Imagine a world where we measured the success of a business not just by its individual sales and accomplishments, but by that of its neighbours and competitors as well. In this world business owners would literally drop everything to help out their neighbours in times of need and celebrate each other’s success like they were all part of the same family. Locals would have the opportunity to shop small for any occasion, because no matter where they lived, there’d be a regular, eco-conscious, market showcasing the talents and wares of local creatives at their doorstep.
It’s with thanks to this vision, a good dose of hard work and a whole heap of passion, that the Homegrown Markets are thriving. Founded by Lauren and Lewis in June 2019, Homegrown is now held at five different locations across the Hunter region – Speers Point Park, The Station Newcastle, Nelson Bay Foreshore, Bimbadgen and Redhead Beach.
“We wanted shopping locally and supporting small businesses to be as easy as going to a big shopping centre,” said Lauren. “Our vision was that there’d be a market near you every weekend so that shopping in that way became a habit – a normal way of doing things.”
Given their success and just how quickly the markets have grown, you’d be forgiven for assuming Lauren and Lewis had decades of market experience behind them – but that’s not the case. The pair moved to Australia on working holiday visas in 2015, having met in their hometown of Mansfield, near Nottingham, UK. In fact, they later learned that they had grown up on the same street and had a lot of mutual connections. It seems their paths were always destined to cross.
We wanted shopping locally and supporting small businesses to be as easy as going to a big shopping centre.
Our vision was that there’d be a market near you every weekend so that shopping in that way became a habit – a normal way of doing things.
“We never expected to settle in Newcastle, but Lauren’s mum and step-dad were moving here so it seemed like a good place to land,” explained Lewis. “We loved it from the moment we arrived. To us, Newcastle was quintessential Australia – we fell in love with the lifestyle.”
During their first few years in Australia, Lauren and Lewis worked different jobs in retail and hospitality. It was during Lauren’s time working as a manager at Newcastle East restaurant Scottie’s that the pair started to make connections within the small business community and saw firsthand the overwhelming support for new ventures and ideas in this town.
“I didn’t realise at the time just how many opportunities working at Scottie’s would open for us within the Newcastle business community,” explained Lauren. “Compared to where we grew up in the UK, there is so much support here for small businesses – we were genuinely blown away by it.”
The pair first entered the local market scene in 2017, when Lauren had taken time off work following the birth of their first son, Elijah.
She had a business idea of her own and began making candles, which were sold at various stores and markets across the region. Lauren was incredibly humble as she reflected on the way the candle business led to where they are now.
“I didn’t want to go back to work so had this idea for starting my own candle business which came about because Lewis had given me a candle making kit for Christmas,” said Lauren. “I was like – ‘I could totally make candles’ – and I had friends who I had met through Scottie’s offer to stock them in their stores, so it all just kind of worked out,”
After getting an insight into the existing local market scene, Lauren and Lewis saw an opportunity for something new. Among fellow small businesses and creatives, there was a sense that so many people had something to offer but were struggling to find the right platform to get their foot in the door. Securing a market stall wasn’t as easy as it seemed, and locals were crying out for something new.
“From the start, we were so clear on the fact that as long as the products were handmade and good quality, and they were a nice person – they were in,” explained Lauren. “It didn’t matter if it wasn’t a product that Lewis or I would necessarily buy – we were willing to give everyone a go.”
The demand was certainly there – and from just a few posts on their newly established Instagram page, combined with the personal connections they had made along the way, the first Homegrown Market at The Station in June 2019 managed to secure fifty eager stallholders, some of whom are still with them today.
“From the start, we were so clear on the fact that as long as the products were handmade and good quality, and they were a nice person – they were in. ”
It’s clear that a positive ‘can-do’ attitude has served Lauren and Lewis well over the past few years. The pair are also not afraid to admit that it’s been a steep learning curve too, with plenty of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ moments along the way.
“We were very clear with everyone we dealt with at the start about the fact that we had no experience,” laughed Lauren. “But we were confident – we had our vision and passion and while some people definitely did doubt us, the right people were willing to give us a go.”
