With the festive season fast approaching, we were delighted to chat with Selena Gray from MnB Scotland – recently featured in The Times – about their upcoming Christmas market at Leith Arches, what we can expect, and what it means to have the role of Chief Snacks Officer!
You can check out Selena’s interview below, or find out more about the market (which will take place on 1st December, 10am – 5pm) right here on the MnB Scotland Instagram page.
B: Can you introduce yourself with a fun fact about you and a helpful one about MnB Scotland?
Selena: Hi, I’m Selena, founder and “Chief Snacks Officer” of MnB Scotland (formerly Makers ‘n Bakers Scotland). A fun fact about me is that I lived in Italy before moving to Scotland in 2021. Though I’m not a mum, I’m known for having a “mamma” personality—I love making sure everyone around me is well-fed, happy, and taken care of.
This caring approach is also how I run MnB markets. As a former small business owner, I understand the stress that comes with it, so I try to lighten the load where I can. I even put together goodie bags for stallholders with essentials like bottled water, chocolates, and, sometimes, party poppers. Rumour has it I once sent around pizzas at the end of a market, which is probably how I earned the title of Chief Snacks Officer!
B: What do you love about regularly running a bustling, energetic market in Edinburgh?
Selena: Organising has always been my thing — I love making lists, managing details, and creating a positive experience for everyone involved. I actually came up with the idea of running a market in a single day; it wasn’t a case of ‘everyone else does this and so maybe I can too’ but ‘maybe I can do this but do it differently, in my way, and support my community’.
My markets are a labour of love. I make no money from them, nor do I intend to. Every penny I receive goes directly back into the market, covering things like print materials, venue hire, and event promotion to ensure everything runs smoothly. My goal isn’t accolades; it’s to provide a supportive platform for small businesses to thrive. Seeing them succeed is what makes it all worthwhile.
B: It feels like MnB Scotland is growing from strength to strength, especially since you’ve now been featured by The Times as one of the best things to do in Edinburgh at Christmas! How are you feeling about it?
Selena: Honestly, I was surprised when The Times editor reached out—they’d found us through our venue at Leith Arches and wanted to include our very first Christmas market (on 1 December) in their latest “things to do” article. Last year’s list had 16 entries, and this year they wanted us to make 17. At first, I couldn’t believe it and wondered, “Why us?” But they wanted to know about MnB’s background and to properly feature us, and a month later, the article was published. I’m very very grateful to them.
The recognition of a national newspaper is obviously a huge deal for us, and as I’ve always tried to do, I’m using it to benefit the entire MnB community. I immediately invested in reprinted flyers for December 1st, and I’ve begun promoting the article on all of our social media campaigns.
B: When did MnB begin, and what made you decide to start it?
Selena: MnB was founded in the Autumn of 2022, principally as a marketing tool for small businesses. I was still running my own small business at the time and I’d been struggling with the lack of engagement being shown by some market organisers, particularly in promoting their events. Together with a few other small business owners, I set up MnB Scotland, to carry out marketing activities for each, promoting who we were and what we did, and more importantly where we were going to be and where customers could find us. Over time, this effort grew into a supportive community and a valuable market opportunity for makers and artists across Scotland.
B: To me, MnB feels not just like your standard everyday market, but also like a very supportive community in its own right – and that feels special. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Selena: Absolutely. MnB Scotland has really grown into a true community. For our first market in July 2023, I invited a few small business friends and explained my vision. They trusted me and jumped on board, and on that first market day, I realised it wasn’t just me and my husband (who’s also my partner in this)—everyone was pitching in to help. From decorating the venue, to hand drawing flyers and posters, to doing impromptu chalk art on the pavement to drive traffic into the market. One business owner even became our in-house designer, and has created all the posters and flyers for the events we’ve done ever since.
MnB Scotland isn’t just me, it’s a true group effort, with everyone working together to make each event the best it can be. Over time, as more people have joined, the community has kept expanding, and now we receive hundreds of applications for each market. It’s been amazing to see people come together and support one another.
B: Tell us what we can look forward to at the upcoming CHRISTMAS market!
Selena: Like all our markets, this one is fully curated, with eighteen fantastic stalls. We’ll have a vegan bakery and vegan sushi stall, plus sixteen unique crafters offering everything from jewellery and art to pottery and skincare. We’re also continuing with our sensory hour—introduced at our last market—so the first hour will be a quieter, more relaxed experience.
We’re always pet-friendly (we used to say “dog-friendly” until someone showed up with a parrot in a bag!), and being a Christmas market, expect cheesy holiday music and mulled wine to add to the festive spirit. And of course, there will be snacks—not just for the stallholders but for visitors too (I can’t help myself!). As a little signature touch, everyone who visits will receive an “emotional support frog” to keep the good vibes going.
B: Sounds AMAZING. We can’t wait! A good thing about Edinburgh is that there are so many local markets happening throughout the year, which is great for small businesses! What’s your biggest tip for anyone looking to run their own stall for the first time, and might feel a bit intimidated?
Selena: I’ve been there! When I first ran my own stall, I worried about everything—whether I’d make sales, if people would like my products, or if similar items would be around. My advice to new stallholders is: don’t worry about what others are doing. Be proud of what you’re creating. There will be good days and bad, but the more you participate, the more you’ll find your own style and confidence.
If it’s your first time, try starting with a local, single-day event to reduce travel stress – that’s one less thing to be worried about when you’re just starting out. Oh, and definitely bring a card machine—it’s a must-have these days!
B: What else can you tell us about MnB Scotland?
Selena: We organise four markets a year and have already booked venues for next year’s events. Our applications will open in January 2025 and I’m really excited for what the future will bring. While we can’t always give everyone a spot in each market, we do our best to bring in new faces each time.
Once a year, we choose a larger venue, and next year we’re especially excited to be holding a Pride event at Portobello Town Hall. We’re aiming to have the chance to feature and promote twice as many small businesses as we otherwise do.
For those who can’t join us as stallholders, we offer free community membership. We love learning about people’s small business journeys and spotlighting them on Instagram and our blog. Anyone who creates their work by hand is welcome to join our creative community—it’s a space for makers, artists, and anyone passionate about handmade work.
B: Thanks so much for your time, Selena – and we’re really looking forward to the Christmas market next month! (1st December, 10am – 5pm)
Quick links:
- Visit the MnB Instagram page here
- Visit the official MnB website
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