‘People want something that’s not on Amazon’: the rise of the UK craft fair

A growing number of people are discovering the joys of going to makers' markets, where the public buy directly from craftspeople

When product designer Ben Watson went to his first ever craft fair in October, he didn't have great expectations. I thought it would be akin to a car boot sale, with retirement-age couples having a nose around to fill their Sunday," he says.

Watson is part of Green Grads, a scheme that supports makers using recycled or waste materials. So the University of Northumbria student had already had his elegant lamps made from discarded vape cases displayed at Heal's furniture store in London and at Grand Designs Live, Birmingham. A stall at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair (GNCCF) at Victoria Baths, Manchester, didn't seem like a big deal. Safe to say I was surprised at the huge variety of attendees, most of whom engaged with makers throughout the day, creating a buzzing atmosphere," he says. Each stall offered something wholly unique, which made walking the halls of the fair a real journey of discovery, never quite sure what's around the corner."