West Bromwich opens its new indoor market and welcomes Firkins bakery

Express & Star

We take a look at West Bromwich's new market hall.

Transcript

00:00Hello and welcome to West Bromwich Market, the new market that opened today.

00:06It's a food hall, it's a market and it's a lot of other things as well. It's got a

00:10Samwell standard in Firkins inside. As you can see people are queuing out of the

00:15door to get the lemon tarts, the cakes and everything else the place was famous for.

00:19We've had a walk around, we've spoken to people within there, we've asked what

00:23makes the market special, what people think of it and in general people seem

00:27to like it. They say it looks modern, they say it's beneficial for the high

00:30street here in West Bromwich and just in general it's a really good thing.

00:34Let's go up here to West Bromwich Market. This is set to be the first day of the

00:39new market, the food hall and the market. I'm here with Colin and Elaine who were

00:42first in the queue to get here today. What was it that you used to do down here today?

00:45Firkins.

00:47Pretty much a tradition of the backcountry then.

00:50Do you remember much about Firkins from obviously...

00:53When I was a kid it was always Mum taking us to Firkins. Always for the pineapple

01:00creams.

01:01Are you hopeful that that's going to be there today?

01:03Too true.

01:04So you've got this voucher so what does it entail for you to?

01:07Free cake or pork sandwich.

01:10Kid voucher that's not too bad is it?

01:13What do you think of the market from what you've seen so far?

01:16It looks nice. Yeah it looks good.

01:18Colin what about you? What do you think?

01:20I'm here and she got me up this morning.

01:24It's your fault.

01:25They told you to get there.

01:27She went online yesterday in the house at the back.

01:30And she said I don't have to move back and move back.

01:33I said I'm going to be first in the queue.

01:35And that's what people have changed.

01:37Obviously you can see how many people are interested about this place.

01:39Yes.

01:40It's nice to have something nice and modern.

01:42That's right yeah.

01:43It needed something there.

01:45It can bring some life back to the groceries.

01:48Yeah.

01:57This is Dave Griffiths. He's one of the traders here at the market.

01:59Have you had the chance to actually come in here and get yourself set up and have a look?

02:02What do you think of it's okay?

02:03Fantastic. Lovely. Modern facility.

02:05Plenty of choice for people here.

02:07Come and have something to eat. Have a coffee.

02:09Sit there and just enjoy yourself. Nice environment.

02:12How much different is it than the previous market?

02:15Oh much better.

02:16I mean the old market was in 1973 I think it was.

02:19So it was antiquated.

02:21We needed to change.

02:23So it's much better.

02:24Much, much better.

02:25And just in general.

02:26The idea of regeneration of West Norwich town centre.

02:29This is a good start towards it.

02:30Very much so.

02:31It's desperately needy.

02:32Because the town.

02:33This end of the town really, really needs it.

02:35Because of the new square which is nice.

02:37This end has been forgotten about.

02:39So hopefully this is a step in the right direction.

02:41And you've seen the people milling around.

02:42You've obviously seen the queue for the people going to Firkin.

02:44Yes.

02:45It says something about the popularity of that brand doesn't it?

02:47About West Brom in general.

02:48Unbelievable.

02:49But Firkin's that you know.

02:50It's West Brom isn't it?

02:51You know.

02:52It's part of.

02:53Always been part of the fabric of West Brom.

02:54To have them back is just fantastic.

02:56You know.

02:57Get the football up.

02:58So get down here.

02:59And come and support your local businesses.

03:03This is Terry Pessy.

03:04I think he is the longest standing trader here in West Brom.

03:0752 years isn't it?

03:08That's right.

03:09Yeah.

03:10So you've probably been there.

03:11Seen it all.

03:12Done it all.

03:13Yes.

03:14Over the different markets.

03:15What do you think of this one so far?

03:16I think it looks really good.

03:17I think it's going to be really popular.

03:19The people up here are really quality people.

03:23Very friendly people.

03:25I think it looks really successful.

03:28Is the idea that West Brom has been looking for a more modern market hasn't it?

03:33Definitely.

03:34Yeah.

03:35And it desperately needed it.

03:36Fair crack to the council.

03:39They put the money where the mouth is.

03:42Where a lot of other towns haven't.

03:44You know.

03:45You've seen people obviously walking around today having a look.

03:49Seeing your store.

03:50That's why it brings back the memories for them of what you've done over the years.

03:53So.

03:54It's just.

03:55It's a nostalgia trip for everyone isn't it?

03:56Definitely.

03:57And I don't think markets will ever die.

04:00Because.

04:01There's always certain things.

