The Great British Market Awards 2026 were proudly presented as part of the NABMA One Day Conference, celebrating excellence, innovation and commitment across the UK markets sector.
This year’s awards attracted the largest number of nominations to date, reflecting the scale, quality and diversity of work being delivered by markets and market teams nationwide. Submissions highlighted the vital role markets play in supporting local communities, regeneration, entrepreneurship and tourism.
NABMA would like to thank everyone who submitted nominations, members of the public who voted, and the judging panel made up of some of the most experienced market professionals in the industry. Thanks also go to the National Market Traders Federation and Chief Executive Joe Harrison for their continued support, and to Market Place, headline sponsor of the 2026 Awards.
NABMA Life Membership
Before the presentation of awards, NABMA recognised outstanding service to the markets industry by conferring Honorary Life Membership on Colin Wolstenholme.
With 46 years of experience across local and national tiers of market management, Colin is one of the most respected professionals in the sector. His leadership has supported national research, policy development and best practice sharing, and he recently oversaw the delivery of the Darley Street Market in Bradford, now a major focal point of the city centre.
Highly Commended Markets
Three markets were recognised as Highly Commended, reflecting outstanding community impact, innovation and commitment to delivering high quality market services:
- Stanley Park Market, Liverpool, recognised for its strong community role and commitment to quality market delivery.
- Durham Indoor Market, praised for innovation and continued relevance at the heart of the city centre.
- Seven Sisters Market, celebrated for its cultural impact and its importance to traders and local communities.
Great British Market Awards 2026 winners
Best Large Indoor Market
🏆 Barnsley Market
With nearly 800 years at the heart of its town centre, Barnsley Market has become a flagship regeneration project, combining a modern food hall, high occupancy levels and strong trader support. Its work with start-ups, young traders and public sector partners has positioned it as a market of national interest.
Best Small Indoor Market
🏆 Leek Butter and Trestle Market
A £3.4 million investment has transformed this historic market into a dynamic incubator for local enterprise, cultural activity and town centre footfall. Strong communication and collaboration between traders, officers and regeneration teams were central to its success.
Best Large Outdoor Market
🏆 Waterside Upmarket, Stratford-upon-Avon
Trading every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, this market delivers a significant economic and social impact, attracting around 15,000 visitors each week. Its flexible trader policy, strong visitor appeal and support for national campaigns have helped it thrive for over 30 years.
Best Small Outdoor Market
🏆 Kendal Farmers’ Market
Known for its producer-only approach and quality-first ethos, Kendal Farmers’ Market supports local farmers and food producers while acting as a launchpad for sustainable small businesses. Its strong educational links and community value set it apart.
Best Community or Local Council Market
🏆 Shrewsbury Market
Often described as “a proper market”, Shrewsbury Market continues to evolve while retaining its unique identity. With 100% occupancy, strong partnerships and a reputation as a business incubator, it remains the beating heart of its town centre.
Best Large Speciality Market
🏆 Bolton Food and Drink Festival
Regarded as one of the leading food and drink festivals in the UK and internationally, this event attracts over half a million visitors across four days. Curated by the Markets Team, it sets a national benchmark for scale, quality and social value.
Best Small Speciality Market
🏆 Mossley Farmers’ Market
Established through community determination, this monthly market has exceeded all expectations since launching in 2025. Growing from 10 to 40 traders, it has successfully restored market town status and become one of the borough’s most successful markets.
Best Wholesale Market
🏆 New Covent Garden Market
Home to 180 businesses with a combined turnover approaching £1 billion, New Covent Garden Market blends 800 years of history with a clear vision for the future. Ongoing redevelopment will see it become both the UK’s oldest and newest wholesale market by 2028.
Best Food Market
🏆 Bradford Darley Street Market
A bold, modern food destination at the centre of a £32 million regeneration project, Darley Street Market blends traditional market values with contemporary design. Open seven days a week, it has become a major destination for food, culture and community life.
Best Market Attraction (Joint Winners)
🏆 Smithfield Market Christmas Eve Meat Auction
🏆 Columbia Road Flower Market
The Smithfield Christmas Eve Meat Auction was recognised for its 50-year history and its unique ability to combine tradition, theatre and economic impact.
Columbia Road Flower Market was celebrated as a global attraction and a weekly spectacle, drawing visitors from around the world while supporting local traders and businesses.
Britain’s Favourite Market 2026
🏆 South Molton Pannier Market
Voted for by the public, South Molton Pannier Market was recognised for its outstanding traders, 100% occupancy and deep community pride. Twice-weekly market days continue to drive footfall, support local charities and strengthen the town’s local economy.
Celebrating excellence across the sector
The Great British Market Awards 2026 showcased the diversity, resilience and innovation found across the UK markets sector. From historic charter markets to large scale events and community-led initiatives, the winners demonstrate the vital role markets continue to play in towns and cities.
NABMA congratulates all winners, highly commended markets and nominees, and thanks everyone involved in making the 2026 Awards a celebration of excellence across the industry.
