Murtle Market: One Year On

At Murtle Market in Aberdeen, you can enjoy a mug of tea made by a Camphill School resident - both the tea itself, and the beautiful handmade mug it comes in.

The cafe and shop, which opened last November, is intended to showcase the work done by residents across Camphill School Aberdeen (CSA).

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For these residents with complex additional needs, seeing their crafts, pottery, bakes and hand-picked veg on the shelves, is “life-affirming”. That’s according to Martin Alfred, operations lead at CSA.

“The impact on the children and young people is tremendously positive,” he adds.

"It’s very reassuring for them and life-affirming. They feel they are making a difference, not just to people who support them, but the general public are impressed with what they are doing too.”

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What to expect at Murtle Market, Aberdeen

Murtle Market took roughly one year to renovate.

The building was previously used as a bookshop, but since the renovation and extension last year, it is now a refreshed cafe and shop space. Here, you can get a variety of fresh vegetables, many of which the residents grow and pick in the organic garden at Murtle Estate.

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There are homemade bakes and bread, plus a range of different items crafted by Camphill students, including seasonal felted items, coasters, magnets, woven textiles, woodcarvings, candles, cards and more. Even the sleeves for the takeaway coffee cups are painted by Camphill students.

You can also buy sandwiches and wraps from The Bread Maker here. Plus Mackie’s ice cream, meat from local butchers, Connage cheeses, snacks and much more.

Bakes on offer include muffins, empire biscuits, millioniare slice and various cakes. There is also an extensive refillery station for pasta, rice, bread, spices, nuts, cereals and more.

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Murtle Market builds ‘confidence and resilience’ for Camphill residents

Though only a handful of students currently work in the cafe, there are at least 50 involved in the process.

They deliver fresh veg to the shop, bake traybakes and bread, mould the mugs and plates your food is served on and of course create the countless crafts too.

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It is rewarding for the residents to see their products on sale in the shop, says Martin.

“It builds their confidence and resilience, because they are getting that reassurance from customers,” he adds. “And then they can see that they can be at the till and more independent, and the big, bad world is not so scary as it seems.”

Murtle Market also provides an opportunity for the people of Aberdeen to meet CSA residents and volunteers.

Martin adds: “Having this space is an engagement point for Camphill and the wider community. We can meet each other here, get to know each other and support each other.”

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Article originally published in the Press and Journal.