Jamie Gillan, of Gillan & Sons, started trading on the community pitch in Hampstead High Street on Tuesday (April 22).
The 48-year-old father-of-three has taken over the lease from Thomas O’Brien, who only started himself in January 2024.
Jamie, who was born and raised in Belsize Park, told the Ham&High that it was his first independent venture.
Educated at New End Primary School in Hampstead, and William Ellis, in Highgate Road, Jamie worked for years in the Foreign Exchange before getting a taste of literal market trading during a career break.
He said: “I worked on a fruit and veg stall a few years back, a pal of mine had one in the West End and I got made redundant from the City so I went and helped him out for a bit and that’s when I got into it.
“I went back into the City for a few years more and it was a bit average so when this became available I put my name forward for it and got it and the rest is history.”
Jamie, who now lives in Essex, said his first week has been gruelling as he gets up at 1.30am to drive to Spitalfields Market to buy produce, has breakfast there, then comes to set up to be ready for customers at 8am.
The day finishes at 5pm, often later, and he already has the eldest of his three boys, aged 17, 13, and 11, helping out.
He said he hopes the skills he learned in the City will see him through after a “warm welcome” from locals.
He explained: “Ultimately, if you can interact with someone on a personal level you’re able to transact. On the same level, I’m not selling numbers, I’m selling fruit, but that sounds really cliché.
“I’m pleased to be here and I’m looking forward to the journey with the community.
“The welcome has been really warm and I hope it continues in the same vein and we enjoy our time here as Gillan and Sons.
“Hopefully we’ll be here as long as we can, we could be here another 20 years.”
