The Wholesale Markets Other Links of Interest A Guide to the Billingsgate Market National Association of Malcolm Macleod British Market Authorities London Wholesale Markets Superintendent of Billingsgate Market www.nabma.com (020) 7987 1118 [email protected] World Union of Wholesale Markets www.wuwm.org Borough Market Billingsgate Market Simone Croften National Association of Borough Market Chief Executive Retail and Farmers Markets (020) 7407 1002 www.farma.org.uk New Covent Garden Market [email protected] National Market Traders Federation New Spitalfields Market New Covent Garden Market www.nmtf.co.uk Smithfield Market Helen Evans London Farmers Markets Western International Market Communications Manager www.lfm.org.uk (020) 7720 2211 [email protected] New Spitalfields Market Ken Alexander Superintendent of New Spitalfields Market (020) 8518 7670 [email protected] Smithfield Market Robert Wilson Superintendent of Smithfield Market (020) 7332 3747 [email protected] Western International Market Richard Day Manager (020) 8583 2142 [email protected] City of London’s Wholesale Markets David Smith Director of Markets City of London (020) 7332 1678 [email protected]
Brochure Design: February London Photography: John Nassari Illustration: Mike Wall The London Wholesale Markets — Introduction
As the operators responsible Another area that we want to jointly focus for the six wholesale markets on was highlighted by the 2007 GLA study on the wholesale markets of London. This report of London: Borough Market, made it clear that there is no one vision or Billingsgate Market, New Covent coherent and consistent framework for markets. Garden Market, Smithfield Market, Given their importance to London we are keen to address this. It is therefore our intention New Spitalfields and Western to re-launch the Association of London Markets International Market, our aim is as a body to represent not just our common to highlight the significant role that interests but also the other retail, farmers and our markets play in ‘London food’. street markets across each of the 33 boroughs to ensure that the voice of markets is heard to the benefit of our traders, their customers and Londoners. With an ever increasing and diverse population, demand for good quality food in We hope you find this booklet useful, that London has never been greater. At the same you are able to visit our markets at some point time interest is growing in a number of high first-hand to see just what we are talking profile agendas linked to food – these include about and that you agree that raising health, the environment, local produce and awareness of the economic and social sustainability – all of which impact upon importance of wholesale and retail markets the wholesale markets. across the capital is of great value to all. Our markets are already a key part of food service across the Capital and beyond, an existing supply chain for hotels, restaurants and independent shops as well as the retail Simone Croften markets. There is also now great scope for them Chief Executive Borough Market to be adapted further given the necessary support and direction to, for example, develop further ethnic, regional or seasonal produce. To date we have often been seen as either David Smith competitors or as independent institutions. Director of Markets City of London However as this booklet will illustrate there are also some common strands to the markets’ work which has already encouraged cross working between us. Most recently this has included working together to educate children Jan Lloyd at schools around our markets about where Chief Executive New Covent Garden Market their food comes from and healthy eating, and helping them understand how the food on their plate at school got there.
Richard Day Manager Western International Market The London Wholesale Markets — The Importance of Markets
Markets have been an integral part of London life for hundreds of years. Environmental All Party Parliamentary Markets Group Traditionally produce on a market stall uses Despite the rise of multiples and out of town shopping centres they remain Successful markets matter in all their forms. less packaging, often being sold loose rather Whether they are wholesale, specialist, at the heart of city life. than wrapped or boxed which means less waste. farmers’, street or covered markets, they At the wholesale markets, many operators add contribute to the social, environmental and value by semi-preparing the food (peel, slice, economic well-being of the nation. dice and juice), meaning less waste is generated Markets Policy Framework 2007 at the retail outlet. The wholesale markets have and will continue to work together to benchmark waste management practices and reduce its impact on the environment. London Assembly Report on London’s Retail Markets Community cohesion Markets epitomise entrepreneurship and have London enjoys undeniable economic, social often proved to be the incubators for small and cultural benefits from its markets… businesses that have gone onto develop into They supply the people of London – especially larger companies. In particular they offer those on low incomes – with affordable high more deprived sectors of the community the quality food. They attract jobs and income to opportunity to create jobs and businesses. the local economy. People Dee Doocey AM Above all, markets are about people. People Chair of the Economic Development, Culture, It is not just the huge range of produce Food and health policy who know their product and can share their Sport and Tourism Committee Jan 2008 that these markets sell that benefits London. Markets are important in supplying good