Often described as a “gem in Shrewsbury’s crown”, the town’s national award-winning Market Hall has been voted ‘Britain’s Favourite Market’ for the second year running and for the third time in its history.
It’s well worth a visit for its vibrant blend of delicious street food, unique cafes, boutique stalls, arts and crafts, fresh local produce and much more. There’s even an artisan gin bar well stocked with more than 100 craft gins. And savour the natural wine revolution with a trip to the market’s Petitglou wine bar.
Spy Shrewsbury’s soaring post-modernist clock tower on the skyline and here you’ll find the Market Hall, hunkered at its base between Shoplatch, Claremont Street and Bellstone.
This large indoor market, home to nearly 60 independent businesses, has earned a reputation as a destination for some of the most unique, independent shopping and creative lunch spots in town. It won the title of ‘Britain’s Favourite Market’ in 2024, 2023 and 2018 after a public vote in the Great British Market Awards.
Around six times a year the market opens late, up until 10pm, as a popular Saturday evening venue for food and drink and some twilight shopping with a small range of retail stalls open. Dates for 2024 are: 6th April, 4th May, 1st June, 7th September, 2nd November and 7th December.
Diners can enjoy flavours from around the world including Thai and Indian street food, tapas, Tex-Mex, Mediterranean, Moroccan, South East Asian and authentic Beijing dumplings. Grab a takeaway artisan pizza or fresh pasta to take home from Eat In Pizza.
Vegan and vegetarian diets are catered for throughout the market including at Moli Teahouse, Tom’s Table, Moreish, The Bird’s Nest and The Market Cafe.
Some of the stallholders are also producers themselves. Maddocks Fresh Produce run their own family farm, growing vegetables without the use of artificial pesticides. They grow their own heritage wheat too which is made into artisan loaves, also available from the stall. Cook & Carve delicatessen has a counter stuffed full of regional and continental artisan cheeses, charcuterie and their own sausages and cured bacon made from their own pork.
The traditional family butchers of the market sell local produce, and butcher and deli Wild Street Kitchen also stock local venison and pasture-fed beef. Meanwhile, fishmonger Barkworths Seafoods stocks the finest catch sourced from small, family-run, inshore day boats in Cornwall, Wales and Scotland.
Other food and drink specialists include wholefoods and low waste shop Minimise and independent wine merchant Iron & Rose which primarily sells organic and natural wines from small production vineyards around the world.
Explore the rest of the market to find everything from pretty homewares and accessories, original art and handcrafts, gift and fashion boutiques to card and crystal shops, plants, flowers, books, vinyl records, antiques, collectables and more. You can even get a makeover with Risdon’s barbershop or Eden hair and beauty salon.
Full trading days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 8am to 4pm. Thursdays are a limited trading day with a selection of stalls open.