Thursday, May 28th will be the last Thursday Good Market in Battaramulla, but fear not, it continues on Saturdays. We love the Good Market. In a city with few walkable streets and high rents, it has enabled anyone with a talent to reach an audience and grow. Though it started in Diyatha Uyana, that period is over. Now it’s a Saturday affair, currently at Racecourse but moving to a new venue soon.
The final Good Market runs from 1-9 PM.
Bit Of History
The Good Market started in December 2012, about 6 months after YAMU started actually. As of June 2015, it will be 2 and a half years old. In that time they’ve delighted thousands of visitors and enabled vendors of everything from honey to massages to rice and curry to find a market and even expand.
Graduates
Our favorite graduates of the Good Market are the Achcharu Kade Cafe, The Cakery, Panino, Brown Bean Coffee, the German Bread Company, Yumi Cake, and the Good Market itself, which now has a permanent shop near Racecourse.
Character
The Good Market has also been different because it’s not a purely commercial venture, at all. It’s really much more of a social enterprise. Vendors have to meet certain standards for environmental, social and health impact and everyone is vetted and helped along that path. Beyond that, however, stalls are quite cheap and the whole thing is conducted to maximize value rather than profit. And people have responded.
Next Steps
So, we encourage you to check out the Good Market tomorrow for it’s last day. It’s the last time you can visit the fish at the giant Diyatha Uyana fish tank, but fear not, the Good Market will be back every Saturday, for a long time we hope.
