Indoor market for local produce?

With the much needed new fish market construction in full swing, I’d like to know if Lerwick Port Authority have given any thought into what they are going to do with the old market (hopefully not just another store)?

Following on from Taste of Shetland’s fantastic weekend at the Clickimin, I would like to suggest they open it up as an indoor market for Shetland produce during the cruise season (and maybe a few weeks at Christmas).

As an avid traveller I’ve been to various indoor markets around the world including ones in Bergen, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Frankfurt where space has been provided for local companies to set up pop up stalls and provide coffee, beer, wine, cloths, food, souvenirs and local produce all under one roof.

It is ideally located right on the Lerwick harbour front (on fine days benches could be set out front) and could be fantastic exhibition of Shetland-wide produce for the thousands of visitors we as an island are trying to accommodate.

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I have no doubt that there will be a million reasons why this can’t be done, health and safety, slopping floor (it was used as a bar during the tall ships) staffing, imagination, whimbrels etc., and everyone rightly wants to see the passengers distributed across Shetland rather than just in Lerwick, but I think we need something under one roof showing Shetlands produce at its very best.

The cruise ship industry is rapidly growing and vessels visiting Shetland have been on the up year on year. The more facilities we have that suit our climate the better. This might not be possible but I’m simply putting it out there as an idea.

Craig Johnson
Northmavine