councillor Kevin Guy, council leader, said: “This year we will have more than 170 chalets with traders selling a remarkable range of Christmas gifts as well as fantastic local hospitality. The Christmas Carts are a great way to support fledgling local businesses giving local traders the chance to showcase their goods to thousands of visitors who come to our wonderful city, which becomes extra special over the festive period.”  

There will be 20 different businesses featuring throughout the whole market, all of whom are first time traders at the market. Sustainability is important to the market which has an emphasis on local artisan, locally produced food and good quality products.

Single-use plastics are not permitted and all stallholders must use environmentally-friendly biodegradable alternatives to common single-use plastic products such as product packaging, bags, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery.

Bath Christmas Market will run from Thursday 24 November until Sunday 11 December in the heart of Bath City Centre. The pop-up Christmas Carts will be open from Friday 25th November until Sunday 11th December. Bath Christmas Market has been ranked in the top 10 in Europe and attracts 400,000 visitors per year, with an estimated spend in the city of £32.5 million in 2019.

For more information, including opening hours and travel instructions, please visit bathchristmasmarket.co.uk.