March 29, 2019 4.48 pm This story is over 68 months old

‘Let’s make the market great again!’

Tony has been in business for over 30 years

Owner of The Pie Store Tony Loxley. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite

A long-serving Lincoln businessman hopes the city’s marketplace can become great again after backing the city council’s plans to extend the outdoor offering.

Plans to demolish the Cornhill Quarter Kiosk and extend the outdoor market on City Square were recently approved by council leaders.

Tony Loxley owns The Pie Store currently located in the outdoor market area on Sincil Street.

He previously traded in the old Co-op market in around 1986 until it closed. He was one of the last traders out of the building.

Tony has owned The Pie Store for over 30 years. Photo: Joseph Verney for The. Lincolnite

In 2016 Tony opened The Pie Store shop on The Strait in Lincoln where he stayed for a year. After the temporary bus station opened on Tentercroft Street he took the opportunity to open a stall near there.

After a year he knew he would need to shut and find another premises, but was unable to find anywhere so he put all his focus in his other outlets in Grimsby and Scunthorpe.

Pie-cely done. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite

He recently moved to the outdoor market near Wilkinson’s in Lincoln

Tony Loxley at The Pie Store in Lincoln’s outdoor market. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite

Tony told The Lincolnite: “I think it’s a great idea. It’s something that’s been missing for quite a few years now and it would be great to get a little market going on here.

“The [Cornhill] development they’re doing is really good, but there’s always going to be a call for a market. Lincoln needs a market and it’s really good that the city council is trying to get something going now.”

Tony admitted he was previously worried for the future of the current indoor market, but is hoping the outdoor plans will have a positive effect.

He added: “People don’t go in there an awful lot because they’ve had one or two issues and we’ve had one or two meetings about it.

“But hopefully now once we get a market going here outside it’ll draw more people into the area and those people who are on the outside market will also go into the indoor market.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a last chance saloon. If they could get some funding and actually do that market up in there it would be a fantastic market because it’s a brilliant building, it just wants a lot of money spending on it.

Just some of the wide selection of pies to choose from. Photo: Joseph Verney for The Lincolnite