Kerikeri's Packhouse Market to open on Sundays

Old Packhouse Market owners Judy and Warwick Hyland, dressed up for St Patrick's Day, with their coffee crew, Lily Martin (left), Jamie Grant, Hannah Bindon and Ava Clapton. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kerikeri's Old Packhouse Market will open on Sundays starting this weekend.

Founded by Judy and Warwick Hyland in a former timber workshop and fruit packing shed on Kerikeri Rd just over three years ago, their Saturday market has since grown into one of the town's biggest weekly shopping and social events.

With 100 stalls, up to 1500 customers and 15 staff — not counting stallholders — it has also become a significant player in the town's economy and a popular visitor attraction.

While the existing Saturday market specialises in Northland-made and grown crafts and produce, Mrs Hyland said Sunday's market would focus on vintage items, collectibles and family fun.

It would include a car boot sale and a car fair — ''we don't think it's a good look to have the roundabout on SH10 used for selling cars'' — as well as arts, crafts and food.

Mrs Hyland said she'd been approached by many people who were keen to have a stall but didn't meet the Saturday criteria of growing or making the product themselves.

''On Saturday it's more about shopping, on Sunday it will be more about browsing, relaxing and fun. I think people are looking for things to do with their families on Sundays. I think they'll embrace it.''

Apart from one permanent stall the new market would not sell produce to avoid undermining the existing Sunday farmers' market on the post office carpark in town, she said.

The market employed eight young locals as cafe staff, training them in coffee, cashier and front-of-house skills, as well as a cleaner and carpark attendant. From tomorrow the number of people directly employed would increase to 15.

For many stallholders, especially artists and small-scale food producers, the market was an outlet and an opportunity to earn some extra income, she said.

■ This Sunday's kids' attractions will include a magician, giant bubbles, a bouncy castle and an Easter egg hunt. From April 8 part of the building will be set aside every Sunday for children's dance and entertainment. The market will run from 9am-2pm; anyone who wants to have a car boot sale should arrive at 7.30am-8am or 8.30am-9am.