Grainger Market marks 191 years with a fresh look for a Newcastle favourite

This Saturday, 24 October, marks 191 years since Newcastle celebrated the opening of its new markets with a grand dinner for 2,000 guests, presided over by the mayor. The Grainger Market has been at the heart of city life ever since.

The market was part of Richard Grainger's ambitious 19th-century redevelopment of the city centre and was designed by architect John Dobson, replacing older markets demolished to make way for Grey Street. The meat market contained 180 butchers' shops when it opened, while the vegetable market was a vast open hall, 318 feet long, with a timber roof supported by iron pillars and foundations designed to resemble those of the Borghese Palace in Rome.

Its history is full of character. The Grainger Arcade's wooden roof burned down in 1901 and was replaced with steel and glass in 1904, air raid shelters were built beneath the market during the Second World War, and Marks and Spencer's Original Penny Bazaar has traded there since 1895.

Today the Grade I listed market is home to more than 100 businesses, and in recent years it has become a street food hot spot, with food stalls tucked among traditional greengrocers, fishmongers and butchers.

The market has also been given a new lease of life. A £9 million restoration, led by Newcastle City Council with £8.2 million from levelling up funding, began in September 2024 with Robertson Construction. Plans included two new pavilions in the Arcade, improved toilets, renovated entrances with glazed automatic doors to reduce draughts, and better décor, wayfinding and signage, while traders stayed open throughout. Council leader Nick Kemp described the market as a "jewel in the crown" of the city.

The Grainger Market is also leading the way on accessibility. Every Tuesday between 2pm and 4pm it holds Slow Shopping, with no music, minimal deliveries and traders taking extra care when speaking to customers.

Whether you are after fresh produce from a greengrocer, a street food lunch or a bit of local history, there is no better way to spend an hour in the city centre than wandering its alleys.

Trader listings, a floor plan and opening information are on the Grainger Market website.