Shepton Mallet Sunday Market: what a new monthly market means for local businesses
A volunteer-run, not-for-profit market now fills the last Sunday of each month in Shepton Mallet's Market Place. The 2026 dates, what it costs to trade, and how the shops around it can use the day.
Once a month, on a Sunday, Shepton Mallet's Market Place becomes a market. Shepton Mallet Sunday Market is a curated market of local producers, street food, vintage and antiques, designer-makers, homewares and fashion, with children's entertainment, live music and DJs.
It is also new. The market's own site describes 2025 as its first full year of events, and it returned for 2026. For businesses in the town, that makes it worth understanding: who runs it, when it happens, what it costs to take part, and how to make the most of the day even if you never take a pitch.
Everything below is from the market's own website, as of the date on this page.
Who runs it
The market is produced by Black Sheep Events CIC, which the market describes as a new team of Shepton residents: a not-for-profit company, run by volunteers, with the aim of working together to regenerate the town. It is supported by Shepton Mallet Town Council.
Among the team, according to the market's site, are people who run shops and businesses in the town, and a market manager who previously managed Frome's Artisan Market, which became The Frome Independent. That matters. A market is only as good as its selection of traders and the organisation behind the day, and this one is run by people who have done it before.
When and where
The market is held on the last Sunday of the month, from 10am to 3pm, in the Market Place, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AZ. Its 2026 dates ran from 29 March, and the two remaining this year are:
- Sunday 25 October, 10am to 3pm.
- Sunday 29 November, a Christmas Lights Spectacular, 11am to 5pm.
The market's site lists parking at Great Ostry, Commercial Road and Townsend Shopping Park.
What it costs to trade
For a small producer or maker, a monthly market can be a low-cost way to meet customers face to face. The pitch prices on the market's Trade With Us page:
| Pitch | Price |
|---|---|
| 1m × 1m suitcase pitch (no table or cover) | £14 |
| 2m × 2m pitch, no gazebo | £30 |
| 2m × 2m pitch, with gazebo | £40 |
| 3m × 3m, non-consumables | £40 |
| 2m × 2m food or drink producer | £40 |
| 3m × 3m food or drink producer | £45 |
| 3m × 3m street food | £80 |
| 3m to 6m street food | £120 |
Electricity costs an extra £10, and no tables are provided. The market asks for £5 million public liability insurance, and its terms for traders say how to apply.
Applications are made through the Eventaly platform, with a free participant account. The market says it is curated, books pitches up to three months ahead, and does not guarantee a pitch at every date you apply for, to keep the mix fresh. It asks for high-quality images with your application, which it may use to promote your presence at the market if you are successful.
That last point is worth noticing. Your photos are part of your application, and potentially part of the market's publicity. Clear, well-lit pictures of your products are worth taking before you apply.
If you run a shop in the town
A market day can bring people into the centre who might not otherwise come on a Sunday. For shops and cafés nearby, the question is whether you are open, and whether anyone knows you are.
- Decide whether to open, and on what hours, on market Sundays.
- Put your market-day hours on your Google Business Profile as special hours, so people searching that day see them. Our local SEO checklist covers how.
- Say so where visitors will look. A post on your own social accounts the week before, mentioning the market by name, helps people planning their day find you.
- Give market visitors a reason to come back on an ordinary day: a card, an offer, or a simple way to follow you.
We looked at the same question for another market town in Castle Cary's Tuesday market, and the shops built around it.
If you want to trade
The ticks are saved in this browser.
- I have visited the market on a Sunday to see who trades and what sells.
- I have public liability insurance of at least £5 million.
- I have good photos of my products for the application.
- I have chosen the pitch type and dates that suit me.
- I have applied through Eventaly, at least a few weeks ahead.
- I have a way for customers to find me again after market day.
Markets reward the traders who are easy to find afterwards. If your website or listings are not doing that yet, our marketing for businesses in Somerset page sets out how we work locally.
Questions people ask
When is Shepton Mallet Sunday Market?
On the last Sunday of the month, from 10am to 3pm. The remaining 2026 dates on the market's website are 25 October and 29 November, when the market is a Christmas Lights Spectacular from 11am to 5pm.
Where is Shepton Mallet Sunday Market held?
In the Market Place, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AZ. The market's website lists parking at Great Ostry, Commercial Road and Townsend Shopping Park.
How much does a pitch at Shepton Mallet Sunday Market cost?
The market's website lists pitches from £14 for a 1m by 1m suitcase pitch, up to £120 for a 3m to 6m street food pitch, with electricity £10 extra. Traders need £5 million public liability insurance.
Who runs Shepton Mallet Sunday Market?
Black Sheep Events CIC, a not-for-profit company run by volunteers, a team of Shepton residents, supported by Shepton Mallet Town Council.
I run oXo Creatives full-time: an independent, founder-led marketing agency and consultancy that I founded in 2013. Until 2026 I ran it alongside senior in-house roles at Google, NatWest, King, PlayStation and Meta.
Trading in Somerset?
If you run a business in Bruton, Wincanton, Castle Cary or nearby, ask us for a free 30-minute call about getting found by people searching locally. Or start with the checklist we use.