While they may not have been well-versed on some of the more technical components of running a market at the start, one thing that stands out about the way Lauren and Lewis manage Homegrown is that there’s a firm focus on making the stallholders’ experience as easy and enjoyable as possible.
“We want people to feel like they know what they’re doing and start their day feeling relaxed as it sets the vibe for the rest of the day,” explained Lauren. “We are quite particular when it comes to our systems and making sure everything runs smoothly. For example, we have developed a drive-on system at every location so stallholders don’t have to worry about lugging all of their stuff great distances. This is really important as some of our stallholders wouldn’t physically be able to manage it otherwise. We also ensure that we always put a new stallholder next to someone who’s been with us for a while, so they can get to know each other and help answer questions.”
Making the markets as green as possible has been another priority from the beginning. Their famous ‘Mug Library’ offers an alternative to single use coffee cups, inviting marketgoers to borrow a mug while they browse and return it to the wash bin before leaving. All stallholders must also agree to ban the use of plastic packaging and are encouraged to offer refills of products where possible.
The pair are also not afraid to admit that it’s been a steep learning curve too, with plenty of ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ moments along the way.
In 2021, Lauren and Lewis launched the Made and Found markets at Redhead Beach, which operates alongside Homegrown. This market has a focus on quality vintage and preloved items, as well as a handful of their favourite, eco-friendly, handmade sellers.
Lauren and Lewis pride themselves on the fact that the Homegrown community has become like a surrogate family. It’s a supportive environment where a wide range of age groups are also represented – from kids to retirees, you’ll find them at Homegrown. Lewis also commented on the fact that their second son, Isaiah, could be found strapped to his chest in a carrier every market day for the first year of his life.
“Our stallholders have been with us through some of our major life milestones, and likewise, we’ve been with them too,” explained Lauren.
In fact, at their second-ever market, Lauren and Lewis got engaged! The story goes that Lewis had arranged for the musician performing that day to play a special song, before getting down on one knee in front of the whole crowd.
“We genuinely care about our stallholders and want them to succeed,” added Lauren. “We feel a massive sense of responsibility towards them because in a lot of cases, their whole livelihoods depend on these markets. Every event is important to us, so even when it gets hard, we know that we have to keep going and do it well.”
It’s this sense of responsibility and genuine care for the stallholders that has helped the markets continue despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. The pair are proud of the fact that throughout the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021,
they were the first local market to get back up and running as soon as it was safe to do so.
But when asked about the hardest part about running a market such as theirs, the resounding response from both Lauren and Lewis was… the weather.
“Making the call to cancel a market due to the weather forecast is definitely one of the hardest parts,” said Lauren. “We have only been wrong once, but it is always such a big call to make. We have literally every weather app available on our phones, and we have become pretty good at knowing which one is going to be the most accurate.”
Making the call to cancel a market due to the weather forecast is definitely one of the hardest parts. We have only been wrong once, but it is always such a big call to make.
And the best thing about what they do?
“We actually can’t believe that this is our job!”, said Lauren. “We have always loved going to markets. There’s good food, good music and once everything is running smoothly, we get to spend the day talking to a bunch of creative people. We also have the flexibility to run things in a way that works around our family. It really is a dream job.”
As we walked through the markets alongside Lauren and Lewis, there was a friendly and relaxed vibe. The couple’s sons were running between stalls, playing with the kids of other market families who have become such a big part of their lives. The stallholders were up for a chat and only too willing to share their products with us, and despite an earlier rain shower, there was a constant stream of marketgoers filtering in and out.
Though they may be relative newcomers to Newcastle and the Hunter, Lauren and Lewis’ passion for shopping small, a genuine care for their stallholders and their positive attitude have helped build a thriving community in Homegrown.
Now with five different markets across the Hunter, you can easily experience the Homegrown magic for yourself.
Words: Hannah Mills | Photography: Zoë Lonergan
As seen in Swell Issue 13.
