Aiming to ‘celebrate Sheffield’s great independent traders’, more than 80 percent of this years’ Christmas Market stall owners are locally based. 

Over 60 log cabins have opened from Town Hall Square to the bottom of the Moor today, including three Alpine Bars. 

Lenka Royles sells Yorkshire-themed prints, and has returned to the plot outside of the entrance to the Town Hall for another year. She said: “I think it’s important to offer people local products in their Christmas Market. Everyone wants a bit of home. 

“I had a customer this morning who said her daughter moved to Bermuda, so they sent one of our products to give them something to remind them of home. The thought of a bit of Yorkshire in Bermuda makes my heart warm.” 

The market opened at 10am this morning, and closes on Christmas Eve. 

Ami O’Hara, a Sheffield business owner, selling embroidered clothes and accessories with Yorkshire phrases and places on them, has returned to the market for a second year, with the help of her father in law, Brian Coldwell. 

Miss O’Hara said: “I think it’s really good that it’s so local this year, but I still feel like everyone is welcome though. Sheffield City Council invited us back which was really nice. 

“Last year was really busy but this year seems like it’s off to an even better start. We were speaking to some customers from Norwich and even as far as China earlier who came to see the Christmas Market this weekend.” 

The importance of localisation could also be seen in Miss O’Hara’s products. Mr Coldwell said: “A lot of the sayings embroidered like ‘be reyt’ come from the days when we had steel works and pits and the majority of people all worked together so they picked up this kind of language.

“I think it’s important to keep this language because it’s the history of the city, and in that era this city was great.” 

The market also offers a wide range of food and drink choices. 

Ms Royles said: “There’s a little bit for everybody at this market. I would say the stands are improving each year.

“There’s some really affordable Christmas gifts here. You can’t really get that much for under 20 quid anymore, but here you can.”

More information on this years’ Christmas Market can be found here.