Residents & Local Business Info

The organisation of the Fayre is the responsibility of Worcester City Council. Independent surveys have shown that the Fayre benefits the whole county of Worcestershire in a variety of ways and contributes an additional boost to the economy of more than £7.3 million a year through additional visitors, overnight stays, and spend in local businesses. We recognise that the Fayre is an important event to many people, and a key tradition in Worcester’s Christmas calendar, attracting over 125,000 visitors to the city over the four days.

Cotswold Markets Ltd will once again be managing the market, which will include festive wooden chalets, and have promised Victorian dress, local producers and Fayre favorites alongside new traders.

Entertainment at the event

We are pleased to welcome back our Victorian-themed stilt walkers, Victorian characters, and a host of choirs and community groups to provide a lively festive atmosphere. Performance areas will be in Cathedral Square and the Bell Square in Crowngate, whilst the ever-popular family funfair will return in the Cornmarket car park with the traditional carousel.

How we work with retailers in the city

• The team from Cotswold Markets Ltd will locate stalls carefully to ensure that access to your business is not impeded and that goods sold outside do not compete with goods inside
• We encourage you to trade outside of your premises as long as the goods sold are the same as the goods for sale inside your shop. However you must follow the process detailed in item 3 on the attached letter from Worcestershire Regulatory Services
• Where staff are available, and subject to the usual health and safety considerations, you are encouraged to hand out flyers, share samples etc on the streets of the event to encourage visitors inside your store
• We regularly remind visitors to the event that Worcester is a great place to visit all year round and they should come back!

Access during the event

We are pleased to announce that road closures for the event have been kept to a minimum this year due to the use of new hostile vehicle mitigation security barriers. This means road closures will only be in place during the opening hours of the Fayre, and while stallholders set up and breakdown each day. All road closure information will be displayed on the council’s website nearer the time. For safety reasons, vehicles will not be allowed access once the road closures are in place, so deliveries during this time will need to be brought in by foot. We strongly recommend that deliveries are re-scheduled for times outside of the Fayre opening hours.

We will be in touch again in a few weeks with further important information, including full details of the road closures for the event. If you have any questions in the meantime, please browse our website or email us at christmas@worcester.gov.uk.

As a Worcester city centre business, you may find the following guidance useful if it is your intention to be involved with this year’s Victorian Fayre. This guidance is intended to help you trade both safely and legally during the Fayre period.

1. Retail businesses, shops, and food outlets

2. Sub-letting external areas

3. Temporary structures, stalls, gazebos, seating or mobile/temporary bars

• what you intend to sell
• position of structure and size of footprint. (It is important to note that in some areas of Worcester the historic streets are particularly narrow, eg New St / Friar St, and the size of any temporary structure will need to be appropriate)
• type of structure, how/when you are planning to erect/dismantle it, including details of how it will be secured
• if the structure requires power how you will be providing this.

We will then review your proposal by taking into consideration the following information:

• the width of pathway where you are intending to place it
• the location of Fayre stalls in the immediate area
• crowd flow in the immediate area
• space available in order to maintain essential access (including emergency services and street cleaning/refuse collection)
• the integrity of the structure you are proposing, that it is stable and fit for purpose.

This will ensure that any proposed temporary structures will not conflict with the Fayre’s layout or cause any health and safety issues. If you do not submit your plans by Tuesday 5 November and you are found to have a structure in place that has not been pre-approved you will be asked to remove it. Should the removal of a temporary structure be required, your full co-operation with stewards is essential.

4. Pavement Licences and Street Amenity Licences

It is essential for safety reasons to remove permissions for tables and chairs on the highway for all businesses located on the High Street; Cathedral Square; Pump Street; New Street
and Friar Street. Individual pavement revocation letters will not be sent, however if you are uncertain how this may affect you, please get in touch as soon as possible at christmas@worcester.gov.uk, to avoid any unnecessary confusion at the event.

5. Alcohol Sales

If you wish to sell alcohol during the Fayre either on, or from, your business premises, you will need to make sure that you have the correct licensing permissions in place, either a premises licence or a Temporary Event Notice.

• Licensed premises – If your business is currently licensed for alcohol sales, please ensure that the permissions extend to any external areas where alcohol sales are intended to take place. If you are unsure as to the extent of your current licensed premises, please contact the Licensing Office for clarification at enquiries@worcsregservices.gov.uk.
• Temporary Events Notices (TENs) – If you wish to undertake alcohol sales and do not currently have a premises licence, you will need to apply for a TEN. Please ensure that you apply online for a Temporary Event Notice in good time. (Please insert the ref “Worcester Victorian Fayre 2024” on the application).

Food Trader Advice

• During the event please make sure you have the following available:
• FHRS rating on display
• allergen information displayed
• suitable hand cleaning facilities
• access to hot water (essential for all high-risk traders)
• cleaning materials
• sneeze screens to protect cakes and breads
• appropriate temperature controls
• adequate storage facilities
• appropriately trained staff
• public liability insurance
• relevant health and safety certificates.

Food safety officers will be undertaking unannounced visits/inspections to businesses and stall holders throughout the duration of the Fayre.
For further advice or to contact Worcestershire Regulatory Services, please email enquiries@worcsregservices.gov.uk or call 01905 822799.