'It was doomed to fail from the start': Northampton trader CLOSES Market Square butcher's shop

Steve Reid first moved to the redeveloped Market Square when he opened the Artisan Collective Farmshop Pod in October 2024. He later took over the neighbouring vacant butcher's pod, but has now decided to close the pod.

His wife, Rachel, will continue running the Artisan Collective Farmshop Pod, while Mr Reid returns to the firm's base in Foundry Street, where he prepares the charcuterie products he sells.

Mr Reid said the footfall in the market was not there, he had not been told how it was going to improve and and he blamed the issues on the previous Conservative administration for moving the market to Commercial Street.

In response, WNC said it remained committed to attracting a diverse mix of businesses to the Market Square, with active enquiries for vacant units, strong recent trader interest, and new traders due to start this week

During the Market Square redevelopment, West Northamptonshire Council spent around £4,000 converting the butcher's pod into a bespoke butcher's unit. Following Mr Reid's departure, it now stands empty once again.

Mr Reid said: “We said we'd give it a try. The other butchers didn't work for lots of different reasons but we thought we'd give it a bash.”

Explaining why he has decided to leave, Mr Reid said: “The footfall is not there. The market and market management have not said what they were going to do.

"When we first took on the pods they [former Conservative administration] said they'd push the market and get all these new stalls in, that hasn't been done. That was the council officers not the councillors.

“ James Petter [former Reform deputy leader of the council] was helping us but he's now no longer in position. We've yet to meet the new councillor in charge of the market, so slightly disappointed about that."

He continued: "A lot of market towns are struggling. It’s nothing to do with parking. People don't shop in town. You can blame a lot of different things. A lot of towns are feeling and seeing the same things happening."

Northampton Market relocated in January 2023 while the Market Square underwent a £13.5 million redevelopment. Traders were moved to Commercial Street car park for almost two years during the work, with some calling the area ‘death row’, as some traders sold their houses to stay afloat.

Mr Reid blames that decision by the former Conservative administration for the market's struggles. He said the market never recovered after reopening.

He said: “The problem is, the market was killed when it was closed.

"Forget Reform. The Tories should be held responsible because of the money they wasted on it. Moving the traders to Commercial Street was the nail in the coffin.

“When we were looking at the artisan pod, my concerns were, how are you getting the stalls back on the market,” he said.

He continued: “We were there from day one. It's been hard work. It was doomed to fail from the start.

“When they launched that market, the opening was great... But then what you found... people coming up going, 'Where's your stalls?' Come New Year, they never returned.

"That was the previous administration, who would never admit to it. It failed. It was never going to work in the way they had it done.”

The market's permanent ‘pods’, imported from Italy, around the edge of the square are occupied, but the pop-up stalls in the middle have remained largely empty since the market reopened, leaving a large unused space. Traders have repeatedly said filling those stalls would make the market look busier and help increase footfall.

Mr Reid said: “The market now, still a lot of work to be done in regards to stalls. I've told Reform they'll struggle to get stalls in. A lot of the traders are settled in Bedford, MK. You won't get them to give up a pitch if they've been there for a while."

Mr Reid stood as a Reform UK candidate in the May 2025 local elections, but was not elected. He said he did not blame the current Reform administration for the market's problems.

He said: “I know people will want to blame Reform, in all honesty, their hands were tied. Councillor Petter helped us as much as he could.

"When Reform got in, I said pass the market over to us (traders) we know enough people, we'll see if we can fill it.”

Asked what other traders think of Northampton Market, Mr Reid said: “Now, if you mention Northampton Market to a lot of other traders and say, 'Do you want to come give this a try?', they just laugh at you.”

Mr Reid said the reputation of the market was not a positive one and was seen as being a “dead market”.

“That's the brutal honesty of it. There's no footfall. I like to be optimistic but I think it'll be a struggle to get the market back."

Although the butcher's pod has closed, the family business will continue selling some meat from the neighbouring artisan pod.

Mr Reid said: “We're still doing meat products, we've put another fridge in the artisan pod, like we did before we opened the butchers. What we're doing now is the same as what we did before. We're doing a small amount still there.”

A spokesperson for West Northamptonshire Council said: “The council remains committed to attracting a diverse mix of businesses to the Market Square, with active enquiries for vacant units, strong recent trader interest, and new traders due to start this week.

“Footfall, monitored through our Huq system, continues to increase year on year and our new market team is already delivering improvements, including actively recruiting weekday traders to complement the already busy weekend markets.

“Alongside this, an exciting programme of summer events and activities will continue to bring people into the space, supporting traders and the wider town centre.”.

In response to the criticisms of the previous Conservative administration, Councillor Daniel Lister, now leader of the Conservative party in West Northants, said: “Town centre markets everywhere are navigating a very different world, with changing shopping habits and reduced footfall affecting high streets across the country. The Market Square redevelopment is part of a wider regeneration of the town centre. We worked hard to support our traders throughout the redevelopment, providing free rent and utilities during the temporary move and free rent again when the market reopened.”

He added: “Reform have now been in political control of West Northamptonshire Council for more than a year, and responsibility for ensuring the market reaches its full potential rests with elected members.

“Our market has fantastic traders and it deserves the support of local people. I encourage everyone to visit and support them. I want to see our market thrive.”