Legal Requirements

All stalls selling food must be registered as a food business with the producer’s local Environmental Health Department. In the case of mobile vehicles these must be registered with the EH Department at the local authority where the vehicle is normally stored when not in use.

The producer is responsible for complying with all laws and regulations regarding the production, preparation, labelling, display, storage and sale of goods. Stallholders must maintain adequate public, employee and products liability insurance. A copy of this to be supplied upon application for a stall and may be requested again at any time.

All stallholders selling pre-cooked food must hold a Food Hygiene Certificate and be able to produce this if requested. Stallholders cooking food on site must check temperature of food regularly and keep a record of checks for inspection. Hand washing facilities are provided for all stalls.

All stallholders must bring their own equipment, tables and market quality gazebos (no garden style gazebos will be permitted). Tents and umbrellas should be weighted down for safety. Signs should also be weighted and removed if there are strong winds.

If your stall is using electricity please make sure all appliances are PAT tested and circuit breakers used. Electric cables must be positioned safely, either covered on the ground to prevent tripping, or up above head height. Wiring should be safe.

Setting up

The market will open to the public at 10am and close at 2pm. Stallholders may arrive from 8am. All non-essential vehicles must be off the precinct by 9:30am. Stallholders must offload goods from vehicles and park prior to setting up stall. Stallholders must dismantle stall prior to bringing vehicles onto the precinct at the end of the market. If there is any reason why this is not possible, different arrangements may be agreed at the Market Managers discretion.

Cars and vans must not be reversed without assistance at the rear of the vehicle. If your stall only has one person working on it please buddy up with another stall holder in order to do this. High visibility vests must be worn by the person assisting and are available to borrow from the Market Manager.

Be aware that the market is held in a public area that cannot be closed off during set up and take down times. Please have hazard lights on your car when in the market area.

Your stall is to be kept in a clean and tidy condition with food stored at least 45cm off the ground to avoid contamination.

Please make sure all spillages are cleared up promptly. Contact the Market Manager if you need to borrow a bucket or broom.

In winter when ground is icy or snowy, salt will be provided for you to spread in front of and behind your stall.

Stall holders must take away all their own waste at the end of the market and leave the carpark in a clean and tidy manner. The Food Market Chiswick encourages recycling of cardboard, paper and other waste, but cannot facilitate this.

Produce

Produce must be grown or raised in a way that contributes to thriving local economies and sustainable livelihoods both in the UK and, in the case of imported products, in producer countries, is fairly traded, enhances landscape and biodiversity, minimizes food miles, is based on caring animal husbandry and provides social benefits such as good quality food, safe and healthy products, and educational opportunities.

Ingredients of items sold at the market should be from local producers wherever possible. Any eggs used must be free range.

Only produce with organic certification may be sold under the label ‘organic’. Genetically Modified Produce or goods containing genetically modified products may not be sold at the market.

Meat – Must be raised by the producer from animals born and reared on the farm or sourced as young stock animals and reared to finish on the farm. Preference is given to free range and extensive methods of production and caring animal husbandry. Intensive and battery farmed animals and eggs are not allowed.

Livestock should be fed on nongenetically modified animal feed (i.e. no feed containing genetically modified soya, maize, etc). Game must be either reared and shot on the producer’s land or sourced from a named local farm or estate. A butcher may process game for the producer.

Fish – must be caught locally and names of suppliers provided. Fish products should contain wild, locally caught and landed fish. Where farmed fish is used this should be from named local enterprises that farm to standards acceptable to The Food Market Chiswick.

Beverages – Wine, juice and cider must be pressed, mixed, and matured from fruit grown by the producer. Exceptions to this rule are by permission of the manager only. A licence must be obtained from the council to sell alcohol on the market premises.

The market is predominantly a food market. Any crafts are at the discretion of the manager.

All food must be marked and priced according to legal requirements. Contact your local Trading Standards office for more information.

Packaging must be kept to a minimum, and paper used in preference to plastic. Biodegradable packaging is encouraged.

Pitch Availability

Allocation of the pitches: is at the discretion of the market manager. Priority is given to “Primary Producers”, i.e. producers of vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy products and meat or to stalls that provide for an existing gap in produce available at the market.

We keep all new applications on file. When a pitch becomes available it is allocated according to the needs of the market. One off temporary pitches may become available due to cancellations of regular stall holders.
You must inform the Market Manager of the size pitch you require, whether electricity is required and if your vehicle forms part of your stall.

Non-attendance – at least a weeks notice is required. Any less will incur a penalty of the full stall fee.

Conflicts and Complaints

Complaints of suspected rule breaking must be submitted to the manager. The person who makes the complaint will not be identified to the suspected producer.

If there is overlap between the same products being sold of different stalls the Market Manager will have final say if stall holders cannot come to their own agreement.

Any producer whose presence, activity or behaviour is contrary to the aims and general ethos of the market will be given a verbal warning followed by a written warning, followed by suspension if the problem persists. If the Dukes Meadows Trust and the Market Manager deems the matter to be very severe or a stall holder is convicted of acting against the law with regard to the product on sale then they will be liable to exclusion from the market.

Any changes to information contained on the application form submitted must be notified to the market manager immediately. This includes change of ownership, addresses, products, ingredients etc.

Please note

The Food Market Chiswick is run in accordance to the terms and conditions set out by the London Borough of Hounslow. Any non-compliance will be taken seriously and may result in the termination of the market.

The Food Market Chiswick, a social enterprise run on behalf of The Dukes Meadows Trust a company ltd by guarantee reg. in England co. no. 5218748 and registered charity no. 1106538.

Market Manager: Alice Playle / Kathleen Healy: admin@dukesmeadowstrust.org / 07443 591322