A new artisan market is set to start in Warwick, answering calls from the community for fresh fruit and vegetables and other produce. 

The market will open on the historic site of the Lord Leycester on April 2 and will continue on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

The Wednesday Market will comprise a small selection of food and drink-focused stalls with an artisan feel. 

It has been created by Warwick Town Council in response to its Vision Workshops, in which the local community spoke of their desire for somewhere to buy fresh fruit and veg in the town centre.

Stalls will vary week by week but confirmed stallholders already include fruit and veg, artisan pies, Indian fare including samosa made fresh on site, artisan cheese, homemade brownies and baking kits, natural dog treats, as well as French charcuterie, pate, terrines, and baguettes. 

The stalls have been made bespoke by local carpenter Tony Hemming and the Wednesday Market is being hosted at the Lord Leycester, one of Warwick's key attractions.

The stalls will line the entrance to the historic Medieval buildings, providing the perfect backdrop to what is a unique offering for both residents and visitors to the town. 

Kelly Scott, Warwick Town Centre Manager, said: "During our town Vision Workshops, the local community expressed a desire for somewhere to purchase fresh produce following the closure of Marks & Spencer in the town centre.

"At the town council we're working tirelessly to find an occupier for that unit, as we are for all empty units in the town centre, but in the meantime we have found our own unique Warwick solution to this particular need in the form of a compact, artisan market. 

"Not only will the Wednesday Market provide people with somewhere to buy fresh produce during the week. It also provides yet another reason to come into Warwick town centre, and shows how our local community can pull together to create something individual for Warwick. 

"The stalls themselves have been handmade and are modelled on those that featured in 'A Christmas Carol' when it was filmed in Warwick - another reminder of just how unique our town is.

"Add that to the remarkable setting of the Lord Leycester, and the addition of an artisan market to what is already a thriving independent retail offering, and this really is another bonus of a visit to Warwick town centre." 

The market will be launched on April 2 with a ribbon cutting by Warwick Town Mayor, Cllr Dave Skinner and attended by various dignitaries.

It will be held on the first and third Wednesday of the month from 10am to 4pm at the Lord Leycester, with the potential to become more frequent if it proves a hit.

It will be much smaller than the town's Saturday market, held in Warwick's Market Square, with the aim of augmenting the town's offering and adding to an already-successful weekly market. 

Dr Heidi Meyer, Master of the Lord Leycester, said: "We are excited to host the Warwick Town Council initiative to provide a Wednesday Warwick market.

"It will be a small and traditional market set against the backdrop of the medieval buildings of the Lord Leycester - a perfect venue."