Our blog will be a place to talk about our markets, events, and also offer guidance to stall holders.
Let's take you back to 2021. I hear you all shouting 'NOOOOOOO'...yes we were just coming out of the dreaded COVID 19 lockdowns, but it was the pandemic that ultimately created JDL. A time that gave me some chance to think about my career path and what I wanted for the future. A time that made me realise what was important to me and a time that made me prioritise those things. I realised that I wanted to be more present, be able to attend every sports day, see my little boy grow up. With that, it was important that my business worked around my family and was something that they would enjoying visiting.
So over a coffee with a close friend, JDL was created. An idea to support my own small business at the time, whilst also supporting the local community I lived in, but at the centre of this, it needed to be family friendly. From the first event in a small room in my home town, we have grown from strength to strength and as well as are regular venues, we will be back at Nantwich Food Festival in 2024 and also providing the artisan market at the Krazy Races this summer. Each venue and location is carefully chosen to ensure that our family friendly ethos is fulfilled and every collaboration, is always at a family friendly event.
Our business name was created using my little boy's initials, and he will always be the heart of the business. He was the reason that first conversation started over coffee and so far he's not missed one event. The markets and events have been built with him in mind and I still ensure that every event has something that he has requested. Our stall holders and entertainers are now firmly apart of our JDL family and ethos, and are growing with us. Most of them have his regular, very specific order's boxed up and ready for his whirlwind arrival.
So that's a whistle stop tour of JDL and 'My Why' and we really can't wait to see where 2024 takes us. But why should you support local and why should you attend our markets and events....
So WHY should you Shop Local at our markets and WHY am I so passion about it?
Supporting small businesses: When you shop at a JDL market, you are supporting small businesses in your community, including local entertainers. This is especially important since the COVID pandemic, which had a significant impact on small businesses across the country. JDL are passionate about helping these businesses to continue to thrive and showcase their products to the communities they live in.
Unique products: Our markets offer unique products that you won’t find anywhere else. There will always be child related and child friendly stalls at our events so that your children can shop local as well as yourselves.
Meeting the makers: Shopping at our markets gives you the opportunity to meet the people behind the products. Like my story, most of our traders also have a story to tell as to why they are running their own business. Our markets allow you to find out about these stories as well as learn about the products and understand exactly what work goes in to creating them.
Community support: Shopping at our markets most importantly helps to support your community. It helps to build relationships between local businesses and residents, and also helps the local economy.
I hope you have enjoyed reading our first blog..we will be back with more soon. In the meantime please continue to shop and support local and we hope to see you all very soon at our next event on Sunday 18th February at Crewe Market Hall. We will be joined by the amazing Poppy's Art Studio who will be helping your little ones create magical dream catchers.
Let us know if you'd like to be part of our blogs or would like us to cover anything in particular.
Thank you
Claire :-)
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