“Signing the Real Deal Charter reflects our commitment to supporting a safe and welcoming market for everyone. We’re proud to work with our partners to promote fair trading and help ensure our community continues to enjoy a trusted and vibrant local marketplace.”
Kempton Park Racecourse General Manager, Simon Durrant
Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards are delighted to announce that Kempton Market is the most recent signatory to the national Real Deal campaign. Residents and visitors to the largest weekday market held in the South East, can shop with confidence following the signing by joint market operators The Jockey Club and Hughmark Continental Limited.
On 5th May 2025 at the Kempton Park Community Race Day, the market operators officially signed the Real Deal National Markets’ Charter and committed to uphold the Real Deal Code of Practice. The Real Deal initiative brings together Buckinghamshire & Surrey trading standards, market operators and traders along with industry groups all of whom are united with a common commitment to tackle the sale of illegal and counterfeit goods.
Signing up to the Charter demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to safe and fair trading at their market and zero tolerance for criminality. The Real Deal initiative works alongside the enforcement work carried out by Trading Standards to combat the threat of counterfeit and illegal goods being sold. Counterfeit goods push out the sale of legal and legitimate goods, reducing the marketplace in terms of diversity of goods being sold, and undermining the confidence consumers have in their quality and safety.
Kempton Park Racecourse General Manager, Simon Durrant said: “Signing the Real Deal Charter reflects our commitment to supporting a safe and welcoming market for everyone. We’re proud to work with our partners to promote fair trading and help ensure our community continues to enjoy a trusted and vibrant local marketplace.”
Lew Hughes, Director of Hughmark Continental Limited said “as long term operators of Kempton market we are pleased that the efforts of our market staff in collaboration with Trading Standards, The Jockey Club and trade mark holders has resulted in the market achieving Real Deal certification. Market patrons can be assured that we will use our best endeavours to have only genuine products being sold at the market”.
Head of Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards Amanda Poole said “I am really pleased to see the Real Deal Charter be signed here today. It shows the commitment that we all have to have a fair trading environment and to keep people safe from fake and unsafe goods. All those involved in running the market have demonstrated that commitment and we are pleased to support them.”
Patricia Lennon, Real Deal Campaign Manager said:
“The signing of the Real Deal Charter here today is the culmination of months of positive collaboration between The Jockey Club, Hughmark Continental, Buckinghamshire & Surrey Trading Standards and Real Deal stakeholders. We hope that other markets will be inspired to follow this great example and introduce Real Deal procedures to keep their shoppers, traders and communities safe from the harm caused by the sale of fake goods.”
Since its inception in 2009, more than 500 markets have signed the Real Deal Charter with their local trading standards service to keep their market fake-free. The Real Deal campaign is funded by trademark and copyright owners and their representatives, which means there is no cost to markets or local authorities to participate in the scheme. It is endorsed by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Trading Standards Scotland, the National Trading Standards e-Crime Team, the UK government Intellectual Property Office and by the organisations representing market operators (NABMA) and market traders (NMTF). It has been cited as best practice by UK IP Ministers and the EUIPO.
For more information: www.realdealmarkets.co.uk