View the gallery of winners here
Citations
Best Large Indoor Market – Barnsley Market
With approaching 800 years at the heart of its town centre, this market is now a focus of a multimillion regeneration project with a new look that importantly incorporates that proud and long history of both the town and market. It boasts 140 stalls with 96% capacity and a 500 plus capacity food hall. It works with a government funded programme to provide support for startups and fledgling businesses. Young traders have been attracted from the Prince’s Trust, and it delivers a monthly young trader market with strong partnership from the local college.
The Markets Team work hard to support traders, being visible and creating a culture of honesty and transparency with effective communication channels. Social media is powerful, successful and the market regularly features on TV and Radio.
The market hosts live events, supports council and NHS initiatives and accommodates a family hub that provides a range of services to support family well being and development.
This is clearly a new market of great national interest with many peers visiting to see its thriving role in the town centre and to engage in detailed discussions on its operations, compliance and communication.
Best Small Indoor Market – Leek Butter and Trestle Market
This story is of two combined Victorian Markets, a Charter going back to 1207, with permanent and tabletop stalls, that were underused, reliant on subsidies and disconnected from younger generations. A far too often familiar story. In 2023 they became a focus of a £17 million Levelling Up Fund investment that sought to deliver a transformative regeneration programme for this tourist hub and its town centre. The Market was a cornerstone of the programme due to its potential to reinvigorate a historic asset and stimulate economic growth. The bold vision was about refurbishment, installation of new food units, restoring Victorian shopfronts and creating flexible retail spaces.
The investment has now reimagined the market as a dynamic incubator for local entrepreneurship; a destination for cultural experiences and a footfall driver for the town centre whilst still celebrating a proud heritage. Strong communication, excellent trader relationships and interaction with both market officers and regeneration leaders have created an open and transparent environment, breaking down barriers, and demonstrating a united commitment in recognising the important role a successful market plays in the town, and as a focal point for its widest community.
Best Large Outdoor Market – Waterside Upmarket (Stratford upon Avon)
This is a market that recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary; it trades every Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday from March to December, blending high-quality artisan retail with the unique charm of a world-renowned heritage and tourist destination.
It delivers a significant economic and social boost with an average of 15,000 visitors every Sunday and a total economic impact of £15–20 million a year. The weekly influx of footfall strengthens the vitality of the high street, increases trade for local businesses, and reinforces its town’s reputation as a vibrant destination. The market also generates around 1.5 million person-hours of community activity each year, enhancing social wellbeing, visitor experience, and the overall attractiveness of the town centre. A trader policy offers flexibility that has boosted trader satisfaction and contributed to a more diverse and dynamic market. Countless businesses have been launched at the market, and it is an avid supporter and venue for national campaigns such as the National Young Traders Market and Love Your Local Market. This is not just a market – it’s a celebration of local talent, entrepreneurship, and community spirit that continues to evolve and thrive after three remarkable decades.
Best Small Outdoor Market – Kendal Farmers’ Market
This long-standing, award-winning, trader managed market, has a strict producer only criteria prioritising farmers and producers within 30 miles to ensure authenticity and product diversity linked to a quality first policy. This is a major draw for new traders seeking to join a market with a strong reputation and a loyal customer base. New traders have a highly supportive onboarding process of guidance, dealing with legislation and paperwork, displays and promotions. It is a launchpad for sustainable local enterprise with a reputation of attracting early-stage businesses and helping them to grow into confident, viable entities. The market delivers substantial community value; is a meeting point and provides constant cross shopping between market and high street businesses. Importantly it works extensively with education providers to nurture the next generation of food producers, farmers and entrepreneurs. It is proud to operate as a 100% self-funded entity, demonstrating both resilience and good financial stewardship.
This is a unique and much-loved cornerstone of its local food landscape. A place were authenticity, community and exceptional local produce come together in a way that perhaps few markets can achieve. Year on year it gives an integrity and transparency to local food that its community deeply values.
Best Community/Parish Market – Shrewsbury Market
This is a market that is an example of changing with the times, reinventing itself and always remaining as the beating heart of its local community. It is known locally as a unique food and drink and shopping destination that offers a vibrant and eclectic fusion of the hand crafted and the hard to find. It has over 60 traders and is a market located in a building of architectural interest. Regardless of numerous awards it continues to evolve with fresh ideas, collaborations and new innovations whilst retaining its distinctive identity, commonly described by regulars and visitors as “a proper market”. It is regarded as a unique community rather than just a place to shop, eat or drink. It enjoys 100% occupancy, a huge demand for stalls; it recently celebrated its 60th anniversary and is a proven incubator for business startups. Partnerships are key to its many successes working with town centre management, charities and local organisations. Last year a national feature on Britain’s most perfect market towns highlighted the most important contributor to the towns as featured was a thriving market – and this market was rated as the best.
Best Large Speciality Market – Bolton Food and Drink Festival
This is a Food and Drink Festival regarded as one of the very best in the UK, and internationally. The town centre is transformed into a multi zone food, culture and education zone. Curated and delivered by the Markets Team the Festival hosts 200 plus specialist traders; world renowned celebrity chefs and last year attracted over 550,000 across 4 days. The event sets a national benchmark for large scale speciality markets.
