Independent Liverpool are set to open their farmers market in Cains Brewery in the Baltic Triangle on June 30.
In a bid to encourage Liverpudlians to use local businesses more, Independent Liverpool created a discount card in 2013, which now boasts over 25,000 users.
They host multiple food and drink festivals, themed events and cinema nights and now can add The Baltic Market in the city’s iconic Cains Brewery in the Baltic Triangle to their repertoire.
Founded by two University of Liverpool graduates, David Williams and Oliver Press, they’re ambition is to bring local businesses together through the The Baltic Market.
David said about opening the city’s first kind of market: “The main aim is to put the best of the city under one roof. Liverpool is so explosive at the moment and it’s expanding every day. We want the Baltic Market to represent the independent revolution the city is currently under-going.
“Liverpool is massively behind in the street food scene in comparison to Manchester and Birmingham and we want this building to be the future of the city’s street food. Currently, if somebody has a great idea and makes some great food, where can they go? They can’t afford prime real estate, they already have a job they can’t leave.
“The Baltic Market becomes a place to experiment and hopefully a place where some lifelong people’s dreams come true.”
The Baltic Market will be based in one of the warehouses in Cains Brewery, which has been closed since June 2013. Speaking about the search for a venue, David said: “We’ve been looking for a home for some years now. The Baltic Triangle has always been an area close to ourselves, we’ve always had an office there, done our events there and just spend our spare time there so we knew it had to be somewhere in the area.
“What an honour to be moving into a Grade II Listed building deeply rooted in the city’s history on a daily basis. We will stay true to the heritage by putting a locally brewed beer in people’s hand and a smile on their face, Robert Cain would be proud.”
The market will host a variety of Liverpool’s independent food and drink businesses, with stalls changing weekly, so customers get the full experience of the diverse range Liverpool offers.
The warehouse will become Independent Liverpool’s new home for all events, including their cinema nights and hosting local entertainment.
When the market opens to the public, David hopes that it’ll encourage even more people to get out and support Liverpool’s local businesses, he said: “You can’t walk into the venue without putting money in someone local’s pocket. Whether you come in for a bottle of wine, half a pint of beer, a burger or a pot of jam, every penny supports someone local.
“As well as that, the city has become full of foodies and we hope to bring some of the best food and drink together. As soppy as it sounds, we just want to be a place good friends and family come together for a catch up. All sit around a bench, all have a few drinks and something to eat and a bit of a dance. That’s what it’s all about.
“We’d absolutely love Baltic Market to become a household name and a place visited by thousands of local people and tourists. We just want Liverpool to be compared to some of the best European cities, because we already know it is.”
The Baltic Market opens to the public on June 30, opening from 5pm till 11pm with a series of events to celebrate the grand opening, with the first farmers market taking place on July 2.