If you’ve ever run a market stall, you’ll know that eating lunch isn’t as simple as it sounds. So, is it okay to eat at your market stall at all?
When you work in a shop, you generally get a lunch break. You head out the back, sit down and eat without worrying about customers walking up to you.
At a market stall? Not so much.
Especially if you’re running your stall on your own.
I’ve been doing markets for a while now, and one thing I’ve learnt is that you need to think about what you’re going to eat, when you’re going to eat it and, believe it or not, whether you’re going to end up with food all over your hands.
Because I can almost guarantee that the second you take a bite of something, a customer will appear.
Is it unprofessional to eat in front of customers?
I think there’s a difference between eating at a market stall and eating behind the counter in a shop.
Imagine walking into your local Woolies and seeing a staff member standing at the checkout eating a sandwich. You’d probably think it was a bit unprofessional.
At a market, though, customers tend to be more understanding.
Most people realise stallholders are there for hours, sometimes from very early in the morning until well into the afternoon. And if you’re on your own, you can’t just stick up a “Back in 30 minutes” sign and disappear for lunch.
Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with eating at your stall. You just need to be sensible about it.
If you’ve got a bunch of customers browsing, that’s probably not the moment to start gobbling down your lunch.
I take a bite when things are quiet, put my food down and come back to it when I get another chance.
Even that doesn’t always go to plan.
Plenty of times I’ve had customers browsing who didn’t look like they needed anything, so I’ve quickly taken a bite of something.
And wouldn’t you know it, that’s the exact moment they decide to ask me a question.
There I am with a mouthful of food, trying desperately to finish chewing because I don’t want to talk to someone with my mouth full.
It happens.
Choose your food wisely
This is probably my biggest piece of advice: don’t bring food that’s going to make a mess.
You might think you’ve got ten minutes to yourself, but market customers have a funny way of showing up the moment you start eating.
And if someone picks up a product and hands it to you, the last thing you want is sticky or greasy fingers.
I like bringing fruit, especially apples. They’re easy to pack, easy to eat and don’t need plates, cutlery or much prep.
You’ll still have to put your apple down when someone needs a hand, but that’s a lot easier than juggling a meal that needs a knife and fork.
I’m not saying you can’t have a proper lunch. Just think about how practical it’ll be while you’re standing behind your stall serving people. Something you can eat in small bites and put down quickly will make your life easier.
Bringing food or buying it at the market?
I do a bit of both.
Sometimes I bring my own lunch and snacks, and other times I buy something from one of the food vendors.
If it’s a market I’ve never done before, I enjoy checking out the food stalls and trying something different. There’s usually something tempting around.
The downside is that buying food gets expensive, especially if you’re doing markets regularly.
And I’ll admit, if I’m having a really bad sales day, it annoys me a little that I’ve spent money on lunch.
It’s one thing to spend $15 or $20 on food after a great morning of sales. It’s another when you’ve barely made anything. That’s when I start thinking I should have brought something from home.
Of course, you can’t always predict what sort of day you’ll have, so I think it’s worth packing a few snacks even if you’re planning to buy lunch.
Think about the weather
This one matters if you’re doing outdoor markets in Australia.
On a hot day, you need to think about food storage. I wouldn’t leave sandwiches or anything perishable sitting around in the heat for hours.
If markets are going to be a regular thing for you, get a decent Esky or insulated cooler and pack it with ice bricks to keep your food properly chilled.
You might not use it every market day, but you’ll be glad you have it in summer.
Be careful what you eat (this might be TMI)
Okay, this bit might be a little too much information, but I think it’s worth mentioning.
Think about how certain foods affect your stomach.
You could be standing at your stall for several hours, and if you’re there alone, you can’t just disappear whenever you feel like it.
For me, hot chips can be a problem.
I love hot chips, but I’ve noticed that if I eat them at a market, I sometimes feel like my blood sugar drops a couple of hours later. I get that horrible energy crash.
That could just be a me thing. I don’t know. But I’ve learnt that what I eat can change how I feel for the rest of the day.
