Target market
Cardiff Market is a jewel in the Welsh capital’s crown and should be celebrated, says Will Hayward...
THE first time I went to Cardiff Market was in 2010 and it was to buy a lightbulb and some fish food. Little did I know that in a decade’s time this place would be the contributing factor in my slide towards obesity. Perhaps it is my memory fading, but I remember being distinctly underwhelmed when I first went to Cardiff Market. It was, somewhat obviously, just a traditional market. Sure, it had some interesting/ useful stalls, but it was very much a place you popped into rather than travelled into town specifically for.
Fast forward to now and it has become one of my favourite places in Cardiff. It is a beating heart in the middle of the Welsh capital that is truly unique. As other parts of the city steamroll towards uniform generic-ness (student flats, unimaginative high-rises, etc) and venues such as Gwdihw and Castle Emporium fall into closure, the market has some soul to it. It’s the perfect example of how the history and traditional character of Cardiff can evolve into something more modern and relevant to the present day.
There is still history all over the market if you know where to look. For one thing, it’s a grade Ii-listed Victorian structure. There has been a market of some form on this site since the 1700s and once upon a time you would have found livestock tethered and penned outside the doors awaiting their fate.
It was not only animals who met their demise by these doors. The St Mary Street entrance was originally the gallows in the city. In 1831, labourer and coalminer Richard Lewis (who you are more likely to know as Dic Penderyn) was hanged for his alleged role in the Merthyr Rising rebellion after he was charged with stabbing a soldier with a bayonet. There was much doubt over his guilt and the campaign to have him pardoned still continues.
At lunchtime, once you have entered the market you are greeted with one of the toughest things a hungry person can face – lots of choices. In the last half decade, the market has seen an explosion of culinary delights which have left my wallet as light as it has made my gut heavy.
Going upstairs from the St Mary Street end, you are immediately greeted by Tukka Tuk. This Indian street food joint opened just a few days ago and is owned by chef Anand George (who runs Purple Poppadom) and entrepreneur Rupali Wagh. The dahl is sublime and the chicken and Bombay fries are so delicious you will burn yourself rather than waiting for it to cool (well I do, at least).
A bit further around and you will find Ffwrnes Pizza. I have eaten there so many times I actually now have a Pavlovian response of visibly drooling when I come within sight of their woodfired ovens. The two blokes who started this spent a lot of time in Naples honing their craft before bringing it back to the ’Diff.
My latest obsession is Ya Souvlaki. This Greek restaurant sells some of the best yiros I have ever had (and I have family who live in Greece). With warm pitta thick enough to smother a pelican and chips that are somehow fluffy and crispy, it is yummy enough that you don’t even hate yourself in three hours when you think your shirt buttons are going to pop.
Not that everything in there has to challenge your waistline. There are some great healthy options, with Sage Deli being a standout (though every time I order a salad there I undercut this healthy choice by taking advantage of their complimentary sourdough).
I haven’t scratched the surface of the culinary options that are available in the market.
But I don’t want you to be under the misapprehension that Cardiff Market is now merely a glorified food hall – it isn’t. There are loads of eclectic places from record stores to book shops. Not to mention Ashton’s fishmongers, at the Trinity Street entrance, who claim to have traded there since 1866 and welcome anyone to the building with their unique scent.
My favourite has to be Hatts Emporium. Describing itself as a “distinct gentleman’s outfitters”, I simply describe it as a “shop full of stuff I wish I had the guts to wear”.
The inside is a bit like the costume cupboard of Peaky Blinders and has loads of modern interpretations of classic British menswear. The father/son duo who run it are proper class acts and you will discover the waistcoat and hat you never knew you needed.
So why am I telling you this? It isn’t like Cardiff Market is some hidden gem that no one knows about. Well, I think we are always really quick to pick faults, find issues and be a bit miserable (I include journalists in this). Sometimes you just have to take a second and appreciate something which is just really good.
The market is a real asset to Cardiff. As our urban spaces become depressingly uniform, it should be appreciated far and wide for what it brings to our capital.