High Street and Douglas Way on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

SHUFFLING through the extensive stalls in Deptford’s narrow and charismatic High Street, you’ll bump into all kinds of people from all kinds of communities.

That is what makes the market special.

You can get virtually anything at Deptford Market both new and second hand, from CDs to curtains, and watches to eels.

Making the market even better is the introduction of a new food court, with stalls serving up beauties like Jerk Chicken, vegan foods, Vietnamese and gnocchi.

On the day we went, a steel band added to the already great atmosphere.

As well as the stalls, there are a number of great shops in the High Street and it is an especially good place to go to pick up fish.

 

Top Trader

News Shopper:

RECORD retailer John Setford, 60, has been trading at Deptford Market for 39 years, selling CDs and now also DVDs.

Before the face of music buying changed, he had five stores, and still runs Cruisin Records in Welling.

But this was never something he planned to do.

Mr Setford said: “It happened by accident. I never planned to work here.

“I wanted to get a Makro card and the only way to get one was to have a VAT number and a street trader’s licence.”

Unable to get a VAT number, John applied for a street trader’s licence and picked up a pitch at Deptford Market but had no idea where to get stock.

He began selling records from old juke boxes and business grew from there.
He said: “We ended up being successful and it grew and grew and grew – we had five shops and a big retail business.”

John said he has a returning customer base because his stock is all new and “very cheap”.
He said: “We are so cheap. We don’t really sell anything that’s over a fiver. And they’re all brand new.

“We can compete with the second hand people.”

Top Pick: Deptford Community Cookbook Project

News Shopper:

FOOD from the eclectic heart and soul of Deptford – its residents and businesses – has been collected into a great recipe book, in association with the Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency.

Chock full of great recipes, with all of the ingredients available on the High Street, the book is on sale for £8 at the market with proceeds going to community causes.

Chef and photographer Niaomh Convery, 24, takes charge of the stall and, each week celebrates a different trader by cooking food inspired by them and giving it away for free.

The day Vibe went along, Niaomh was cooking up a feast using meat from the Halal Butchers.
She said: “We don’t use anything from supermarkets.

“Everything from the book is available in the High Street and everything we cook is available in the High Street.”