Then there are digestive issues.
I know a fellow stallholder who is lactose intolerant but couldn’t resist a Biscoff milkshake.
They knew it was made with full-cream milk. They knew they were lactose intolerant. Apparently that Biscoff milkshake was just too tempting.
Let’s just say they had a very uncomfortable afternoon, because their stomach wasn’t happy about all that dairy. And when you’re stuck at a market stall, that’s not where you want to be.
So enjoy your food, but be a little smart about what you choose.
Food allergies are something else to consider
Here’s one you might not have thought about.
I avoid eating peanuts, or anything with peanuts in it, while I’m working at my stall.
Not because I’m allergic, but because I know how serious peanut allergies can be. If I’ve been eating peanuts and then handle products without cleaning my hands properly, I could transfer traces onto something a customer touches. I’d rather avoid that altogether.
I also once had a rather strange experience with an avocado.
A fellow stallholder offered me half an avocado. They said it was really nice, so I accepted.
Would you believe that shortly afterwards, a customer came into my stall, noticed the avocado and said, “Oh my God, I’m allergic to avocados. I’m sorry, I have to leave.”
I mean, what are the chances?
One of their family members ended up buying something from me, but I was incredibly careful to make sure my hands didn’t touch the product.
It certainly made me think.
You can’t avoid every possible allergy. People can be allergic to all sorts of things, and you can’t realistically stop eating everything. But I think it’s worth being mindful.
Keep some wet wipes at your stall.
They’re great for sticky fingers and general mess, and a proper wipe-down of your hands does a good job of removing food residue too. Just don’t rely on hand sanitiser gel for that. It kills germs, but it doesn’t remove things like peanut residue very well. If you’ve got access to soap and water, even better.
It’s really just about being considerate of the people handling your products.
Don’t forget to drink water
This is another big one, particularly in the warmer months.
I usually bring a Stanley cup or something similar, fill it with ice and keep it with me all day. A decent insulated cup makes a difference because my water stays cold for hours.
When you’re busy chatting to customers, it’s surprisingly easy to forget to drink. Make sure you stay hydrated, especially if you’re standing outside in the heat.
As for coffee, I usually buy mine from one of the market vendors.
I know plenty of stallholders bring their own in a reusable cup, and that’s probably the cheaper option. But I enjoy getting a freshly made coffee at the market. It’s one of the little things I look forward to.
What if you need to leave your stall to buy food?
If you’re running a stall with someone else, this is easy. One person watches the stall while the other goes off to get lunch.
If you’re on your own, it’s a different story. You’re not going to leave your stall unattended while you wander off to find something to eat.
What I usually do is ask a neighbouring stallholder to keep an eye on things for a few minutes while I grab some food. That depends on your relationship with the people around you and whether they’re comfortable helping out. And I’d do the same for them.
It’s one of the nice things about markets. You get to know the people around you, and everyone understands that sometimes you need a quick hand.
Once you’ve got your food, though, you’re heading straight back to your stall to eat it. No sitting down somewhere for a leisurely lunch. That’s just the reality of running a market stall on your own.
So, can you eat at your market stall?
Absolutely.
I don’t think most customers expect stallholders to go a whole day without eating, and you definitely don’t need to hide every time you want a snack.
Just use a bit of common sense. Choose food that’s easy to eat, skip anything that’ll leave your hands covered in grease or sticky sauce, and pay attention to when customers need you.
Bring water, keep some wet wipes handy and think about how your food might make you feel later in the day.
And if you’ve just taken a massive bite of your sandwich and a customer suddenly needs to ask you something?
Well, welcome to market life. I swear customers have a sixth sense for knowing exactly when you’ve got a mouthful of food.
I’d love to know what other stallholders do. Do you bring your own lunch, buy something at the market or survive on coffee and whatever snacks you managed to pack?
Keep reading: our market stall checklist, the essential market stall equipment list and 10 ways to turn slow market days into big opportunities.
