Spring Food Fair

Spring Food Fair

Abington Park Museum
21 April 2018

Abington Park Museum, Abington Park, Northampton NN1 5LW
01604 838111

The Fair’s opening hours are 11am to 5pm. The event is one of the few food fairs in the region to have free admission to the public. Our Food Fairs in 2017 attracted 1,500 visitors in one day.

The museum is a small manor house converted into a museum in 1897 and has been a well-loved part of the community ever since. The museum is a two storey building built around a central courtyard. The main entrance opens onto a medieval great hall. Access by the public is via the main entrance into the Great Hall and through the back gates direct into the courtyard. Wifi connectivity is available in some galleries in the museum. Food fairs stall spaces are restricted to the ground floor.

The museum has no parking space of its own. Stallholders will be allocated one of two unloading spaces through the front of the museum (or the back gates if their stall is in the military galleries or courtyard). After unloading all vehicles must be moved off the park to the roads in the surrounding area, all of which have no parking restrictions. At the end of the day stalls should be packed up before vehicles are collected. Co-operation of all stall holders is requested to avoid blocking the unloading spaces.
Hazard lights must be flashing when driving through the park, the speed limit is restricted to 5mph.

Applications will be accepted where the stall holder makes the produce themselves. In the main, we will not accept food that is bought to sell on, however, there are some exceptions to this rule for foods such as wine, olives etc - please discuss with the organiser. We will also accept bookings from organisations that sell kitchen/table ware.

Hot food stalls can only be set up in the courtyard – please note the specific conditions for hot food sellers on page 2. If you wish to erect a small gazebo maximum size (3 x 3m) please be aware that you cannot fix to the cobbled courtyard with pegs as it is a Grade 1 listed building with stone flagged courtyard. You will need to fix your gazebo with suitable weights which should not offer a trip hazard and conform to Health & Safety requirements.

Stall refunds will not be given in the event of cancellation by the stallholder, poor sales, bad weather or any other event that the museum has no control over including low visitor numbers.

Advertising comprises of c12,000 brochures that are sent to; hotels, libraries in the Borough and County districts, museums, leisure centres, nurseries, schools, colleges & universities, popular tourist venues and other heritage sites, café’s & restaurants, hospitals, theatres, local businesses, community centres, and over specific individuals along with a local poster campaign in the town centre, libraries and in the park. A4/3 colour posters will be distributed along with A5 flyers a month before the event. The Museum will also promote the event on all its publicity channels including social media and website and we will send press releases promoting the Fair to local media. When filling in your application form the paragraph describing your products may be used in publicity materials.

Stalls are set out in the ground floor galleries only which surround an inner courtyard. There will be a bar and refreshment stall in the courtyard where you can purchase hot and cold drinks along with several hot food stalls.

