Who Are We?

Worker Bee Markets are run by me, Clare Simpson. I’m a seasoned market trader and a marketing expert with over 25 years experience of marketing the arts and organising events

In 2018, I saw a gap for a new kind of market organiser, who wants to help serve local communities with the best artisan and local produce stalls, whilst giving traders the best opportunities to showcase and sell quality handmade goods. Worker Bee Markets will always prioritise maker/traders as we want our customers to meet the maker where possible. We’ll also prioritise really local makers and support new makers starting out.

Six years on, the markets bring a mix of brand new makers, dipping their toes in the artisan market scene, seasoned passionate traders who make this their full time career and talented hobbyists who are spreading their love of fresh food and handmade crafts.

2024 MARKETS

We’ll be back in Reddish at Broadstone Mill on the last Saturday of the month from March – October, with the popular Festive Family Fun Day in November. We’re also running regular themed seasonal markets on Edgeley and every other month in Bramhall as well as two special events in Hazel Grove later in the year, thanks to support from Stockport Council. 

We’re back at the Seashell Trust in Cheadle Hulme for their popular Seashell Shine Fun Day and we’ve been invited to run the walled garden market at Bramall Hall for the Bramall Duck Race.

2023 MARKETS

It was a difficult year for traders, as well as for customers, with an economic crisis that was unprecedented in recent history and weather that seemed apocalyptic at times. However, we’re proud of the resilience of our makers and grateful for the support of our venues and customers. We ran our popular Reddish Markets at Broadstone Mill (almost) every month. We ran regular seasonal events on Edgeley and in Bramhall and Heald Green. We also got involved with Summer and Festive events in Woodford, Cheadle Hulme and the centre of Stockport. Our highlight was probably running community Festival REDDFEST in the centre of Reddish.

2022 MARKETS

This year, a sigh of relief went round the artisan market community when we managed to fulfill all our commitments to communities – no covid cancellations meant we were back on track with 23 markets in five very different venues. We also ran a Charity Christmas Raffle, raising funds and awareness for the Mayor of Stockport’s chosen charities.

2021 MARKETS

We increased our profile and events in places where we had found the best footfall and support in previous years, as well as running the Artisan Market at Bramhall Festival and running a couple of Christmas Markets at Manchester Rugby Club in Cheadle Hulme.

2020 MARKETS

With 2020 a bit of a right-off for the majority of events, our seven face to face markets, were complemented with a couple of Makers’ Takeover events on Facebook in November. What we did discover is that there’s a niche for our kind of market and that customers and venues love it when we visit. In particular, Bramhall and Reddish proved hugely popular, as did Poynton, though they didn’t want us back at Brookside in 2021, possibly because we were so popular we caused issues with the traffic!

2019 MARKETS

This year was about establishing our position on the market circuit, with regular events in North Bramhall, Gatley and Heald Green as well as pop-up events in Bramhall Village, Seashell Trust, Reddish, Hazel Grove, Cheadle Hulme and Marple Bridge.

2018 MARKETS

The first ever Worker Bee Market was in North Bramhall in April. This was followed by four more at the Scout Hut, four in Heald Green and pop-up events in Didsbury and Manchester.

Worker Bee Markets had arrived on the scene!

If you’d like to become a Worker Bee Market trader, please contact me

We’re proud of our town and love to work with others to help promote Stockport and other places we pitch up. We hope you can support them in return.

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