The City of London Corporation regards New Spitalfields Market as one of the most impressive jewels in its crown and is immensely proud to own and operate such a successful enterprise, with its diverse range of traders and very high quality fresh produce, and to have had such a positive and productive relationship with the traders throughout that time.
It’s been a an increasingly busy 25 years since Spitalfields Market relocated to Leyton, where easy access to the motorway network and the Port of London has enabled it to become the UK’s premier wholesale fruit and vegetables market, handling some 750,000 tonnes of produce every year. Even the Olympic park has come to join the market!
With over 130 businesses operating on site, the market is very much a barometer of London as a thriving, cosmopolitan city, reflecting the cultural and culinary tastes of the communities it serves. As an indication of how much has changed in those 25 years, the market now has over 60 per cent of its traders from ethnic minorities, sourcing Asian, Afro-Caribbean, African, South American, Turkish, Chinese and Middle-Eastern fresh fruits, vegetables or flowers, in addition to all the traditional British and European produce.
The market has weathered the huge challenges posed by the rise of the multiple retailers by adapting to the changed circumstances and finding new ways of satisfying the varied needs of its increasingly diverse customers. With something in the region of half the UK’s restaurants being within the M25, with London still having almost 200 retail and street markets, with the growth of eating outside the home, and with high demand form public sector customers such as schools, universities, hospitals, and government offices, as well as the more traditional customers, there have been plenty of opportunities to expand and diversify, and it’s to the Spitalfields traders’ enormous credit that they have done so with great success. And one only has to look at the number of businesses that have installed mezzanine floors in their premises, to see how trade has grown and diversified over the last 25 years.
These businesses are unique and dynamic, rich in both history and culture, playing a vital role in the food supply to London and beyond, as well as boosting local employment and helping to shape a sustainable food economy. It’s one of the least-known facts about London that some 40 per cent of the overall food supply into the capital comes via the five wholesale markets.
While the composition of trade may have changed, it’s still the people who make the Market such a success. It’s certainly full of characters and one now hears every language under the sun spoken in the market hall and the atmosphere, even in the very early hours of the morning, is lively, friendly and welcoming, even if the commercial competition is still pretty ruthless. There’s a sense of pride and camaraderie which drives its success and will continue to make it a unique part of London’s character.
The market was proud to be voted as the Best Wholesale Market a couple of years ago by the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) and only recently one of the Market’s largest businesses, Sunnyfields Veg, was presented with the award as the National Wholesale Supplier of the Year at the FPC’s Fresh awards ceremony.
The market will continue to build on its successful first 25 years and should thrive for many years to come.
David Smith, director of markets and consumer protection, City of London Corporation
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