passion and knowledge. Everyone loves markets Together they have a significant impact – socially, quality food, especially fresh fruit and vegetables because they are the last vestige of theatre economically, culturally and environmentally at affordable prices. They often stock niche in a sterile retail environment. They are a GLA Report on London’s on the communities in which they are both ethnic and organic goods appropriate to chance to connect to the producer; they make Wholesale Markets 2007 located and which they serve. This importance their customers as well as local and seasonal shopping an entertaining and educational of markets to the UK in general and London produce, encouraging consumers to buy in a …wholesale markets continue to play a experience and bring all these benefits to in particular has recently been recognised by more sustainable manner. Their traditionally valuable role in London and the wider region. hundreds of locations across London. key policy makers at a national, regional and central locations also mean that they are more They have responded to their changing local level. Several reports in the last few years accessible by foot and public transport and are circumstances and now offer new products have drawn on the important role of markets to able to supply volumes of food appropriate and services. a diverse range of individuals and communities. for customers, whether they are a single shopper or a family. Regeneration and economic vibrancy Culture and tourism Markets not only provide the opportunity Many markets in London are household names for choice and diversity but also help increase and tourist attractions in their own right, as footfall in town centres, boosting other well as serving their immediate communities. businesses and services within the area. They London is home to over 60 different cuisines deliver business-led solutions to regeneration and its multicultural diversity is celebrated in schemes through assisting in job creation and its markets, the produce that they stock and opportunities for business start ups. Markets the customers which they serve. Individual are also felt to heavily influence the character traders often can act as ‘brand ambassadors’ of areas, encouraging interaction between for their respective culture or ethnic grouping different community groups and playing and encourage diversity and integration of a key role in the vibrancy and attractiveness cultures across London. of town centres. The London Wholesale Markets — How London’s Markets Work The Markets
Producers The wholesale markets of London: Borough Market, Billingsgate Market, New Covent Garden Market, > Fish > UK Growing interest in Smithfield Market, New Spitalfields Market and > Meat > Imported healthy eating and where Western International Market are the central but often less well understood means by which Londoners get > Fruit & Veg food comes from their food. Sometimes described as the alternative channel of distribution, it is through these six markets > that London and Londoners are able to consume the high quality of produce which is found across the capital. Wholesale Markets Between them the markets are home to over 680 individual traders who in turn supply thousands of customers, from > Face-to-Face Flexibility, range, local, hotels and restaurants, schools and prisons, delicatessens, > Distributors seasonal good quality, florists, market traders and corner shops. ethnic, organic > Processors Due to historic practice and protective legislation these six markets are also significant landholders, between > them covering over 134 acres of London across six boroughs. Over the years their role and function has changed as they have adapted to the changing demands Customers placed upon them. As a result they are now home to different types of businesses and stock new products for Independent Shops Restaurants an evolving customer base but they remain central to the Street Markets Hotels movement of food through and within London. Secondary Wholesalers Pubs The markets also have a significant economic impact. Cafés With an estimated joint annual turnover of over £2 billion, Workplace the wholesale markets are the link between the producers Schools and the consumers who eventually buy their produce from street markets, farmers markets, small shops, or Hospitals eat in the thousands of cafés, restaurants, pubs and Prisons canteens across London. The London Wholesale Markets — > 22,000 A Billingsgate Market TURNOVER (TONNAGE) 2007/08 The United Kingdom’s largest inland fish market > 56 NUMBER OF CURRENT TENANTS
Our Vision Address > 14 Support our tenants to create a Trafalgar Way TOTAL SIZE (ACRES) flourishing market by providing an London E14 5ST exemplary trading environment that Opening Hours > £250m is energy efficient, well maintained, Tuesday to Saturday: 5.00am – 8.30am TURNOVER (ESTIMATED) safe, innovative, profitable and Contact (020) 7987 1118 promotes the benefits of including Nearest tube: Canary Wharf (8 min walk) > 5,000 fish in our diets. VISITORS PER WEEK (APPROX)
