Bell rings out for city market after £18m investment

Mrs Granelli, whose family has been selling sweets and ice creams in Sheffield for 130 years, and newcomer Anton Smith will be ringing a bell to declare the £18m Moor Market open for business next Monday morning.

It is a tradition dating back at least 400 years which is being revived to mark the market’s opening. In 1609, two officers were recruited to ensure no corn was bought or sold at Sheffield’s market until the bell was rung.

The market is already 94 per cent full, with a third of the stalls going to newcomers like Mr Smith, who will be selling Afro-Caribbean food. Lord Mayor Coun Vickie Priestley and leader of Sheffield Council Julie Dore will unveil a plaque before the doors open for the first time.

Coun Dore said: “Even before the new building opens there is a definite buzz about the place. To be investing in a new market and safeguarding and creating jobs and opportunities for small businesses during the current economic climate is a fantastic achievement for Sheffield.”

The only purpose-built market to be built in the UK in the last decade, Moor Market, which has a striking glass and brass canopied roof, is a new city landmark. With 183 stalls operated by 90 traders, items ranging from clothing to bags, photography to pet supplies will be on sale as well as traditional fresh food.

A new market has been talked about for nearly 20 years, but has only now become a reality. It will open 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Saturday.