A market has been criticised by a community group over its lack of ethnic diversity.

Jessica Vos, who runs Tottenham Green Market with Adam Layton, says she had received hostile comments from people visiting the stalls who felt the market did reflect the cultural range of Tottenham.

Ms Vos, who previously ran Harringay Market , said she was “surprised” by the comments but remained keen to hear what people in Tottenham wanted.

She said: “This market was always going to be a six-week trial to see whether people in Tottenham were interested.

“Adam and I thought we’d just trial what we’re used to doing, but we do want to hear what people want in a market.

“We don’t have a big network here, but not because we don’t want one. We need people to come up to us and tell us what they want.”

Yvonne Field, who represents an organisation that promotes equality for the African Diaspora community in the UK, wrote a letter to Mr Layton in which she raised concerns over “the lack of African Diaspora community represented as stall holders”.

The email, which was also circulated on an Our Tottenham mailing list of local businesses, said the market represented a “middle class Tottenham”.

Ms Field said: “The folk music that was playing and overall ambience created [at Tottenham Green Market] yesterday reminded me of suburbia or even a village green atmosphere and seemed to reflect what has already happened in other parts of London such as Brixton, Dalston and Deptford (to name but a few).

“Is Tottenham going to end up like this? I and many others are extremely worried about this possibility. How might we co-create something that truly reflects the neighbourhood and acts as an exemplar for the rest of the country?”

She added: “I hope we can work together to ensure real representation in terms of the voices which are heard and that is is not just a tokenistic gesture, so that diverse needs can be met in Tottenham.”

Nerfetiti Gayle, of Our Tottenham, said: “The market is not representing the ethnic mix of Tottenham, and it’s specifically not representing the black community.

“There were other kinds of food there ‑ like Peruvian, or Chinese – but I’m not sure those stallholders live in Tottenham.

“The market is right outside the Bernie Grant Arts Centre. Bernie Grant would be turning in his grave.”

Ms Gayle said that she had approached the organisers of the market about setting up a stall herself.

She said: “I’ve been in Tottenham since 1973. Not only that, I’ve contributed to Tottenham. I’ve worked with young people in Tottenham. My children went to school in Tottenham.”

Ms Vos said that she was happy to give people a chance to run a stall in the market, but that all stalls needed to have proper food hygiene certificates and the correct insurance.

She said there was a good mix of cultures present in the market, including Malaysian and Indian and that there had been Latin American stalls, but they had chosen to leave as they were not selling much.

Ms Vos said: “I don’t sell African Caribbean food because I don’t want to be in competition with the cafe in the Bernie Grant Arts Centre.”

She said: “My market is about giving people with new businesses a chance.  There’s no point going to the shops up the High Road and asking if they want to be involved because they’re there already.”