St George's Market in Belfast wins 'Best Indoor Market' at Great British Market Awards

St George's Market in Belfast has been named Best Large Indoor Market in the UK.

It scooped top honours at The Great British Market Awards, beating 20 other UK markets.

Judges described St George’s as a “national treasure”, and “a destination point playing a fundamental role in uniting communities.”

They also paid tribute to the market team for “consistently seeking and driving change and improvement”.

St George’s is now home to more than 500 traders over the weekend and dates back to 1896, but there has been a Friday market on the site since 1604.

It welcomes more than one million people each year and generates an estimated £40.9 million for the local economy.

Deputy chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Councillor Gareth Spratt said: “I think lots of people will agree with the judges’ description of St George’s Market as a national treasure; it really is a true Belfast icon.

"Tourists and locals absolutely love it, and rightly so. The variety of traders and products under one roof is just incredible. It offers the very best in local produce, arts and crafts.

"Anyone who has been to the market always comments on the vibrancy of the atmosphere – there’s such a feel-good factor the moment you step inside.

“To have been named best indoor market in the UK is such an achievement, especially when you consider some of the competition we were up against.

"It’s given the traders a real boost and receiving an accolade like this is testament to all their hard work and the work of council staff in making the market such a huge success.”

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