Coronavirus in Leeds: Business as usual for defiant traders at Kirkgate Market

That is the defiant message from traders in Leeds Kirkgate Market as the fall out from the spread of coronavirus starts to affect the city from schools to shops, offices, events and social lives.

But while shop shelves have been swiped elsewhere around the city, traders were quick to reassure shoppers they were stocked up and smiling.

Stocked and smiling

From fish stalls, to butchers, bakeries and fruit and veg, the market was and remains open for business, while the council is currently working to mitigate the effects stall-holders might feel as some people stay at home.

Cliff and Michelle Hocken run Hayes Seafoods and said they are remaining positive as, amid the doom and gloom, customers want to see smiling faces.

Michelle told the Yorkshire Evening Post: "People want to carry on as normal and they want to see us with a smile on our faces - there is enough doom and gloom in the world. Us market traders, when everything is down, this is when we come out together and we excel. We stick together and we provide a bloomin' good service.

"We remain positive. It is our livelihood. We have been in business for 36 years and have dealt with a lot - and we will deal with this. We are a community and we are keeping everything going."

Bluebird Bakery was pushing contactless card payments, without a minimum spend, to help stop the spread of germs and also to make it easier and more accessible for people to shop.

Henry Cottam said: "We have been encouraging people to use cards all day and everybody has been pretty positive about it. We were okay yesterday and today has been quieter after the announcement but there is a lot less people in town. But it is business as usual until we hear any further information and that is the same across the market."

Bennetts Butchers, just along the row, was encouraging bulk buying with the usual meat deals it offer and said they had just re-stocked the stall.

Neil Hauxworth, manager, said: "We have noticed no difference and are as busy as ever. We have plenty of stock so they can keep coming. There is no panic whatsoever - just another day for us. People should stop worrying and keep coming - we have got a fridge full."

He has traded at Kirkgate for more than 20 years and, while he said it had been quieter, the market has all the products people are buying - without the queues.

Mr Whitaker added: "We are still here and we still have the products. There is no queue and no fighting for stuff. We are here from 7.30am to 5pm and it is business as usual. People want to be positive and 90 per cent of people coming to shop here - stall holders will be grateful to see them."

Rent charges

As the reaction and measure taken to deal with the virus are likely to accelerate over the coming days and weeks, Leeds City Council is starting to put in place measures to help traders and say Kirkgate, Pudsey and Otley & Yeadon markets remain open.

It will pause charges to rent and service charges to any trader that is self-isolating and businesses over £15,000 to £51,000 will shortly receive new accounts removing business rates for the next 12 months.

Those under £15,000 are due to receive a £3,000 grant.

Coun Jonathan Pryor said the team at business rates is working with central government to put the mechanisms in place to administer this.

He added: "Kirkgate Market is still very much open and it is business as usual. As ever, Kirkgate Market is the perfect place to buy a wide range of essential items from.

"In response to current events, we've put additional sanitiser dispensers in the food hall, as well as on the main entrance from the car park and open market.

"We've increased our cleaning regime and have electric doors so no customer has to touch anything to get into the market.

"We are continuing to monitor closely the advice on COVID-19 and our traders are being kept fully up to date. We would like to thank customers for their continued, fantastic support to independent traders at all of our markets."