In the hustle and bustle of the East of London there is an amazing Market that has been running for 10 years now, Broadway Market. If and when you go there you will see a variety of stalls and goods on sale. One of which caught our eye, Newton & Pott.
Meet Kylee Newton, market stall owner of Newton & Pott – a business that ticks all of our boxes. Natural ingredients, produced well and of course jams!
We caught up with Kylee to find out more
When did you start your business?
I started preserving and cooking around 7 hers ago but the business started about a year and a half ago, building it slowly and humbly.
Why did you decide to put your business in Broadway Market?
London is the city of trade and markets, it’s an ancient thing to bring your goods to market from all over. I wanted to be apart of this tradition as persevering is a very old technique used to save the seasonal fruit and vegetable harvest. It seemed like the natural thing for me to do to trade on a market stall. This gives my business a face while venturing out to Deli’s, Butcher’s and Cafe’s across London and the UK.
What have been the biggest challenges over the last 5 years for you?
Time has been my biggest challenge. As I have been growing slowly from scratch I’ve had to continue working part time, so fitting all the cooking, accounting, networking, selling, promoting has been tricky to juggle. But determination and passion has kept the business ticking over and allowing it to grow, even if at a slow pace. Broadway
What is the best thing about being on the High Street?
Broadway Market, E8, is almost 10 years old now. I have seem this market grow since the beginning before I traded there. It has come a long way and has a built reputation for being a market that brings you a vast variety of goods. From some of the best Street Food in London through to buying your weekly produce and a gift from some of London budding designers- it’s all there. The best thing is being apart of a community that supports it’s local trade, buying not only British but local. Tourists travel far and wide to be apart of this atmosphere.
If you want to support local products (choosing not to do their weekly grocery shop in a supermarket) you can do so down Broadway Market on Saturday’s.
Have you seen much change and churn in shops as reported in the media?
There is such a trend in Street Food Vendors at the moment and they seem to be dominating Markets these days, leaving little room for producers to make their way. If locals want to support local products (choosing not to do their weekly grocery shop in a supermarket) they can do so down Broadway Market on Saturday’s. Our market maintains it’s variety of produce so we can support our community and locally made businesses.
What is your best and most popular product?
Tamarillo Chutney and Mango Salsa Chutney, saying that I’m introducing new products all of the time and Jams are making a run for the money. There are no average days
Describe your average day.
There are no average days with what I’m doing. One day I’m cooking at home, the next I’m delivering to my various stockists, the next on the Market being a sales woman, and then behind the computer catching up on the accounts and PR. An average day is a busy day- it’s like having a baby.
Anyone who comes to my stall is greeting with a smile and a taste test of my product.
How would you greet a WATC Member if they came to your stall?
Anyone who comes to my stall is greeting with a smile and a taste test of my product. I have something to satisfy any tastebud. I’m happy to run customers through my different flavours.
I’m always growing and changing and learning,
What is the experience you give your customers whilst visiting your shop?
I’m happy to run customers through my different flavours, explain what preserving means to me and how it can benefit my customer. Find a flavour that suits them best and make suggestions of what you can eat my chutneys and preserves with… Chutneys are not just for Christmas! Change can be made when it needs be, that’s how businesses grow. I’m always growing and changing and learning,
If you had the chance to do it all again what would you change?
Change can be made when it needs be, thats how businesses grow. I’m always growing and changing and learning as the business does. Nothing set in concrete, it would be better if I had more time from the start and not have part time work so that things could develop quicker but I’m happy with my humble progress and what I’ve achieved in this time. The Broadway Market manager
How do you see the High street to be in the next 2-5 years?
The Broadway Market manager is working hard to keep this market to remain the same as it is. The local council would love to take it over and make it into something else, charge more money, bring in cheap through out consumables. Broadway Market remains unlike any other market, this is down to it’s variety- I hope that people appreciate this and it doesn’t change in the next 2-5 years.
Do you use social media and online presence to promote your business?
Yes. I find Twitter and Facebook a great way to promote my business and let people know each week what new and exciting seasonal flavours I have on offer. I get asked this a lot and my answer is always the same
Take a chance, the risk and follow that dream. Success is determination to make something happen
What advice would you give another female entrepreneur on starting up their own shop or business?
“Just do it”. It’s easy to have an idea and sit on it and not do anything. Take a chance, the risk and follow that dream. Success is determination to make something happen and it’s not going to if you think about it for too long.
How often do you change your stock or product range?
My stock is forever changing with the season. Because I make my product myself and it’s reliant on fruit and vegetable harvest of the season my product range changes weekly. I do have my stables, these are what I offer to my stockists for consistently. But on my stall I have free range to be inspired by what’s available to me at the time.
You can find Newton & Pott at Broadway Market, online and on twitter here