04:04If you need something.

04:06You can't sometimes go to a store.

04:08You know.

04:09But if you go to a market.

04:11You'll find it in the market.

04:12Or if not.

04:13In our circumstances.

04:15We'll get it for where I think.

04:17And you've got this.

04:18You've got the market element.

04:20You've also got the food element.

04:21Including Perkins.

04:22Yeah.

04:23That's been the big seller so far hasn't it?

04:24Definitely.

04:25Because.

04:26I mean.

04:27It's so popular in the town.

04:28And you can see by the reaction this morning.

04:30What people think.

04:32It's brilliant.

04:33You know.

04:34It's great.

04:35It's great.

04:36Yeah.

04:37Yeah.

04:38I'm here inside the market.

04:39The food hall area.

04:40With the leader of Samwell council.

04:41Kerry Carmichael.

04:42So Kerry.

04:43Tell me about this market.

04:44Tell me about the process to getting it to where it is today.

04:45Well it took us around 10 months to get here today.

04:46Part of that process was the government's change funds and also government funding.

04:47It's really great.

04:48It's great.

04:49It's great to be open today.

04:50Yeah.

04:51It's wonderful.

04:52It's just the end of a long process and it's the first chance the public about to see

04:53this.

04:54What was your first impressions when you saw it?

04:55When I walked in.

04:56It was great.

04:57I thought it was marvellous to be honest.

04:58100% better than the previous indoor market.

04:59So this is proper regeneration for the people at Sandwell.

05:00And another chapter in the Sandwell Forest which is behind me.

05:01That's the revival of the popular brand as well in Bergen's.

05:02Oh yes.

05:03Yes.

05:04Yes.

05:05Yes.

05:06Yeah.

05:07I can't believe it.

05:08I can't believe it.

05:09It's really great.

05:10It's really great.

05:11It's really great.

05:12It's really great to be open today.

05:13Yeah.

05:14It's wonderful.

05:15It's just the end of a long process and it's the first chance the public about to

05:16see this.

05:17What was your first impressions when you saw it?

05:18When I walked in.

05:19Great.

05:20I thought it was marvellous to be honest.

05:21100% better than the previous indoor market.

05:22So this is proper regeneration for the people at Sandwell.

05:23Behind me.

05:24That's the revival of the popular brand as well in Bergen's.

05:26Oh yes.

05:27Yes.

05:28I can't believe the cute birth of Bergen's this morning.

05:31I grew up with Bergen's.

05:32Being from Sandwell myself.

05:33We were really popular in Blackie.

05:35So I know that it's going to be really popular here.

05:38And just in general, what is this new market going to do for the High Street of West Bromwich?

05:43Well it's going to regenerate the High Street.

05:45We're going to get people a good football up and down the High Street and the new square.

05:49It's going to be a new cap town for West Brom.

05:53And it's this idea of not just modernising but also reviving and helping to give people

05:59a future within these towns.

06:01Oh yeah, yeah.

06:02And people wanted this.

06:04We've done what the people of West Brom, of what Sandwell wanted.

06:08So yeah, it's going to do exactly that.

06:10It's going to bring regeneration and it's going to increase the growth.

06:14And are you going to join the queue for a pineapple tart then?

06:17I am.

06:18Definitely.

06:19Definitely.

06:20I think it might be more than a pineapple tart to be honest.

06:25I'm just going to do a bit.

06:26That's it.

06:27You've got a bag back here.

06:29Nah, bag's fine.

06:37Okay.

06:38One thing that is very popular about this market is the return of Firkins, a well-known Sandwell brand.

06:43I'm here with Rob, who is the expert behind it.

06:46Just tell me about what we've got here first of all.

06:48Well, these are the famous lemonised buns that everyone's talking about.

06:51Everyone's been raving about this place so far.

06:53Really excited to see it open.

06:54What is the magic of Firkins?

06:56It's just the nostalgia, the fact that they were real cakes.

07:01Not synthetic, not over-chemical process products.

07:06You know, made it with honest people for honest people.

07:09And you've been seeing the honest people so far.

07:11They've given you their honest opinion about the place.

07:13They have indeed.

07:14They're loving it, but they're saying they were a bit slow at the moment because the queue is quite extensive.

07:19But, in general, Firkins is back.

07:22It's within this modern facility as well.

07:23What do you think of the market?

07:24It's fantastic.

07:25The facility is beautiful.

07:27It's a real blend of street food and traditional market.

07:30And it's exactly what the town needed.

07:32And come down and get one of these?

07:34Definitely.

07:35Perfect.

07:36Thank you very much.

07:37No worries.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended