Belfast’s oldest fruit and vegetable market trader is keeping the business going despite the Covid-19 epidemic to make sure loyal customers get their five a day.
Since Belfast City Council announced a temporary cessation of St George’s Market in a wave of public closures, market traders have been facing the prospect of an uncertain future.
John Breen, fourth generation owner of Murdock’s Fruit and Veg, is one of the lucky few able to continue selling to the public in the city. The family business owns the old stables yard in Verner Street next to St George’s Market, and can continue trading in an open air setting on a Friday.
He said: “We keep horses in the city centre, and we have a good sized yard, so we were able to set up the stall today. Along with Milligans fish traders from Ardglass, we’ve set up smaller versions of our St George’s stalls, so the people don’t leave with nothing.
“We’re going to see if we can maybe do someone else a favour next week, squeeze someone else in beside us selling the essentials, maybe a bread stall. If this is at all possible, and if anyone else is willing to come in.
“There were plenty of customers asking for it today. I think people are more comfortable with it being outside. The other outdoor markets we do beyond Belfast have been busier than normal. It’s the outside trading, in the open air, where they are not gathered up with other people.
“We put out some posts on facebook earlier in the week, and there were plenty of shares and likes. The word got around, and people made their presence this morning to get their essentials that will do them till next Friday, as they would do most weeks.”
For generations Murdocks has been the backbone of the Belfast market scene, and was instrumental in getting Belfast corporation to erect the present St George’s Market.
John said his fellow traders were questioning the closure of the market. He said: “While we’re not in total lock-down, the open markets shouldn’t be an issue. What I do have an issue with is, in St George’s Market you have a capacity of 200 to 250 people. But if you go into any of the big supermarkets, you will get 500 to 600 people in there or more. What’s the difference, if we’re talking about confined spaces? This is the question coming from traders who have lost their livelihoods on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“Some of them are thinking the council had to be seen to be doing something, but what about the knock-on effect to these traders? Is it for the best, who knows? We are in the unknown.”
