At first the base of Nottingham bus operator Barton – in 1913 – and now the home of Nottingham’s largest independent market, The Garage in Chilwell has been a pillar of its local community since it began. Every weekend this family run business welcomes numerous traders and locals through its doors. From its most well known weekend markets to comedy and beer festivals, the success of The Garage is constantly evolving as a local favourite for Beeston and Notts residents alike. Here’s how they got to the point they’re at today…
Tell us about the history of The Garage and why your family started this business…
118 years ago our great-great grandfather and his children set up in Nottingham what became the UK's and one of western Europe's largest independent bus operators. They made The Garage in Chilwell their headquarters in 1913, and ran the bus operations from there until 1989 when the business was sold to Wellglade, who run Trentbarton.
Since then, the original garages have been used in a number of different ways, including some artistic uses from 2008. We (Tom, James, and Richard Barton) took up running events at The Garage in 2017 as a way to bring life back to the site in the form of events and entertainment.
Now we host a huge range of events, including Nottinghamshire's biggest weekly market on Saturdays and Sundays, street food events, beer festivals, run clubs, live music nights, stand-up comedy, heritage events, themed parties and more.
Has the business stayed true to its original vision?
Absolutely! In the early 20th Century, the business was started as a way of bringing people together and connecting them from villages, towns, and cities. Today, The Garage does exactly the same thing; we're still bringing people together, not by travelling on buses, but by bringing them to one place.
As a dear former employee once said, "It was never about the buses. It was about the people." I'd say that's about as perfect a description as you'll get, it shows the family's aims are the same now as they were five generations ago. It's about the people.
Nottingham has such a thriving, community-driven independent scene, and that’s a big part of what makes The Garage so special. What do you think makes The Garage so unique as a market and within Nottingham’s independent community?
I think finding a venue like this in the leafy suburbs is pretty unique! I would say our varied calendar of events makes the venue a standout destination, but I genuinely believe people feel like they have a sense of place when they visit The Garage.
In addition, the history of the site and bus company, which was a major local employer and route provider, means so many people have links and fond memories of The Garage and the bus company.
But Nottingham has such a strong independent scene, which is best showcased at our weekly weekend market. Since the start it has always tried to showcase the highest quality of local products, and I think that's what sets it above the rest.
Our team works incredibly hard on making sure every market looks different, cycling through over 700 different traders a year. That takes an enormous amount of time and effort, and I believe that's why we have visitors who come every Saturday and every Sunday.
They know no two markets will look the same, and that relentless dedication to showcasing the best and most talented independents, who have been brave enough to start their own business, is where The Garage gets its reputation.
But having worked more-or-less every weekend for eight years, I know there are so many who have a connection with our space and that feels pretty special and unique to me.
Our team works incredibly hard on making sure every market looks different, cycling through over 700 different traders a year. That takes an enormous amount of time and effort, and I believe that's why we have visitors who come every Saturday and every Sunday.
With over 700 different traders to pick from and a constant growing interest, how do you decide who attends The Garage Market each week?
This job is done by Fiona, our fantastic mum, who has an unbelievable talent for finding the very best traders. After all this time we’ve come to know that we are only as strong as the people we work with. Some traders have been trading with us since 2017, and others we'd known since the Market's first iteration back in 2012!
As the Market has grown in recent years, we've had a huge uplift in interest from traders looking to join our revolving weekend high street. But it’s still vital to us not to forget how we got here in the first place, so some of our longest serving traders continue to be supported, just as they supported us as we started all those years ago.
What kind of wares can people pick up at the market?
In terms of food we have brunch and viral street food pop-ups, travelling coffee shops with iced coffee, matcha and seasonal drinks, an on-site bakery and deli area, sweet treats, bakes and desserts. The other stalls range from ceramics, vintage, fashion and clothing, prints and artwork, jewellery, cards, candles, gifts and stickers. We’re also dog-friendly so lots of pet treats!
Moving through the last few months of the year, what can Nottingham look forward to from The Garage in the upcoming months?
Our calendar is full of lots of different events in the Autumn and Winter. The market will be running almost every Saturday and Sunday from 5 September to 20 December, with Christmas markets starting mid-November.
Before then, we've got our September Street Food Club (26 September), our annual Oktoberfest (9/10 & 16/17 October), Bonfire night (7 November), Christmas Parties (5, 12, 19 December) and our Christmas Eve which is always really fun!
Find The Garage at 63 High Rd, Chilwell, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 4AJ, and keep up with what’s on via their website.
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