Apply to trade

Harbour Market Whitstable is situated in the working harbour of Whitstable, a unique, lively and thriving fishing town. The market is set on south quay next to the popular Harbour Cafe.

The market has 35 timber clad huts, some facing the harbour and those behind surrounding a communal area. There is a new entrance coming into the market from Harbour street and 3 other open areas leading into the communal area.

28 of the huts are 2.9m x 2.8m in size and are for year round rental and 7 huts are 2.8m x 2m are are for use of Pop - Up rental on either a weekend or weekly basis. 

All huts are fitted with LED lighting, electric points and fire extinguishers.

We are a friendly community of traders who like to pride ourselves on a high standard of high quality products, helpful customer service and supportive attitude to each other.

For these reasons there is a selection process - to see if your products fit our criteria of being handmade/original and sold by independent traders. 

There are 3 options for traders to apply for;

Permanent
A yearly lease, which entitles you to trade a minimum of 5 days from March - October and a minimum of 2 days from November - February.

Semi - Permanent
A quarterly licence, which entitles you to trade for 3 months, a minimum of 5 days from March - October and a minimum of 2 days from November - February. This is not available for July.

Pop - Up
Either a weekly licence or weekend, which entitles you to trade for a minimum of 5 days from March - October, minimum of 2 days from November - February or just the weekend.

Trader Information

So that traders have some flexibility this will apply to 80% of their products/goods.

Trading Assessment/Conditions

All traders will be assessed on a points system.

All traders will be interviewed and their products assessed for quality, price, saleability and origin of product/goods.

Resellers or those not making their own products/goods must make sure that they are either Kentish made or British.

Food huts

Are required to provide a menu, along with either samples or photos of their products.

Traders must have all appropriate food hygiene as well as any other relevant certification available for inspection, as required by the local authorities. We suggest that all food huts have 4 signature dishes and will have exclusivity on these, but not on ingredients which are used in said dishes. Also the use of any potato or bread and variations of these products will be able to be used by all.

We hope that you will work together if certain things do crossover and come to a amicable solution,the final say if this is not possible will be up to the lease holders.

We will advise traders on how to meet our criteria.

There will be exceptions to this criteria to old and new traders.

To help those with shops in the Whitstable and Tankerton area, who wish to apply, this criteria will be wavered and we will assess application on suitability to join the market, this we feel obligated to do to help local retailers and give them the chance to supplement their often exorbitant rents. However this does not entitle them to exclusivity of goods or products.

All traders must have public liability insurance for a sum of no less than £5,000,000. This will be checked regularly.

Opening times

January - April

Pop - Up

Payment on acceptance of application or 2 months prior to booking.

Charges for Bank Holidays and Event days/weekends

Payment on acceptance of application.

Semi - Permanent

Rents

A deposit of 1 month, plus 1 months rent in advance. For those wishing to trade on Semi- Permanent licence.

Permanent

Rents

Traders can close for this 2 weeks without cover for their huts. This can be taken however the trader chooses or whenever the trader chooses.

A deposit of 1 month, plus 1 months rent in advance. For those wishing to trade on yearly lease.

Trader application form

In order to trade at Harbour Market Whitstable you must hold continuous Public liability insurance of no less than £5,000,000.

This form is also available in pdf format here.