Flo's Market Portchester: Gearing up for Christmas

Flo’s Market is heading into a busy final quarter of the year as the run-up to Christmas begins.

Held in Portchester Precinct on the second Saturday of every month (since March 2025), the market has become a firm fixture in the local calendar. Around 40 quality traders gather each month, and there’s plenty to enjoy alongside the shopping:

A year-round BBQ from The Portchester Butchers
Live music and seating outside The Portcullis Taphouse
Great coffee from Lowtide Coffee and The Coffee Cup
Free activities for children, including the popular ‘hunt the cheeky monkey’ game

What you’ll find

Stalls offer a wide range of goods, including fruit and veg, cheese, pastries, sweet treats, jewellery, clothes, vintage and antiques, candles, local tea, skincare, preserves, alcohol, and much more. You can also enjoy spiritual healings and tarot readings by donation.

Good for the precinct too

The market brings extra footfall to the area, benefitting the precinct’s local shops which include florists, Soothills bakery, charity shops, pet shops and The Portchester Hub.

The organiser

The market is run by Portchester resident Helen Ruff with the help of her right-hand man, Dan. Through her business Flo’s Circle, Helen also publishes local magazine Flo’s Mag and organises small business networking events.

“Having moved to Portchester from Southsea in 2020,” Helen explains, “I wanted to bring some of that independent, creative spirit over this way.”

Helen believes that in a modern age full of advances in technology and AI, we crave ‘the simple life’, and real connection more than ever, and markets offer a nod to ‘the good old days’. They’re more than a shopping trip: they’re a chance to meet friends, bump into neighbours, enjoy live music, meet the makers and keep our money within the local economy.

Strong support from the community means traders and performers are keen to return month after month.