23 Aug Young Braintree Street Market trader up for national award
Young trader Olivia Washington is hoping to put Braintree Street Market on the map as they compete in a national competition next week.
The owner of Olivia’s Curiosities is in the national final of the Young Trader’s Market awards run by the National Market Traders Federation.
Olivia, 29, from the Marks Farm area of Braintree, launched their business back in 2019 and is a regular at Braintree Street Market as well trading at Bury St Edmunds’ makers market and running an online Etsy shop.
They competed in the East of England heat in Haverhill earlier this summer, impressing the judges and winning a spot in the national final taking place in Stratford Upon Avon on Saturday, 27 August.
The market stall has evolved over time. They started selling haberdashery and fabric, then moved into resin skull sewing weights and now the stall is a hybrid of the two plus alternative décor – made by Olivia.
“That was one of my talking points with the judges,” they said. “They ask how long you have been trading, what you do and how trade has been. They really test your knowledge of your stall and your products.”
Olivia’s Curiosities is entered into the general retail section of the awards and they hope to win the judge’s eye with a clean layout and the blend of products.
They won the Arts & Crafts category for the East of England in 2020 and were Highly Commended in General Retail in 2021.
“This year I am selling haberdashery and fabric, and my resins as well, it is the best of both worlds. I really hope I impress them with my growth.”
As well as running a small business, the dynamic young trader is also employed as a co-production officer at Essex County Council working on mental health related projects.
“I decided to start doing the markets because I knew I needed to be out there, it is important a small business has a personal presence. I needed to be the face of my business.”
For Olivia that was a particularly bold move and they added: “It has definitely helped improve my people skills!”
But what makes their journey particularly spectacular is the timing of the business launch.
“I haven’t had a base line year with market trading,” they said. “I started in 2019 then in 2020 the pandemic hit, and now we have the cost of living crisis in 2022.
“I don’t know what a normal year looks like. I am just riding the ebbs and flows, and I am just happy to be here. I am so proud of myself for getting this far and to be representing the Braintree District.”
Cllr Tom Cunningham, Deputy Leader of Braintree District Council and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said: “We are all supporting Olivia’s Curiosities and wish them the best of luck in the competition.
“They are a regular presence at our monthly street market and work hard to bring a diverse range of products to our events. We are delighted to see their dedication and originality recognised.”
Braintree District Council’s Street Market team continue to support up and coming businesses, helping them bring their products to a wide audience.
“We have pop up gazebos and tables for new traders to hire to allow them to bring their business to the high street with minimum outlay to test the market. Braintree Street Market has been a starting point for several traders in recent years and we are proud to have helped them on their journey to success.”
