Macclesfield: Meet the new owners of the Treacle Market, who will be co-managing their first Treacle Sunday this weekend.

Becky and Andy Thompson, who first lived in Macclesfield in 2003, spoke to Macclesfield Nub News in an exclusive chat about their history, and hopes for the Treacle brand.

"From our point of view Treacle Market has turned Macclesfield around," said Becky.

"We actually moved away from Macc for a couple of years when our firstborn was very small, just due to work situations. And we came back one Sunday as some friends said go and check out this new market - and it happened to be the second ever month of the Treacle Market [in 2010].

"And immediately we were like 'oh my god that's what has been missing'. And off the back of that we made a decision to move back to Macclesfield, and we'd moved back within a month. By which point we had another child, and thought this is a really cool place to bring our kids up in."

"[The Treacle Market] really is the main reason we moved back to Macc," Andy added.

"Off the back of Treacle being created we actually noticed the town bouncing back itself. We noticed some new bars going up and cool things happening in town. The Treacle Market was the catalyst for those things."

The couple have a background in hotel management and IT for the hospitality industry respectively, but have championed a voice for Macc businesses throughout the pandemic.

They founded the group Macclesfield Hospitality Action, which was to give Macc bars and restaurants a voice to the push for the council to get businesses some outdoor spaces.

Their helped many Macclesfield eateries and pubs bounce back after lockdown, in addition to providing QR codes and Click and Collect websites to prepare businesses for re-opening after the first lockdown.

They hope to provide this success and digital innovations to the Treacle Market, such as introducing a website to purchase from Treacle vendors any day of the month, and a gift card system to be used at any vendor.

They have since sat on the Macclesfield Town Regeneration Plan, where they impressed Treacle Market co-founder Jane Munro, who personally selected Andy and Becky to take over Treacle in January 2021.

"I think for Macclesfield for us and taking Treacle on, we do have plans to do more than just Treacle Market with the Treacle Brand," said Andy.

"We'd like to put more events on and be more community focussed, but then at the same time we'd like to grow the Treacle Market itself, as it gives us the ability to be central to creating more of a go-to place that Macclesfield should be.

"We love Macclesfield to bits, we think it is a fabulous town and there is so much going on. But we've never understood why it is not a destination town. And over the next couple years we think it will be."

Becky and Andy have two sons Harry and Ollie, who will hope to get involved in volunteering at the market when they are teenagers.

Last year they adopted two greyhounds from Macclesfield pet care service Erin Hounds, of Prestbury Rd, who have a physical presence at the Treacle Market.

"With our hospitality background we see a lot of parallels which we can apply to the Treacle Market, because essentially it is a big hospitality event," Andy concluded.

"We're also wanting to put more art on, looking at bringing in new and alternative vendors as well.

"We already have planning permission to expand onto Unicorn Gateway. And of course when the Castle Street Works finish [set to be complete in September], we'll be moving back into there.

"We want to go bigger. Make Treacle more community focussed, and bring things that Treacle has not brought to the town in the past, while 100% retaining the Treacle ethos of keeping it the same but expanding it out."

The pair have plans to make the Treacle Market the fairest and most exciting market in the north west - if not the UK.

This Sunday's Treacle Market - August 29 - will be the largest presence of the year so far. Over 120 stalls from Macclesfield independents will be dispersed across the town centre, a huge increase from the 75-80 at earlier markets in 2021.

This weekend's event promises sunshine, live music, a bar, and brand new stalls as well.

Hand sanitiser will be provided, masks are optional, but organisers and volunteers will be wearing them.

Becky and Andy have strong relationships with most companies across town, but be sure to say hello as they will both be on the ground in their hi-viz jackets on Sunday.

You can follow the artisan market on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Their to-be-revamped website can be found here.

What are you most excited for about the future of the Treacle Market?

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