Before the Shops, There Were Markets: How Made In Hemp Grew on the Road

Before the shopfronts, before the shelves, before the fitting rooms and skincare walls, there were markets.

Long before Made In Hemp grew into the business it is today, markets were where so much of the early work happened. They were where we met customers face to face, introduced people to hemp products, answered questions, built trust and slowly grew the business one conversation at a time.

Looking back now, these photos tell a story of steady growth: from simple displays, to branded vehicles, to market stalls, to a custom-built mobile shop, and eventually to permanent store locations.

For us, the market years were never just a stepping stone. They were a huge part of the foundation.

Made In Hemp continued trading at farmers markets until 2018, stopping shortly after opening our Islington store location. By then, markets had already played a massive role in shaping the business.

Why Markets Mattered

Markets were where people could stop, ask questions and have real conversations about hemp.

Back then, hemp still needed a lot of explaining. Customers wanted to know what hemp seed oil was, how hemp foods differed from cannabis, what made hemp clothing special, and why hemp skincare was worth trying. Many people were curious, but not yet familiar.

That made markets the perfect place for Made In Hemp.

They gave us the chance to educate, listen, test ideas, build relationships and see firsthand what customers were most interested in. In many ways, the market years helped shape the voice of the business: practical, approachable, passionate and ready to answer questions.

The Early Market Setups

These early photos are such a great reminder of how hands-on the business was from the beginning.

There were tables to set up, boxes to unpack, clothing racks to arrange, skincare testers to put out, signs to hang, and always plenty of hemp questions to answer. It was retail, education, logistics and community building all rolled into one.

Even in the early market displays, you can see the bigger Made In Hemp idea: this was never about just one product. It was about showing the many practical uses of hemp, from food and fibre to skincare and clothing.

From a Table to the Road

As the business grew, so did the setup.

What may have started with simpler displays eventually expanded into branded vehicles and mobile setups that made it easier to take Made In Hemp on the road. That shift says a lot in itself: the business was growing, the range was growing, and the confidence behind the brand was growing too.

A branded vehicle is more than transport. It is a statement that says this business is moving, investing and becoming recognisable.

The Custom Market Trailer

Then came one of the biggest visual symbols of that growth: the custom-built market trailer.

This was such a brilliant evolution of the business. It took the market setup from a stall to a mobile Made In Hemp space — something that could showcase the range more professionally, travel to events and create a stronger customer experience.

It also reflects something deeper: belief in the business.

You do not invest in something like a custom trailer unless you are serious. It shows confidence, momentum and a long-term view.

A Family Business on the Road

One of the most beautiful parts of these photos is that they do not just show a business setup. They show a family business.

Markets were not glamorous. They meant early starts, long days, unpredictable weather, packing and unpacking, and a lot of hands-on work. But they also created memories. The trailer became a little moving version of Made In Hemp, with products, customers, conversations and family all packed into the same space.

These photos of Darius with his sons inside the trailer say so much about that time. It was not just a retail setup. It was a chapter of family life, business building and hemp education all happening at once.

Markets Were About More Than Selling

Markets were not just about transactions. They were about connection.

They were where Made In Hemp built familiarity and trust with customers. People could sample, ask questions, see the products up close and understand that hemp was not just some abstract idea — it was something practical, useful and worth learning about.

Markets also gave the business a chance to be seen in different places, meet different communities and keep building awareness over time.

That kind of real-world presence matters. It helped build the credibility that later carried into physical stores.

From Markets to Stores

Eventually, Made In Hemp grew beyond markets alone.

The Long Jetty store became a more permanent home for the brand, and later the Islington store helped expand that reach even further. Even so, markets remained part of the story for years, continuing through to 2018, shortly after the opening of our Islington location.

That progression feels important to acknowledge.

There is something powerful about being able to say: before the stores, we were out there doing the hard yards. Before the shelves and shopfronts, we were packing up stock, setting up displays, travelling to markets and talking to customers one by one.

Why This Still Matters

Looking back at these images now, they do more than spark nostalgia.

They show the real growth of a business that has been built over time. They show that Made In Hemp did not simply jump on a trend. The business earned its place through years of direct customer contact, education, product development and steady reinvestment.

That kind of history matters.

It matters to customers. It matters to search engines. It matters to the way people understand who Made In Hemp is. And it matters to us, because it reminds us how much effort went into getting from those early market days to where the business is now.

From a table, to a van, to a custom-built trailer, to physical stores — it has been quite a journey.

And yes, we are pretty proud of that.