The Mayor of Waltham Forest, councillor Sheila Smith-Pryor, officially turned on the Christmas lights at New Spitalfields Market last Friday morning and was introduced to the wholesale market’s newly appointed corporate development manager, Tim Williams.
Invited by the Spitalfields Market Tenants’ Association, the Mayor toured the wholesale facility and was presented with a cheque towards her charity fund.
Williams has been employed by the London Development Agency (LDA) to promote local growers and their produce within the East London wholesale market. He is aiming to increase the volume of local fare going through the market by 15 per cent.
Williams told FPJ: “The LDA and I are looking to create a healthy and sustainable food supply in London. First on the list of things to do is work out what is local to London, which looks like it will be about a 100-mile radius, and then I will be visiting growers in the area and finding new sources for Spitalfields market traders.”
Williams started his new post on December 1 and, as part of his training, he will spend a week working with wholesale trader Arthur Hutchinson Ltd and a week with a catering supplier within the market.
“I think it will help that I have come into the market with a fresh eye,” said Williams, who has previously worked as a chef. “I cannot re-invent the wheel, but I can come up with a lot of new ideas that should help.”
