Reasons I Avoid Belfast Continental Market Rant

[@Luce306]

I was there recently for my birthday and I didn’t get a chance to get into the market over the queues but hopefully I’ll be there again next year

[@TomMcClean]

Sorry Lucy it isn't for me. I'd rather check out St Georges Market or give my trade to a local pub/restaurant. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@Luce306]

@@TomMcClean your fine it’s not everyone’s thing to do I’ll be coming back to Belfast again in June or even sooner depending on the restrictions

[@TomMcClean]

Thanks Lucy.

[@Luce306]

@@TomMcClean your welcome I’ll be staying in that europa hotel again next year sometime even though I booked it for June as well I love that hotel so much now

[@TomMcClean]

As i said Lucy you certainly get around!!

[@PC-vg8vn]

Think youre showing your age somewhat! It's a 'continental' market so not sure why you'd want to see Belfast items? It sells things that you wouldnt normally get elsewhere such as wild boar burgers! Not for me but each to their own. Yes it's expensive, but anyone going there accepts that. It adds to the Christmas atmosphere, and no doubt attracts people to the city centre - that place where other retailers complain of the lack of footfall. I havent gone to it this year, but in the past Ive just had a drink of the mulled wine which is very nice. It's a shame you now have to queue but that's covid for you. Bah humbug! And have a nice Christmas btw.

[@TomMcClean]

Hi PC 1 You make a fair case. However in these very difficult times, we are all being encouraged to shop local and support the local economy. Why should a 'continental' market be given this City Hall trading platform of prominence? Also why should they receive so much excellent publicity for something that, you have admitted is expensive. Could local traders/crafts people, given such a super opportunity, not put on an authentic display/atmosphere of Irish/Northern Irish sourced food produce and goods? When I checked them out, a year or two ago, I found that a lot of the supposedly 'continental', gifts were made in the Far East! lol I think it is a shame that any profits made from our City Hall grounds, after the council is paid, will immediately leave the local economy and go to some European company running all these 'unique' markets. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@skimmingstoness]

Why do they not promote St Georges Market so much over Christmas it's full of local traders all year round slogging their guts out trying to make a living. Belfast City Council on the other hand are promoting the Continental market everywhere. I took a walk through it a few years ago and my main problem apart from the smell was the vastly inflated prices of everything, not just a £1 more, double or triple the price. Now call me a Scrooge but I think the council must be making a fortune out of charging the traders when they can fork out thousands to fix the front lawns after it leaves town.

[@TomMcClean]

Yes, yes, yes, CP! The Continental Market is an easy touch for the BCC. It is a very easy and lazy way of making a load of cash. The Con. Market comes in, sets up, sorts it all out, charges top whack, fleeces the public, ( who only realize this when they check their wallets ), does what it likes, eg controlling entry to a public place etc, and at the end of the month here, the Con Market hands over loads of cash and hits the road. Then after they are gone, BCC will pretend to support the Belfast traders who are asking people to support local!!!!!!!! They are a pack of hypocrites. All BCC are interested in is an easy cash cow. Agreed, if anyone else wrecked the City Hall front grounds, the way the Con Market are allowed to every year, it would be called wanton vandalism! Local traders could easily put on a show at the City Hall selling local stuff but this would require effort and organisation. Far easier to let a big foreign company do it all for you. and walk away with all the profits back to Europe. Oh dear oh dear. Then the stupid BCC will wonder why more Belfast city shops are shutting!

[@flowerfairy1950]

Well said Tom! Buy local! Still trying my best to not buy 'Made in China' which floods commerce here. Good work Tom! 👍 I have emailed Belfast City Council saying they should support the local community (eg St George Market) rather than fly-by-nighters from the Continent! 👍 FF

[@TomMcClean]

Exactly FF. As you can easily tell this drives me nuts. But no one in authority here is calling this nonsense out!

[@johnbradbury1284]

A certain hypocrisy, Tom!

[@TomMcClean]

Oh absolutely John!

[@carlsgarage2023]

Hit the nail on the head there Tom. Only problem with your rant is that it wasn't long enough!

[@TomMcClean]

I could have said a lot more Carl but I edited myself down. I might have said something to get myself banned. lol Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@stephaniemcquillan1930]

I went once years ago in the evening in the dark (obviously haha) and had people walk into me and almost land on me. I’m in a wheelchair lol. I had a crepe with chocolate melting in it and it was just a mess. I will never eat anything from a place like that again. Never should have. Wasn’t a nice experience at all.

[@TomMcClean]

Oh dear! You were nearly sat on.! Aaaah! And then you had a messy crepe! Aaaaaaaah! again!

[@jetrex1986]

Tom keep it real ;-)

[@TomMcClean]

Will always try to JR! Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.

[@paulpayton8238]

Hey Tom your right tho I've been a few times with my x wife years ago only for looking around for a snack 😋

[@TomMcClean]

Hey thanks Paul.

[@kathleenkendalljacksgrandm6902]

Agree🎄☘️

[@TomMcClean]

This makes me mad Kathleen! lol

[@kathleenkendalljacksgrandm6902]

Tom McClean Positive Belfast …. Thought you may have been hinting at that. Did not know the Christmas markets were organized like this. Thought they were local craftsmen or at least from the same country. Very surprised the regular craft market from your town isn’t having a tizzy. Once a month we do a weekend at Gruene Market Days where everything has to be handmade. If organized out of state hawkers came in we would have a fit especially at Christmas. 🎄☘️

[@TomMcClean]

No Kathleen, All the local craftsmen and women sell at St Georges Market. I can't understand why this Con market is given such publicity and pride of place here. It certainly doesn't deserve it. Probably something underhand going on. Our City Hall certainly don't support local in this regard.

[@chriswardlow9441]

Couldn't agree more Tom they all the same we came across this on a visit to Edinburgh a few year's ago on a visit to my sister. Look after the local trader's not these fly by night's.

[@TomMcClean]

Exactly Chris. These markets are run by a major company. There is nothing unique or special about them. From experience a lot of the good are actually made in the Far East. They are usually over priced. All profit money made will immediately leave the local economy and head back to Europe. We should first and foremost, in these very difficult trading times, be looking after our local traders, be they black, white, Indian, Chinese etc etc We now have a rich cosmopolitan mix here. Could Belfast City Council not tap into this and put on a Northern Irish, multi cultural mix, market? Thus keeping jobs and also keeping money in the local economy. I doubt it though as it would require a bit of creativity and a lot of hard work.

[@johnbradbury1284]

Some very good points Tom.

[@TomMcClean]

Hey thanks John. This all makes me mad. Belfast City Council calls us not to shop local and save jobs and businesses yet it promotes the exact opposite by giving this Con market pride of place and full publicity each year. .

[@joanburnison8071]

Some good points Tom.

[@TomMcClean]

Thanks Joan. this whole thing is so unfair to our own well established traders and crafts people. This Con market comes in and disappears with a hefty profit garnered from people who only too late realize they have been ripped off.