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Capital's food markets defy recession and pull in crowds
Sri Carmichael, Consumer Affairs Reporter3 Sep 2009
London's gourmet food markets are defying the recession and expanding in response to demand.
Borough Market today opened its new Jubilee Market section, containing 30 "raw" food stalls selling fresh ingredients including cheese, meat and organic produce.
Until now, raw goods have been dotted among other stands, making the market harder to navigate.
The multi-million-pound extension is on the corner of Stoney Street and Winchester Walk and has a roof made from the same durable, clear plastic used for the Beijing Water Cube and Cornwall's Eden Project.
It was funded by Network Rail, which is constructing a new Borough viaduct to increase visitor capacity in time for the Olympics.
Also this week, St Pancras International officially opened the first farmers' market in a UK railway station.
At the daily market on the main concourse, called Sourced, commuters can pre-order local produce online to pick up.
And the Covent Garden Real Food Market, which has opened in the piazza the past three summers, is to become a permanent fixture each year from spring to Christmas.
The only open-air gourmet market in the West End will be the hub of the first London Restaurant Festival next month and will open Thursdays and Fridays in the lead-up to Christmas.
Borough Market hosts 4.5million visitors a year. Managing director Glenis Reagon said: "Despite the recession, we have not seen any drop in visitor numbers."
Last week market researchers TNS said spending on organic produce had fallen by 20 per cent in the past six months to £81million a month, from a peak of £100million earlier this year.
But Beverley Churchill, of Covent Garden London, said in July the market piazza had 4.57million visitors, up 10 per cent on the same period last year.
