Scores of patrons came out in support of the increasingly popular "Upmarket," which is held the first Saturday in each month, at the Woodbrook Youth Facility. The event was organised by local business protagonist Janet Bloom Fabres. Fabres has managed to provide a forum in which local entrepreneurs could showcase their crafts to the general public.
Some of the major challenges cited by the vendors was the fact that their mainstream markets were relatively small which presented an obstacle for turnover on their produce. Andrew Neill, proprietor of Maison Du Chocolat, was a vendor at the market and he said the event gave him the opportunity to show what the art of dark chocolate-making was truly about.
He said because dark chocolate was not popular locally, there were not many outlets that carried the brands his company sold. Neill was satisfied that Upmarket presented an affordable opportunity for businesses to be seen by a wider demographic.
An unfamiliar brand of Dolce Valle Dairy, a traditional Italian maker of handmade cheese and yoghurt, was also on show. Managing director, Piero Guerrini said the market was a welcome occasion for his company to be seen, as the factory was based on a dairy farm in Toco, Trinidad.
Vendors also displayed handicraft, locally-made condiments and organic food items, just to name a few of the goods that were on sale. Where proximity or cost would otherwise present a challenge in terms of retailing, the monthly event was very convenient in terms of advertising the product for many of the proprietors on site.