The Markets Team lead all aspects of delivery, recruitment, compliance, design and the operational management. The many partnerships ensure the highest of standards, strong community engagement and economic benefits. The festival delivers strong social value through the government Holiday Activities and Food Programme enabling children and families most in need to purchase food directly from traders, ensuring dignity of choice and guaranteed traders income.
This festival embeds social values; unites the whole town within a connected event and is an ambassador and leader for the future of speciality markets in the UK.
Best Small Speciality Market – Mossley Farmers’ Market
This is a market that only exists due to an unbreakable community spirit. Despite the loss of the town’s original market some 15 years previous, the local authority and community agreed a simple mission – to return a market to the town. This one Sunday a month market therefore began in July 2025, but support, partnerships and attendance have far surpassed expectations. What started as a five-month trial is now one of the most successful markets in the Borough. The original 10 stall market, located on a car park close to the town centre, now hosts 40 traders with the overarching priority to support local business. The trader base has a range of specialisms and a few local mobile caterers, and for some it is their first venture into markets.
The market is an ever-growing good news story, becoming one of the most successful markets in the Borough, and importantly ensuring that market town status as now been firmly returned.
Best Wholesale Market – New Covent Garden Market
Home to 180 businesses, this market continues to innovate as part of its ongoing multi-million-pound redevelopment. It is a hub for world class fruit, vegetables and flowers serving London and the Southeast. It has 800 years of history but a clear vision for its future. Its diverse mix of tenants have a combined annual turnover of around £944 million and employ in excess of 2,500 people. The market thrives through successful partnerships and sponsorship, and it gives back to the community with over £100,000 raised by the Tenants Association in the last 12 months.
The market is home to the Food Exchange and Mission Kitchen. They attract a mix of entrepreneurial food businesses and provide a place where startups share commercial kitchens and working spaces on their way to becoming the next generation of food industry leaders.
In 2028, this market will be both the UK’s oldest and newest wholesale market with redevelopment and regeneration programmes creating a market fit to serve independent retail and catering sectors for decades to come.
Best Food Market – Bradford Darley Street Market
This is a city centre market that is a bold and transformative food destination, located across three floors and open 7 days a week. It is the centre piece of a £32million regeneration project replacing two outdated markets with a modern, inclusive and vibrant space. It includes a roof terrace, performance stage and digital screens blending traditional market values with contemporary urban design. It offers affordable high quality food options and a welcoming environment for families, students and visitors. The layout ensures a seamless experience from shopping to dining to entertainment. This is a market not just to buy food; it is a destination, a community space and a beacon of local ambition. It shouts out loud about innovation, diversity, quality and heart.
Best Market Attraction
This is a shared award in 2026 for two very different market activities
AWARD 1 – Smithfield Market Christmas Eve Meat Auction
This is a nationally recognised event, and a Christmas Eve Meat Auction that began 50 years ago. From an exercise by one merchant to clear excess stock it has morphed into a festive event that thousands of Christmas revellers highlight into holiday calendars. Owing to the ever-growing popularity of the event, and the weeks needed to organise, a professional company now help deliver the auction supported with grant funding. The collaboration of partners ensures that the management team and merchants are equally invested in achieving a common goal that has wider year around operational benefits.
The merchants of the market supply many of London’s finest restaurants, butchers, retail traders and suppliers and it is the surplus of these quality meat products that drive huge footfall year on year. With uncertainty over the future of this market the local management team and Traders Association use the event as a massive opportunity to remind customers that the market continues to thrive and, as necessary, adapts to the world around it.
AWARD 2 – Columbia Road Flower Market
This is a market established in 1869 that attracts customers from around the world. It is a major visitor attraction and a staple of its community that also significantly benefits the local shops and the economy. It is a Sunday market with a one million footfall each year and a diversity of trade. It has family businesses passing down to 4th and fifth generations. The trader demand epitomises the markets uniqueness. A trader own website and extensive local council social media ensuring that this is an iconic attraction and the place to go to every Sunday morning. The council have partnered with the neighbouring borough to introduce zero emission network initiatives of delivery of products through cargo bikes from market traders and local business. The market has excellent management, is a true partnership between operator and its traders and a good place to be each Sunday. This has been described as not just a market – but a spectacle.
Britain’s Favourite Market – South Molton Pannier Market
Since the launch of the 2026 online voting we have published regular updates as week by week the votes came in. When voting closed before Christmas thousands of votes had been recorded across hundreds of markets.
Year on year this competition demonstrates the value and pride that towns and cities place in their local market and the innovation and diversity that applies in modern market management. Our voting demonstrates a trust, pride and a recognition of a markets importance within the day-to-day life of their communities. For 2026 a majority of votes cast recognise a twice a week market with 100% occupancy. The market is unrivalled and the quality and variety of its produce and businesses within the local area is constantly held up as an example of what a successful traditional market should offer. Retention of traders has been outstanding, and a long waiting list of local businesses now wish to trade which has led to the creation of specialist markets, including popular food festivals. This market is seen as the heart of its community. It plays an integral part in the success of local businesses in the town. The market supports many local charities as well as smaller community groups and schools. Footfall has increased year on year, and market days are a hub of activity and promote a positive local shopping experience.
