About us

RCMA has a number of aims:

• to provide a source of healthy, affordable and tasty food for the residents of Riverside, wider Cardiff and surrounding areas;
• to promote a positive image of Riverside, and to contribute to the economic regeneration of the area;
• to contribute to the health and sustainability of Welsh agriculture by providing an outlet for small local producers;
• to create a friendly, accessible and pleasing space where everyone can feel welcome - promoting links between all sections of the community.

The objective is to set up and operate a permanent community market in Riverside which will sell a wide range of Welsh produced and organic produce, prepared foods and related items. Where possible, items will have been produced or prepared by the vendors themselves.

The market is run as a not-for-profit community enterprise. In allocating tables, priority will be given to vendors from the local area.

Riverside Market is kindly sponsored by: The Princes Trust, Cardiff County Council, WDA, Environment Wales, Shell Better Britain Campaign, and the European Social Fund.

Who runs the market?

The market is run on a not-for-profit basis by a number of local residents on a voluntary basis. They include:

Steve Garrett
Steve is the Chair of the market initiative. He also runs the Riverside Festival and Cultural Concerns, and recently worked as community development officer in the Riverside Community Centre.

Simon Michaels
Simon is Secretary of the Association. He is an environmental planner and designer and is a director of f3 - Enabling local and sustainable food enterprise. He also runs the Wild Yeast Bakery.

Peter Brooks
Peter is the Treasurer of the Association. He also runs a local design and build practice.

Gwilym Owen
Website Administrator

History of the market

Riverside Market is an initiative of the Riverside Community Market Association. A pilot phase of the Riverside Market consisting of two consecutive Saturday markets was launched in Despenser Gardens park in December 1998.

The market has now been running for nearly nine years. During this time we have had to close for the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak, extended our trading hours to every Sunday, and moved to a more visible location on Fitzhamon embankment opposite to the Millennium Stadium along the right bank of the River Taff with up to 30 stalls on any given day.

All local residents potentially benefit from the activities of the market, in terms of having access to affordable healthy food, and in terms of the positive attitude the market will foster towards the social and physical environment of Riverside. There is currently no source of fresh produce in the area, and economic or practical constraints prevent many residents from shopping elsewhere. As a result many local people have a poor diet lacking in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Riverside Market also promotes the economic and environmental advantages of locally produced food where use of fossil fuels in transportation and wasteful packaging are kept to a minimum.

The market is one of a number of farmer's markets in South Wales. These markets allow small producers to sell directly to consumers - giving them better margins. The markets also act as a shop window for producers, who often set up on-going relationships with their customers.