Billingsgate was originally a general market The market has a tremendous variety of and does not seem to have become associated quality fresh and frozen fish ranging from exclusively with the fish trade until the Red Mullett, Seabass, Haddock, Dover sole, sixteenth century. In 1699, an Act of Lemon Sole, Monkfish, Turbot, Squid, Parliament was passed making it “a free and Kippers, Salmon, Lobster, Crab, Scallops, open market for all sorts of fish whatsoever”. Oysters, Eels and many more. Billingsgate Market moved from its original Based within the market and established site at Lower Thames Street to Canary as a charitable company is the Billingsgate Wharf in 1982 and is the UK’s premier Seafood Training School. The aim of the inland fish market. It has 56 merchants school is to promote awareness of fish among including specialist and catering suppliers, young people and to increase the knowledge potato and trade sundries suppliers, serving of those already working in the retail and the wholesale trade with a large variety of catering industry. high quality fish and shellfish. Although The School also offers a wide variety of courses traditionally a wholesale market, recent years that are tailored to the needs of different have seen an increasing numbers of retail groups including catering colleges, retailers, buyers visit Billingsgate. hotels, restaurants, processors, and members of the public. The London Wholesale Markets — B Borough Market London’s oldest artisan fine foods market
Borough Market is the country’s most Our Vision widely-renowned artisan fine foods market > 160 We aim to make life better in our embracing over 160 businesses, including NUMBER OF CURRENT TENANTS part of London. We will do this wholesale and retail market traders, a casual market, retail food shops, restaurants and bars. by maintaining and expanding our > 5 market’s reputation as a centre Perhaps better known as a retail market, TOTAL SIZE (ACRES) Borough Market now operates wholesale trade for food excellence. The surpluses every night except Saturday from midnight we generate will allow us to serve to 8am, and retail trade on Thursdays, Fridays > 4.5m our community charitably, defend and Saturdays; many of the market’s retailers CUSTOMERS PER YEAR the historic nature of the market, in fact also supply wholesale. run the market sustainably and The history of the market predates the Roman remain an important open space invasion of Britain with trading activity taking place in the area of what is now Southwark and public amenity. when the Romans arrived. Mention was first made of Borough Market as an institution in Address 1276, when traffic problems on London Bridge 8 Southwark Street, caused by the market were recorded. London SE1 1TL Although the market has moved a few hundred Opening Hours yards either side of the south end of London Thursdays: 11.00am – 5.00pm Bridge during its long history it has always Fridays: 12.00am – 6.00pm remained in generally the same location. Saturdays: 9.00am – 4.00pm Borough Market has been on its present site since 1756. Contact (020) 7407 1002 www.boroughmarket.org.uk Nearest tube: London Bridge (1 min walk) The London Wholesale Markets — C New Covent Garden Market A wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market
New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) There is a strong organic sector trading on-site Our Vision has over 800 years of history and has been and some specialist products including ethnic > 243 Through the proposed redevelopment located at Vauxhall since 1974. Run by produce. The market has high service levels NUMBER OF CURRENT TENANTS New Covent Garden Market will Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA), and a wealth of knowledge and a passion for a statutory corporation responsible to Defra for food. With a growing number of specialised become a modern market for the ownership and operation of the market, it is food service companies there is increasing > 57 wholesale businesses, supplying the largest fresh produce market in the UK. potential for added value, niche products and TOTAL SIZE (ACRES) unusual seasonal varieties. quality fresh produce, both food The range of food businesses includes and flowers, by supporting tenants traditional wholesalers, wholesale distributors In September 2006 CGMA announced the start > £605m and providing good value and and food processors. Traders based at NCGM of a two year project to redevelop the market TURNOVER (ESTIMATED) appropriate facilities and services are estimated between them to be responsible and replace its 30 year old infrastructure with for supplying about 40% of fresh fruit and fresh, modern facilities for traders and their to secure the future of the market. vegetables eaten outside the home in London. customers. Extensive work has since been > 15,000 undertaken by the Authority and the plans VISITORS PER WEEK (APPROX) NCGM serves many of London’s best Address are progressing well. New Covent Garden Market, restaurants and hotels, cafés and bars, schools, London SW8 5NX hospitals and work places as well as independent retailers and street markets. Its central location Opening Hours gives easy access to the City and the West Monday to Friday: 3.00am – 11.00am End. The majority of business at the market Saturdays: 4.00am – 10.00am is conducted between midnight and 8am. Contact (020) 7720 2211 www.cgma.gov.uk Nearest tube: Vauxhall (5 min walk) The London Wholesale Markets — D New Spitalfields Market London’s premier wholesale market for fruit, vegetables and flowers
