Owner Imogen Roth delighted at success of The Market Place shop and café in Morpeth

The Market Place, a café and zero waste shop owned by Imogen Roth, opened at the end of June.

Four years ago she used to run the Healthy Prep Kitchen in Newgate Street but when the pandemic rendered it non-viable, she turned it into a successful zero waste shop called Eco Morpeth.

An opportunity then came along to relocate to a prime spot close to the clock tower, in a unit which used to house a Boots store. And as the premises were much bigger, it meant Imogen could run a zero waste shop and a café together.

The entrepreneurial 29-year-old – who has a son, Theo, born in September 2020 – said she was delighted with how the first six months of her new venture had gone.

“We had an amazing start during the summer months, which I was expecting because I thought people would be curious to have a look at what we were offering,” she explained.

“I thought we may have had a drop-off after that, but the number of customers held steady during the autumn and into the first part of the winter.

“There has been positive feedback from customers old and new.

"The café is more of the profit maker due to our location, but there has been a decent amount of support for the eco shop side as well.

“It was a scary transition to the new premises, but thankfully it has paid off so far and hopefully we will continue to grow.

“As well as all those who have supported us, I have to thank my core team of staff and it was nice to celebrate what we’ve achieved so far on a Christmas staff night out.”

Having lived in Morpeth from the age of six, Imogen studied real estate at Northumbria University in Newcastle and joined a chartered surveyor firm in 2015, but realised after just four months that it was not for her.

The Market Place has hosted successful wreath-making sessions and pop-up shops, and networking events are set to take place there in January and February.

Imogen was able to get a business grant from Northumberland County Council for 30 per cent of the set-up costs on the basis she would find the other 70 per cent. She therefore hosted an online crowdfunding campaign which raised £2,600 in just 28 days from 123 people.