Town Mayor Tony Konieczny visited Abergavenny Market last week to welcome and congratulate two businesses on moving to their new premises in the market hall.
On Friday July 8 Mayor Konieczny was joined by Chair of Monmouthshire County Council Laura Wright to celebrate the opening of Y Fenni Vintage and Welsh Blankets shop as well as the expansion of the Market Bakery.
Y Fenni Vintage and Welsh Blankets is a new shop located in the corner of the Market Hall, that specialises in selling a range of vintage items including blankets, coats, China and pottery, as well as Lovespoons with the store specialising in selling Welsh-themed items.
Most of the products sold are hand-made and upcycled from old materials, with all products produced in a sustainable and environmentally friendly fashion. The shop will also be open every market day (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday).
The shop will be jointly run by Tracey Steadman and Delyn Thomas, with both women having worked as stallholders in Abergavenny market selling blankets and other vintage items.
Tracey has been trading in Abergavenny market for six years, whilst Delyn has run her stall for 18 months, having previously been a customer of Tracey’s and encouraged by Tracey to open her own stall.
Abergavenny Town Mayor Tony Konieczny officially cut the ribbon opening the new store on Friday morning, as Tracey and Delyn welcomed customers in to browse their Welsh-themed vintage stock.
Speaking to the Chronicle, Tracey and Delyn said: “We are delighted to be merging our stalls together to open our new shop. Coming together will allow us greater flexibility
“The market is a great place to work and such a vibrant community, that we were keen to do something to help regenerate it. It is such an asset to the town and community and after the struggles of the last few years we want to do more to bring people back into the market, and hopefully this new venture will do just that.”
Abergavenny Market Bakery has been run by Lukasz Kowalski-Davies since February 2020, selling freshly-made delicious produce including brownies and cakes.
The Bakery has proven so popular that Lukasz has now decided to expand his shop relocating to a larger unit in the Market Hall.
The bakery will be open in its new premises every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
Market Bakery owner Lukasz Kowalski-Davies said: “We are very excited to be expanding our bakery shop in the market.
‘‘Despite the struggles of the Covid pandemic we have come back strongly thanks to our wonderful customers in the market and would like to thank them all once again for their kind and generous support.”
Welcoming the two businesses to their new premises, Town Mayor Tony Konieczny said: “It is real pleasure to welcome Abergavenny Bakery and Y Fenni Vintage & Welsh Blankets to their new premises in the Market Hall.
“The regular weekly markets attract many visitors to the town and these new businesses will provide a wider choice for shoppers.
“It’s good to see that new traders are interested in our market offer in Abergavenny, they are very welcome and we wish them every success.”
Chair of Monmouthshire County Council, Cllr Laura Wright added: ““I want to say a huge congratulations to Tracey and Delyn on the opening of their new premises in our beautiful Market Hall here in Abergavenny.
“It’s really exciting to see our local small businesses bouncing back and thriving after the difficult times they’ve faced during the pandemic. I wish them huge success for the future and I’m looking forward to seeing what they do next.
“I’d also like to extend my congratulations to Lukasz on his new, expanded site for The Market Bakery.
‘‘I can wholeheartedly recommend his delicious freshly-cooked Welshcakes! I’m sure that Lucasz’s business will continue to go from strength to strength.”