November saw the 50th Eats Boutique event take place in Sidmouth. These local evening street food markets have become much loved community events, bringing global cuisine to Devon’s seaside and rural towns.
The 50th event was due to take place on 9 September, but with the news of Queen Elizabeth’s death everyone felt it was right to postpone such a celebration. Instead a Festive Sidmouth Eats Boutique took place alongside the town’s Christmas Lights Switch On celebrations on 19 November. The party looked very different from what was planned, but organiser and founder Eleanor Carr had promised Sidmouth Eats would be the venue for their milestone event.
“It was very different to the ones we usually have” says Eleanor Carr, founder of the markets. “We usually operate in the spring and summer months when the weather tends to be more reliable and its not dark or muddy underfoot. But a festive market gives us the opportunity to have lots of lights and mulled cider which makes it feel very special.”
Celebrations for the 50th event included Pick the Golden Paddle competition, where customers could win their round from The Salty Arms, the resident pop up pub. The line up of traders included World Food cafe with their ever popular Persian chicken wrap, and one of the event’s stalwarts. Edmond has been to 48 of the 50 events that have taken place and rates the events highly. Self confessed food lover and founder Eleanor Carr found inspiration in a French market on holiday.
“It was just incredible – the cooking aromas in the town square, chatter, music, people gathering in this architecturally beautiful space after a long hot day. There was a tangible sense of community and I loved it.”
East Devon is an incredibly beautiful part of the Jurassic coast, that has become just little bit forgotten. Eleanor wanted to do something in her home town while she was on maternity leave, and inspired by her French experience used £400 to host the first Seaton Eats Boutique. To keep “Seaton Eats” going has been achievement enough, but to expand into Sidmouth, and then Axminster has enabled Eleanor to start up a small but viable business called Unique Boutique Events.
She attributes the success of the food markets to a number of reasons: these smaller towns are on the brink of getting left behind in the jostle for funding, visibility and footfall. But people really want things happening in their neighbourhoods. Events runs by local people who know and are known in the community create a heartbeat like no other.
Then Covid hit. Unable to operate, the pause gave Eleanor the chance to work with the School Of Social Entrepreneurs and to really understand the social impact created with Eats Boutique. Not only do they afford people an opportunity to get together, the events are after all, markets: the street food traders who come are based in the south west and each event supports not just Eleanor’s business but all those street food traders who come. They activate spaces within towns, bringing footfall and commerce to other local businesses too.
For the local community the Eats Boutique street food markets have become a sign post for summer, and reaching 50 events just demonstrates how much these events are valued. Fantastic landscapes, delicious food, local beverages and thriving community spirit can be found on a balmy Friday evening at any of the Eats Boutique events.
Facebook community pages: @SeatonEatsBoutique @SidmouthEatsBoutique and @AxminsterEatsBoutique.
Instagram: @Unique_Boutique_Events.
