Anyone can run stalls at the Paraparaumu Beach Market. Photo / Grace Odlum
Anyone can run stalls at the Paraparaumu Beach Market. Photo / Grace Odlum
Lots of people know about the Paraparaumu Beach Saturday Market - but not everyone knows the extensive history behind it.
The market, which runs from 7.30am to 12.30pm every Saturday, is very popular, with stallholders coming from all over Kāpiti, and even further to attend.
It was established in November of 1999 by Kevin Jones and his co-manager who has since resigned from the role.
Warwick Halcrow joined Kevin in 2006 after they met at the market when Warwick was running a stall selling hand-printed silk ties.
Originally, the market was where The Pier apartments now stands, but it is now in its fourth year in Maclean St.
While the two of them come from significantly different backgrounds, they both share a love for the market.
Kevin was born and raised in Kāpiti and now has a career in social work, and is a youth tutor, working with young people from all over the district - all while also being a single father.
On the other hand, Warwick is from Christchurch and has a background in journalism, but has owned the Barista Boys coffee cart in Waikanae with his wife for the past 17 years.
There is a variety of different things to buy at the market. Photo / Grace Odlum
The market is like a second job for them – Kevin arrives at about 5.30am every Saturday, and Warwick is usually not far behind him.
Warwick said they do a lot more than other markets, and make an effort to help people set up their stalls, unpack their cars, and manage the street closure.
Traffic management is a big part of what they do.
They have to have everything packed up by 1pm so that traffic can resume as normal.
Kevin’s dedication to the market has always been strong.
It’s like a community centre without walls
Back when the market first started, he said he used to go around the district putting signs up early in the morning, and would then go take them all down in the afternoon.
They run the market “rain, hail or shine”, said Kevin, and have only ever had two occasions where the market wasn’t run, not including the mandatory Covid lockdown.
They have about 50 stalls that all sell different stock, including, but not limited to, vegetables and fruit, baked goods, books, clothing, jewellery, art, plants, and even second-hand items.
Rebecca Rolls, pictured with one of her homemade loaves of bread, runs her business, Thoughroughbread, at the market each weekend.
She said she thinks she might be the longest-standing stall there, and she sold her first 11 loaves of bread there.
Her stall has grown quickly in popularity since then, and Warwick said she runs one of the busiest stalls.
“It is like my second home,” Rolls said.
Rebecca Rolls has one of the longest-standing stalls at the market. Photo / Grace Odlum
“I love the customers’ response, and I love that they have played such a big part in the growth of the business in regard to the direction it has taken.”
Warwick said they are quite particular with the stalls they allow and prefer to have long-standing stalls that they know have good quality over newer ones.
All of their food-related stalls are registered with the Food Act 2014, which ensures food is safe and suitable to eat.
He said they have a limit on how many stalls of a particular type they can have, and like to have their dedicated stallholders taking those places.
There’s a huge community focus at the market, and Kevin said “If you can’t be pleasant don’t be here”.
Kevin and Warwick get to know as many of the stallholders as possible and even a lot of the customers, and they say the community aspect is incredible.
Kevin said, “It’s like a community centre without walls.”
– This story appears in the latest Celebrating Kāpiti magazine autumn/winter edition
