Caitlin Penny was working in a cafe kitchen, but dreamed of doing something else. So she enrolled on a course and it's changed her life. Caitlin is one of the new generation of market traders forging a career by harnessing their own talents.
When you think of market traders you might imagine fruit and vegetable stalls, lots of brown paper bags full of apples being spun around between hands, large weighing scales and shouts of prices per pound of potatoes and broccoli. But young business people are taking markets in new directions with unique and enticing products.
It was a dramatic change of direction for Caitlin, 24, from Llanmorlais, who, after years of preparing food in the cafe, decided to follow her creative side by enrolling in a silversmith course at Gower College Swansea - she found a new passion and, after working with a local jewellery designer, in October last year launched Caerynys Shed Jewellery.
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She said: "I like being creative, and silversmithing piqued my interest. I loved the course, and it went from there." Taking inspiration from Celtic designs and the beaches of Gower where she grew up, Caitlin produces a range of jewellery using silver and sea glass which she sells online via crafting site Etsy and at local markets such as the monthly Uplands market in Swansea. The silversmith said her ambition was to keep growing the business and get her own studio."
Hers was one of four new enterprises - producing a range of products from fresh baked brownies to jewellery - which wowed judges at the south Wales finals of a UK-wide contest to find new up-and-coming traders. The National Young Traders Market Competition is designed to encourage businesses to make the most of the opportunities of pitching up at local food, craft, and general markets to sell their wares. You can get the latest news from WalesOnline sent straight to your email inbox by signing up to our newsletters here.
Swansea city centre's famous indoor market hosted the south Wales final, with new traders from a range of sectors battling to make it to the overall final next month. Along with Caerynys Shed Jewellery, three other local enterprises clinched a place - Llanelli-based AJ the Confectionist, the Afan Valley's Austringer Cider, and Blanc Homeware of Brecon.
Anthony Johnson, the chef behind AJ The Confectionist, got his first kitchen job as pot-washer at the age of 14, and after catering college and a career which had taken him to a number of prestigious hotels and restaurants in London and Wales he decided to strike out on his own in June last year.
He said: "Both my parents were chefs, and they have been a huge inspiration for me, huge - there has never been a time when I was not in a kitchen. When Covid came along nothing was really happening in catering, and I started to think about doing my own thing. It is a big leap launching your own business but I love being my own boss.
"I really enjoy going selling at markets, getting to know fellow traders and meeting customers face-to-face and getting feedback. I also do a lot of promoting of the business on Facebook and Instagram which are great ways to get your name and business out there." And 28-year-old Anthony, who juggles his business with being a new dad, has big ambitions for his brownie, cookie, and fudge enterprise - his ambition is to eventually own his own chain of bakeries. You can read more stories about Swansea here.
Another finalist was Austringer Cider, which produces handmade ciders and perry in the Afan Valley. The business brain behind the bottles is Bianca Samuel who, until Covid struck, was a promotional manager. When that job disappeared the 28-year-old decided to turn to what had been a family hobby for many years - making cider.
She said: "Dad has always dabbled with fermentation, making cider and fruit wines - it is something we have always done. Starting my own cider business seemed the obvious thing to do."
And so, with a loan to buy a press and the use of a garage which was converted into a cider house, Austringer Cider was born in June, 2021, with Bianca - an illustrator by training - doing everything from designing the labels for the bottles to pressing the locally-sourced apples and selling the finished product at markets and festivals.
And festivals form part of the future plans for Cwmavon -born and raised Bianca - she said her ambition was not only to increase the current production of her award-winning cider from the current 7,000 litres a year but also to launch a cider festival.
The final winner was Blanc Homeware, run by 25-year-old Harry White from Brecon and 29-year-old James Thomas from Pontyclun. Both were working in retail when the Covid pandemic again led to a change of career, and to them deciding to become their own bosses.
Harry said he initially made just three candles which were snapped up by customers, and the business took off from there with graphic designer James getting on board producing greeting cards and prints. Harry said: "We both wanted to break out and do something creative but I don't think we were confident enough - redundancy gave us that push, and we thought 'it is now or never'."
James said: "We really like doing markets, meeting people, sharing our products, and getting our name out there. We love what we do - we are so lucky." The duo said that as part of the long-term plan they hoped to get their products stocked by retailers.
Picking up commendations in the competition were five other new businesses - Kind Cocoa, The Rogue Welsh Cake Company, Kiwis, Sew Eco, and Saltskin Jewellery.
Swansea Council joint deputy-leader and cabinet member David Hopkins wished all the new business well. He said: “Our judges were impressed with the quality of the offers and the ambitions of the young traders. We wish them all the very best as they continue their endeavours in market trading.”
Existing Swansea Market traders also expressed their support for the young traders. Ian Curtis, owner of the Storm In A Teacup coffee shop, said: "It was encouraging to see young traders starting out in their businesses. Hopefully they’ll join us permanently in our market soon."
Wayne Holmes, of Market Spares, said: "It was fantastic to see the next generation of traders with products that you don’t normally find in a traditional market."
The UK final of The National Young Traders Market Competition is due to take place in Stratford upon Avon on August 26 and 27.
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