A new market at a Swindon shopping centre has been hailed a success - but is only the start, say  its organisers.

The owners of Sugar Shack launched the Orbital Market on Saturday, February 24 and it will now take place monthly.

Around 30 businesses set up at the shopping centre and sold a range of food and drinks to the people of Swindon from 10am until 5pm. Many businesses had sold out by 1pm.

After an impressive launch, Dean and Elly Ireland plan on expanding the market as far as it will allow them and have a number of ideas.Swindon Advertiser:

They said: “It if keeps going well there is nothing stopping it, all it can do is expand.

“We will grow it as big as we can.”

The pair opened their shop at the Orbital after finding online success during the pandemic.

They came up with the idea of the market in order to help the publicity and image of both their shop and many local businesses in Swindon. It took them about a year to get permission for the monthly event.

Members of the public and owners of businesses praised Dean and Elly for what had been accomplished.

One person walking through the market said: “This is just great, it is exactly what Swindon needs at the moment.”

Dean told the Adver how important this market was for the community and how within just the first day he could see how the opportunity to attend the market affected the people of Swindon.

He said: “Everyone seems to be really happy with it, it’s a really good vibe, a really good community growing and expanding it only makes sense.

“It is about giving smaller businesses the opportunity to get their name out there and get them the foot fall they deserve.

“You have got thousands of people walking through here with their heads down, not having conversation but today I have seen people getting on, we are going to build a community, this is an opportunity to get back into talking to each other.”

Elly said: “It has taken a lot of hard work and planning but to say we are proud would be an understatement, it has gone better than we could have ever imagined.

“We started our businesses in the market industry, this is a prime location, with free parking.

“We want that atmosphere back, it is all doom and gloom.”