A proud Bradfordian and lover of the Oastler Market, I took my sister and nephews along to visit the new Darley St Market, a beautiful new building which replaces the dated, dilapidated and defunct Kirkgate, Oastler and M&S. Exploring the stalls, they discovered the joys of shopping local in a market and have already planned regular family days out to try new tastes from around the world.
There’s a cornucopia of reasons to visit Bradford just among its As, Bs and Cs: Art and Architecture(we’re dripping with Hockneys and Little Germany has the highest concentration of listed buildings anywhere bar the City of London); Brontës and beauty (combine both with a walk from Thornton to Haworth, maybe via the stunning Hewenden Viaduct, one of Yorkshire Bylines’ best views; and Cs are easy – curries (we’re synonymous with the delicious dishes and are, yet again, Curry Capital), but we’re also Capital of Culture in 2025 with unmissable events across the district.
If that’s not reason enough to visit Bradford, allow me to offer you a D: Darley St Market.
Food at Darley St Market
Darley St Market, opened in July, is a beautiful building melding past and present with bright, light, glass facades enticing you in through old iron gates of markets past. Inside, you’ll find traders from both the markets it has replaced, with accessories, beauticians and clothing all on offer, but we were there for one thing: the food!
Heading straight to the food court, rebranded as DSK :Darley Street Kitchen, the smells and menus tell you immediately that this is no run-of-the-mill mall offering bland chain food but a proudly Bradfordian culinary experience as diverse as the city itself.
You’ll find food from the Caribbean to East Asia and everywhere between, with Bradfordian businesses and out-of-towners alike putting their faith in Darley Street. Sri Lankan, Mediterranean or burgers and fries; it’s got it all. Whilst the food is more expensive than you’d expect at the former markets, it’s delicious, varied and still great value for money!
Whisper it quietly, but could Darley Street Market be the catalyst for the gentrification of Bradford city centre? With the higher but not exorbitant prices and the greater range and quality of offerings in Darley Street Kitchen, and the additional items available in the Fresh Food Hall, the market has firmly set out its stall to keep Kirkgate and Oastler regulars but attract a different clientele, too.
With the new produce and pricing, it’ll need a more monied clientele, but with what’s on offer now, why wouldn’t you make the short train trip from Saltaire, Ilkley or Leeds? It’s well worth it, I promise!
The joys of shopping locally
After my first ever taste of (non-pescatarian) sushi and with all of us stuffed and delighted, I had a shopping list to get through. We went back to the fresh food stalls and, as I bought, I began to sell the boys the joys of shopping locally in a market. Oastler regulars will be delighted by the number of vendors who’ve taken the leap downtown. Carly, Noah and Jack were wowed!
I introduced them to the eponymous Roswitha who gladly showed off her deli’s wares of continental meats and cheeses both domestic and imported, and my market virgins left smiling with a box of cannoli.
Next was Priestley Fish which is keeping its regulars happy with fine fish at fair prices like salt cod, coley and haddock. And, like many, it’s added to its existing fare to accommodate the changing customer demographic. Priestley’s now offers fresh oysters and I was amazed at the hunk of tuna so red, meaty and ready to slice for steaks that it wouldn’t have looked out of place in Taplin’s butchers, who have themselves added a fantastic array of aged steaks which make me drool each time I pass.
Gentrification of Bradford city centre?
The strongest evidence of gentrification and the finest advert of the day for market shopping came at Solly’s greengrocers. Oastler shoppers will already know the vast array of fruit and veg they offer and every bit is still there, but they’ve added to their huge selection things that simply weren’t wanted at the Oastler.
You can buy microgreens – I kid you not! If that isn’t an expectation of clientele from the more affluent areas of our district, I don’t know what is. The boys loved Solly’s the most! “What’s that? What’s this? What would you do with those?” and SoI showed them the biggest joy of market shopping: asking a passionate expert. Solly’s lads’ knowledge shone through and the boys went home with bags full of fruits they’ve never heard of before.
Have you tasted a Chinese century pear, a custard pear or kiwi berries. They have because they went to Darley Street Market, and so should you. We all hope to see you there.
