Asha Dudmish, who competed in the national finals with her craft business The Modern Factory.
Young entrepreneurs from Tower Hamlets have truly excelled in this year’s Young Traders Market campaign, a national initiative run by the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) to support 16–30-year-olds in launching and testing their products.
The campaign saw budding traders set up shop alongside regular stallholders at Roman Road, Roman Road Square, Whitechapel and Petticoat Lane Markets, selling everything from art and jewellery to baked goods and homemade fashion pieces.
From these local markets, 14 young traders were selected to represent the borough at the London & Southeast regional final held at Broadway Market in Hackney on 13 July, with 10 able to attend on the day.
Tower Hamlets made history in the competition, with three young traders from the borough progressing to the national finals in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23–24 August 2025 – the first time the borough had ever been represented at this stage.
Among them was Asha Dudmish, 28, who competed with her craft business, The Modern Factory.
She said:
"Being able to represent Tower Hamlets in the Young Traders Market regional finals at Broadway Market, and then the national finals at Stratford-upon-Avon was an incredible honour! Some of my pieces selling out by lunchtime was surreal and deeply rewarding after years of juggling a full-time degree, part-time and sometimes full-time work, and building my craft business. Tower Hamlets has never had any finalists before, so I’m proud to be among the first. I’m so grateful to be backed by a borough that truly believes in its creatives. I’ve had so much fun during this process, and would highly recommend it to any other young person with a small business."
Our finalists are:
- OneLAB College - empowering learners aged 16-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) through entrepreneurship.
- Irha Accessories – selling affordable luxury jewellery ‘you will actually wear’.
- The Modern Factory - creating handmade eco-friendly plates, cups, board games, candlestick holders and trinkets.
The three traders performed brilliantly at the finals, showcasing the creativity and talent of Tower Hamlets’ young entrepreneurs. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and the way they represented the borough on a national stage.
Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said:
“We are incredibly proud of the creativity, drive and ambition shown by our young traders. Tower Hamlets has a long history of vibrant street markets, and it was inspiring to see the next generation of entrepreneurs continuing that tradition. Their success shows the talent we have here in our borough, and we congratulate them on their fantastic performance at the national finals.”
Cllr Abu Talha Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said:
“The Young Traders Market is a brilliant opportunity for young people to test out their business ideas in a real-world setting and gain confidence as entrepreneurs. Supporting initiatives like this is central to our mission of building skills, creating jobs and opening up opportunities for residents. I’ve been lucky enough to witness their passion first hand, and I’m delighted to see how well they did at the finals in Stratford-upon-Avon.”
For more information about Tower Hamlets markets, visit:
https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/business/markets/markets_in_tower_hamlets.aspx
Posted on Thursday 4th September 2025