Our Vision New Spitalfields is one of the City’s younger Support our tenants to create markets, starting life as a thirteenth century market in a field next to St Mary Spittel on a flourishing market by the edge of the Square Mile. providing an exemplary trading In May 1991, New Spitalfields market moved environment that is energy from its original site near Bishopgate, to its efficient, well maintained, current site in Leyton which covers 31 acres, safe, innovative, profitable and with fast, easy access to the motorway network and the ports. At its centre is the Market Hall, represents the diverse ethnic mix which houses 115 trading units for wholesalers of the area served by the market. dealing in fruit, vegetables, and flowers, equipped to the latest standards with facilities that Address include cold storage rooms, ripening rooms, Sherrin Road (off Ruckholt Road), Leyton and racking for palletised produce, according London E10 5SQ to requirements. Opening Hours The continuing specialisation by wholesalers Monday to Friday: Midnight – 1.00pm in exotic fruit and vegetables means that New Saturday: Midnight – 11.00am Spitalfields now has over 60% of its traders sourcing Asian, Afro-Caribbean, Turkish, Contact Chinese, Egyptian, fresh fruit, vegetables, and (020) 8518 7670 flowers to meet the needs of a cosmopolitan www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/spitalfields London, and beyond. Nearest tube: Leyton (10 min walk) In addition, there are four separate buildings providing modern self contained units for catering supply companies, fruit importers and other related businesses, as well as accommodation for companies providing > 650,000 back-up services. TURNOVER (TONNAGE) 2007/08 Sustainability is a high priority for the market and about 65% of its waste is now recycled. > 115 Organic waste is now separated and sent to NUMBER OF CURRENT TENANTS an anaerobic digestion plant where it is then converted into methane gas for heating greenhouses. Cardboard is segregated then > 31 recycled and all timber waste, including TOTAL SIZE (ACRES) damaged pallets and wooden crates is put through an industrial shredder then sent to Edmonton Power Station and used as fuel > £550m to generate electricity. TURNOVER (ESTIMATED) > 18,000 VISITORS PER WEEK (APPROX) The London Wholesale Markets — Our Vision Support our tenants to create a E Smithfield Market flourishing market by providing an exemplary trading environment London’s premier meat market that is FSA compliant, energy efficient, well maintained, safe, innovative, and profitable. Meat has been bought and sold at Smithfield There are 41 businesses and approximately for over 800 years, making it one of the oldest 120,000 tons of produce pass through the Address markets in London. A livestock market occupied market each year. As well as meat and poultry, Charterhouse Street the site as early as the 10th century and products such as cheese, pies, and other London EC1A 9PQ remained there until mid-Victorian times. delicatessen goods are available and buyers including butchers, restauranteurs, and caterers Opening Hours Today, Smithfield Market is a wholesale meat are able to see the goods for themselves. Weekdays 3:00am – 12:00noon and provisions market serving Greater London and southern England. The market is managed In the early nineties, the market underwent a Contact by the City of London who provide and maintain £70 million refurbishment to equip it for the (020) 7248 3151 facilities for the wholesaling of meat and future and enable it to comply with modern Nearest tube: Farringdon (7 min walk) poultry to retailers, secondary wholesalers hygiene standards. The ancient building has and catering suppliers in London, the Home been transformed into one of the most modern Counties and beyond. meat markets in Europe.
> 120,000 TURNOVER (TONNAGE) 2007/08 > 41 NUMBER OF CURRENT TENANTS > 6 TOTAL SIZE (ACRES) > £250m TURNOVER (ESTIMATED) > 2,500 VISITORS PER WEEK (APPROX) The London Wholesale Markets — F Western International Market The premier fruit, vegetable & flower wholesale market in London’s west
Our Vision Address > 420,000 Ensure the market is a vital link in the 8 Market Centre, Hayes Road TURNOVER (TONNAGE) 200a7/08 foodservice chain, catering efficiently Southall, Middlesex UB2 5XJ for the public’s daily needs with a vast Opening Hours > 70 NUMBER OF CURRENT TENANTS choice of fresh fruit, vegetables and Monday to Saturday: 3.00am – 3.00pm flowers to benefit health and enhance Contact (020) 8573 5624 quality of life and well being. > 17.5 www.westerninternational.co.uk TOTAL SIZE (ACRES) Nearest Rail: Hayes & Harlington > £400m TURNOVER (ESTIMATED) Western International Market traces its roots and one final step has seen the market move back to a horse and cart based on the Middlesex just yards from its old site to a 17.5 acre site side of Kew Bridge from which a grower traded housing 54 tenants as well as other service > 18,000 his wares. industries and amenities. Outside of the trading VISITORS PER WEEK (APPROX) hall is a separate building that reflects the From this humble beginning the market moved market’s development into food service sector. to a more formal site where the buying and selling of fresh produce was continuously In May 2006 the new market started to expanded until May 1974 when a deal was struck take shape and in December 2007 work was with London Borough of Hounslow to relocate completed. Since January 2008 the tenants to Heston, near London Heathrow Airport. have been fitting out their units and trading commenced at the new market in July. The Council took the decision to deliver new state of the art facilities to replace the obsolete Specialising in exotic produce allows the market existing premises to ensure its continuing to cater to the increasingly diverse eating viability. At that time the market numbered requirements of Londoners with a produce around 100 tenants and moved just 5 miles range including Indian grapes, Brazilian papayas, from its previous base. Iranian watermelon and Cypriot herbs. The market continued to trade successfully The excellent new location and ease of there until the early 1990s when it became accessibility of the new site means there is a clear that a new market was needed. A rebuild great future for the new £19m market which rather than a refurbishment was decided upon is currently at 100% trading capacity.