Terms and Conditions Food & Drink Producers/Sellers

1 / All food & drink producers should be registered as a food business with their local council. Food Standards Agency and Health & Safety Regulations including labelling of ingredients must be adhered to. We will require a copy of your local authority food business/premises registration certificate along with your most recent Food Hygiene training certificate.
2 / Insurance: We recommend that all producers should have Public Liability insurance of £5m and Product Liability Insurance of £2m. Food and drink stallholders are required to produce copies of current insurance cover.
The Museum accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, injury or death howsoever and by whomsoever caused whether to the property or a person sustained during the event at the Museum premises. It is the stall holder's responsibility to insure against such events.
3 / Alcohol: Sellers of alcohol must possess an up to date Personal Licence and respect its rules. The licence should be displayed at all times. Abington Park Museum has a Premises Licence.
4 / Hot Food Stallholders Charcoal BBQs are not accepted due to restrictions applied by our insurers.
Hot food sellers must provide a risk assessment with their application form indicating how they intend to heat food and if using a gas appliance should include specific reference to serious fatal injury due to gas explosion. Gas appliances should have a daily check and an inspection and a test should be carried out by Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months. The stallholder must know where the main isolation tap is and how to turn off in an emergency.
All hot food stallholders must supply their own fire extinguisher and fire blanket and ensure that any hot surfaces are labelled with warnings about heat.
Hot food stallholders should not leave their stall unattended at any time during the fair.
Stallholders providing hot food must provide a rubbish bin and remove any rubbish at the end of the day.
5 / Electricity: To prevent over loading of circuits we only allow one electrical appliance per single socket. Electricity is provided free of charge for one light only. Laptops and other equipment including heating/refrigeration units will be charged £5 per day for an electric service. Electrical appliances must all display a current PAT test certificate before they can be used in the Museum
6 / Only products declared on the application form may be displayed and sold unless agreed with the organiser on the day. If too many applicants are selling similar products we may refuse producers at the booking stage in order.
7 / Sales and demonstrations should only take place at the designated stall
8 / The Stall Holders cannot re-assign the booking to any 3rd party without prior consent of the Museum.
9 / Stall refunds will not be given in the event of cancellation by the stallholder, poor sales, bad weather or low visitor numbers.
10 / Stall refunds will be given in the event of the Museum occurring a ‘Force Majeure’ event, defined as but not limited to war, fire, death, epidemic, accident, civil commotion, national calamity, order of Government or Local Authority having jurisdiction in the matter, changes in law, act of God. In the event that the Activity cannot reasonably be put on because of Force Majeure, a full refund will be due to the stallholders within 15 working days. No further damages may be sought by the stallholders because of Force Majeure.
11 / Set up Hours: Set up is from 9am to 10.45am on Saturday 21 April. The Fair’s opening hours are 11am to 5pm. Your stall must be ready by 11am. Dismantling before 5pm (even on a bad day) is not allowed.
Note your nearest fire exit and that the assembly point is in front of the museum entrance on the grass. Please notify a member of the Museum Service staff if you suspect a fire.
12 / Parking: there are limited unloading spaces at front and back of the building so do unload as speedily as possible and then park your car in the side streets or on Park Avenue South before setting up your stall. When packing up please dismantle the stall before collecting your car.
You must turn on your hazard lights on entering the park and restrict your speed to 5mph.
13 / Auctions, collections, games of chance, betting or lotteries are not allowed at the Fair.
14 / No music or radios – the museum provides background music throughout the galleries and courtyard.
15 / Smoking is prohibited by law throughout the museum and courtyard. Please do not smoke in front of the main entrance as this is very off putting to visitors
16 / Animals are not allowed in the Museum without prior agreement
17 / The Museum Service will, in everyone’s interests, always act to ensure a calm and pleasant event
for all - stallholders and visitors. The safety of everyone is the Museum Service’s priority.
18 / Termination of the booking will be immediate if the stall holder won't comply with any of the conditions
19 / The booking contract shall be governed by the English Law

Stall Sizes: Table lengths are 6ft L x 2’6”W. The stall price includes one table and 2 chairs.
Electricity: One light is free of charge. Laptops, heating and refrigeration equipment are charged at £5 each. Electricity is not available in all stall locations – please indicate whether you require electricity on the booking form and we will try to accommodate you.

Stall Rates: There are a limited number of stall spaces in the Great Hall and Victorian Drawing Room on the ground floor – these are priced at £50.00. Hot food or drinks stalls in the courtyard are £50. Stalls in the other ground floor galleries are £35.

Whilst we try to accommodate your requests, positioning of stalls is decided by the organisers and is not negotiable.

Booking Process: We try to ensure that there is a good variety of stalls throughout the whole museum. On receipt of your booking form, we will confirm whether we are able to allocate you a table allocation by email or phone. Payment will become due as soon as you have received confirmation that you have been allocated a stall.

Payment can be made by cheque payable to Northampton Borough Council, by card over the telephone. Alternatively, we can invoice you if that is your preferred method of payment.

Please contact Elizabeth Ravine on 01604 838111 for making payment.

Cancellations will not be refunded.

Booking forms should be emailed to

Postal booking forms should be sent to Elizabeth Ravine, Northampton Museums, c/o Northampton Borough Council, The Guildhall, St Giles Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE (please note different address to the venue for the event).

The event will be held at Abington Park Museum, Abington Park, Park Avenue South, Northampton, NN1 5LW