The eagerly-awaited Christmas Market returns to Derry tomorrow to transform the Guildhall Square with over 30 festive Alpine chalets hosting a wide range of locally produced brands.
From left, Maria Keys, The Hamptons, Debbie Leslie, Flossies Fudge and Shona Campbell, Regeneration Projects Officer at Derry City Council with some of the merchandise which will be on sale at one stall in this year’s Christmas Market.
Featuring everything from gourmet treats to personalised gifts, the market will run until 21 December.
One of the burgeoning businesses taking part in the market this year is run by Debbie Leslie, who took over production of her daughter’s home made fudge range, Flossies Fudge in October
Debbie explained: “My daughter had been making the fudge more as a hobby than anything else but it was so popular I could see it had potential as a business idea.
“When she went off to university I decided to develop it further and see if I could build it into a proper business. So far I’ve mainly been selling the fudge at local markets, and the Christmas Market is the ideal place to showcase the product.
“I think what makes the fudge so delicious is the fact that I only use fresh, natural ingredients and there are no artificial colourings or preservatives, or things like glucose syrup. It gives the fudge a really soft, melt in the mouth texture.
“And I make every batch fresh for each event, as it has a shorter shelf life due to all the natural diary ingredients, so it’s always excellent quality. The fudge at the Christmas Market will all be freshly made but will still last into January.”
And if that’s not a convincing enough reason to fill up your Santa stockings with fudge this year, Debbie has developed a new festive flavour especially for the market.
She revealed: “I’ve added cranberry and orange to my range for Christmas, with all the fragrant flavours of a Christmas pudding – brandy, spices, and orange – it just conjures up Christmas as soon as you put it in your mouth.”
Debbie concluded: “I’ll be selling this along with my six regular flavours – vanilla, dark chocolate and orange, lightly malted, chocolate, marbled and marshmallow.”
Also offering the ideal Christmas gift range this year is Maria Keys, whose range of specially selected gift hampers can be tailored to meet any budget.
“I’ve been running my own business called The Hamptons for a few months now, and the hampers have proved very popular gift ideas for new babies and as wedding gifts,” she revealed.
“This is my first time offering the Christmas hampers and the market will be a great opportunity to test the idea. Generally the ranges are very natural and rustic in style, but I’m going for a more festive theme with these hampers.
“People can choose from a wide selection of gift ideas to include and they can spend as much or as little as they like. They can even buy the products – which include things like photo frames and candle holders – as individual items. Generally I find people ring me up, tell me how much they want to spend and we take it from there, sourcing the ideal hamper items for the person they want to spoil.
“I’ve been working with Enterprise North West and Derry City Council as part of the Market Start Up scheme which has really helped in planning how to develop my business further. It’s going to be a busy few weeks getting things together but I’m really looking forward now to the big event.”
The market will run from 10.00am-9.00pm every day and features a whole host of tempting treats from specialty coffees to Christmas crepes, as well as wide range of products and gifts.
There will also be plenty of family fun throughout, with live music and performances from local choirs, drama groups and community organisations.
The Hamptons will feature at the market on 12, 16 and 17 December while Debbie Leslie’s delicious festive fudge will be available on 18, 19, 20 and 21 December.
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