How fine dining, fish stalls and a sushi bar are leading the regeneration of Doncaster Market and starting a foodie revolution

From a family of stallholders in the East End of London, Mr Linch had spent years working in French, Spanish and Italian food markets in Europe's 'garlic belt', and had been invited by Doncaster Council to design a new fish market in the continental style.

He remembers fishmongers displaying their wares on Formica tables and rats running around, but in 12 weeks back in 1992 he built a new seafood hall which has stood the test of time.

Now a successful consultant, Mr Linch's company, MAM Markets, was three years ago awarded a 25-year lease to run Doncaster Market from the council with a brief to completely regenerate what had once been one of the town's biggest draws for visitors, attracting coach parties from far and wide.

Already changes have been made - a linen-strewn 'labyrinth' of textile and clothing stalls inside the Wool Market that was 90 per cent empty when MAM took over has been transformed into a street food court with bespoke traders tailored to a wider range of shoppers.

"Back in 1992, the fish market was superb - there were 16 fish, poultry and game traders, many of them ex-miners who were quite new to the industry and had started when the pits closed.

"Doncaster has always been one of the best markets in the country. We operate six markets now and the northern half of the UK still has the strongest - the north has the best food and the best markets.

"It was bustling in those days. The supermarkets didn't have the grip that they do now and people still wanted good food and knowledgeable, courteous service.

"The council realised that retailing has changed, people have become conditioned to Asda and that slick experience. They are not professional market operators so they outsourced and we won the tender."

The market estate is huge, encompassing the Corn Exchange, Wool Market, International Food Hall, Goose Hill indoor market and several outdoor areas, and Mr Linch is enthusiastic about his vision for each.

More leisure attractions are planned for the Wool Market, while the Corn Exchange will be redesigned and co-working spaces added. He is most excited for the Sunny Bar indoor area, currently used as offices, workshops and storage.

The site has been earmarked for Market Table, a Carluccio's-style dining concept that will see local chefs serve the best produce sourced from the stalls around them. A deli counter will sell the goods once the daytime traders have gone home, and there will be guest chef nights and cookery classes.

It is a larger scale version of the model seafood and prosecco bar Clam & Cork successfully brought to the market in 2018, when its owners converted a wet fish stand into a destination that was reviewed by Jay Rayner and became Doncaster's first ever entry in the Good Food Guide."Market Table will be a completely new concept for a British market. It's not going to be three Michelin stars but people are aspirational and it will be a restaurant that sources its food from no more than 10 miles away. Restaurants are very common in French and Spanish markets.

"Five years ago there were a lot more empty units than there are now, and the 'Irish middle' area was awful and has since been cleared. The Wool Market was struggling. Occupancy now is really good.

"It's a rare regeneration opportunity to really change to attract new demographics - but we don't want to lose people who already come here. We want good food that isn't exclusive and an experience that makes everyone feel comfortable."

Mr Linch admits he has faced opposition at various times from traditionalists, but hopes that increased footfall will win around the more conservative traders while innovations such as online ordering and home delivery can increase their profits.

"Back in 1992 they thought I was a cocky young cockney and they said I was nuts - but the fishmongers' takings grew. People said the same about Clam & Cork; they work in this cold environment but they've brought something amazing, they're so driven and the ideal new blood for us.

"The new traders tend to be younger and their lifestyles are more digital, so they focus on card payments and the market is gradually becoming cashless through natural attrition."

One who has caught the eye - and not just for his Victorian handlebar moustache - is The Gentleman Fishmonger, Martyn Pippard, who despite being in his 50s has reinvented his offering. From his pitch opposite Clam & Cork, he has become the market's hipster fish expert with a large social media following.

"People go to him for quality and service. His image is very smart, he's always talking to customers and handing out recipes to them. We want that different blend of traders. Some people are happy going to the same stall they've gone to for 30 years for their cod and haddock, but others have seen a recipe on TV that they want to learn how to cook. The fish at Doncaster is fresh, it only smells sweet and it caters for a wide demographic."

Mr Linch laughs when remembering driving north in 1994 and hearing on the radio that Doncaster Market was on fire. Fearing for his new fish project, he learned that the area destroyed was the historic Corn Exchange - a trading hall built in 1870 and one of the few surviving examples of its kind left in the country. Yet the refurbishment after the blaze left much to be desired.

"They put in this horrible mezzanine floor which just didn't work. We want to remodel it and bring it back to its former glory so people can see its heritage. At the moment, it's quite pedestrian but it will become a better space for pure commerce - which is what it was built for."

Projects will be piecemeal as the site is so large, but MAM's role is wider-reaching than merely caretaking.

"We will refurbish everything and when we finish we will start again - we are never satisfied. We don't want to scare people - there have been some traders who are worried but we are sympathetic, we understand their fears and people have been generally supportive.

"In five years' time you won't recognise Doncaster Market."

The Gentleman Fishmonger

Martyn Pippard is 55 and has been on the market since he was 19 - but in lockdown this lifelong fishmonger decided to rebrand with the help of his partner, Sarah Wilson.

Miss Wilson was a customer who fell for Martyn's knowledge and panache - and she's now joined the business, which used to be known as Martyn's Famous Fish Stall, for its next chapter.

They now have 12,000 followers on Facebook, 23 staff, a new ready-to-cook seafood range and a sushi bar about to open.

"The stall had stagnated a bit; it was rolling along, the clients were getting older. We want to bring in younger foodies and the market's regeneration is the right opportunity.

"Martyn has the talent and the knowledge - and he's always been a bit of eye candy in the market! It's been about bringing his personality out, because he really is one of the best fishmongers in the country. The reception from the public has given him greater confidence."

Miss Wilson, who spent years living in London working as a geologist and jeweller before returning north, believes none of the fish she encountered in Harrods and other top food halls can match Mr Pippard's range.

"We haven't had to change the products as he's always had incredible displays that are varied and exciting. Doncaster is a diverse society now and we offer choices for the Caribbean and eastern European communities.

"The opening of Clam & Cork was a godsend - it brought vibrancy. It was small initially and it was closed for 20 months during lockdown, but it's had a huge refurbishment and come back bigger and better. Our sushi street food bar will give people even more of a reason to stay. The atmosphere has really changed and people are embracing the challenges."

The only obstacle facing the couple is a lack of trained staff - there are no courses for young fishmongers locally despite the market's 800-year history.

"Pre-lockdown, the average age of our customers was over 50 and many were in their 80s. At that age, they haven't got families at home, they eat less, and they were buying only a few hundred grams a week. We wanted to turn that around. We started watching the cookery shows, and if they had stone bass on The Great British Menu, we'd get that in. We also started teaching people how to cook fish, doing recipes and videos. We got a chef in and started making our own ready-to-cook products - fishcakes, salmon en croute, scotch eggs, dinner party boxes.

"The customers now are increasingly singles and couples in their 30s. They are looking for quality, sustainability, low use of plastics, value and an experience you simply cannot buy in a supermarket.

"The market now is what shopping should be - people aren't just buying, they're being cared for. Martyn says it's the biggest privilege when people trust you to feed them."