English blackberries at wholesale Bradford

Plans are being drawn up to rebrand Bradford St James’ and reclad its exterior, with the aim of attracting new customers and giving the site a modern feel.

“At the moment, like most wholesale markets, it is quite industrial-looking,” said Bradford Council markets manager Colin Wolstenholme. “And there are several different types of signage being used, but we’ve done a review and we’re looking at switching to one single brand that promotes what the market’s all about.”

The market, which currently recycles around 80-85 per cent of its waste, is also targeting ‘zero waste to landfill’ by making it easier for tenants to separate their waste.

One of these tenants is Burbank Produce, which imports a lot of niche French produce for the catering sector at this time of year. The firm has seen a rise in the price of French heirloom tomatoes, with French supermarkets taking large volumes this year and export supply limited.

Spanish endive, meanwhile, has been selling in considerable volumes, following a dip in English supply.