"We appreciate the personal touch that is made possible in the night market setting - it enables a unique connection between the producer and the consumer - as they have the opportunities to ask us questions about our product, taste samples and so on."
Mr Burge said they now sold breads to cafes and restaurants throughout the central North Island and Bay of Plenty.
"Our shop in White St is not highly visible but the market exposure is helping attract customers."
Rotorua's Night Market had given valuable exposure to small businesses and charities to boost product lines and grow the business outside the region, Mr Burge said.
The Thursday night market, now in its fourth year, enabled small businesses to showcase products, and help charitable groups raise funds to support the local community, said manager Brigitte Nelson.
The number of stalls varied between 35-60 depending on the season.
The market enriched the inner city for locals and tourists and also provided economic development opportunities, she said.
"It offers a chance for local businesses to showcase their products and gain the exposure required to achieve growth.
"Because the profits remain in Rotorua, their success further boosts the local economy."
Mistress of Cakes owner Siobain Higgins is another whose business has grown.
"We have been at the market since the beginning, and as the market has grown so have we.
"When we first started selling at the market we were cooking once a week at Lynmore Primary School," she said.
"This year saw us move into our second commercial kitchen having out grown the first and we also opened our second retail premises.
"We have a great wholesale side to our business as well, and all our wholesale customers found us through our stall at the market.
"Our customers from the market have been incredibly loyal and supportive in all our new ventures. The market has been the best launching pad."
Cornish Pasties owners Neil and Melanie Macarthur have also seen their business thrive since joining the market when it first began.
Their products are sold in North Island Pak'nSave and New World supermarkets.
"Initially we were selling around 100 pasties or so per week through Foodstuffs, and now we have reached over 2000 pasties per week and that number is still growing," said Mr Macarthur.
"The roots of the business lie within markets, and to move on to the heights of supplying major supermarkets would not have been possible without the hustle and bustle and vibrancy of markets like the Night Market."
The market is not just helping local food producers - NZ's Got Talent top 16 performer Kylee Waaka and Smokefree Rockquest finalists A Bit Nigel have gained confidence through regular performances at the market.
Community groups Rotorua Lakes Coastguard and Lake Tarawera Playcentre are among hundreds of community groups which have raised essential funds through the market.
A recent 'Spirit of Giving' event encouraged donations of non-perishable food items, blankets and clothing to The Salvation Army.
The Night Market received valuable on-going sponsorship from Unison Power and support from Rotorua District Council.
Unison Group chief executive Ken Sutherland said when the council asked Unison to sponsor the market, the company saw it as a great opportunity to support council's vision of revitalising the inner city.
"We also saw an opportunity to help the region grow at a community level."
