The South Bank’s Borough Market may be better known among the general public for its vibrant range of specialist retail stalls, merchandising everything from fruit and veg to sweets, coffee, meat and fish, among many other lines - but it started life, centuries ago, as a fresh produce wholesale outlet, and the market’s four remaining dedicated wholesalers have been given a new lease of life with the refurbishment of the site’s original Jubilee Market hall.
Borough moved to its present site in 1756, and is London’s oldest fruit and vegetable wholesale market still trading. While the number of wholesalers operating out of the site may have been whittled down over the years, the redevelopment of Jubilee Market arguably places them in the best position they have found themselves for a very long time.
While an 18-month relocation to temporary stands was necessary to implement such a move, and a small impact on custom was felt by most businesses, all the traders agree that there is no comparison between the quality of their old and new sites, and the atmosphere among wholesalers is now very positive.
Andy Sugarman of EA Sugarman & Sons, chair of the Borough Market Tenants’ Association, tells FPJ: “There has been a dramatic improvement between our old premises and our new ones. We now all face inwards, which gives it a market feel, and while Sugarmans operates the same amount of floor space, our handling capacity has risen by 30-40 per cent.”
“It is much, much easier to work from these premises,” agrees Martin D Bourne, director of A&W Bourne. “It is nice and easy to get to, with better parking facilities, and we now have good floors and lighting.”
Geoff Rowe of G Rowe (Mushroom Sales) Ltd believes that there is a lot more room to put out displays properly, and that the brand-new fridges certainly make a difference to product quality. “The renovations are bringing familiar faces back to the market, as well as generating a bit of new custom,” he says.
Sugarman agrees: “One or two old customers have come back now they have heard how easy and efficient it is to get served here.”
“We used to trade from premises that were medieval, but now they have been brought up to 21st century standards,” says C&C Fruit Co (Borough) manager Peter Robinson. “We now have proper coldstorage and lighting facilities, and much more space than we used to.”
Trading with wholesalers at Borough offers numerous advantages over other London markets, according to the companies, most important of which are quick turnaround of service and free entry, unlike other markets that charge visitors a fee. “Borough offers a very personal service, and is also fairly centrally located,” says Bourne.
However, the congestion charge in central London has forced Borough to wake up and come to life even earlier than it used to. “A number of people have refused to come in after 7am because then they have to pay the congestion fare, so that has forced us all to start trading earlier in the day,” says Bourne.
“While we may have the congestion charge working against us, other wholesale markets charge people to visit, which Borough doesn’t,” says Rowe. “There are also portering issues at other markets, that we don’t suffer from; here, people can be served within a matter of minutes.”
Sugarman’s role as chairman of the tenants’ association means he has worked closely with the Trustees of Borough Market for more than 15 years. “They can be slow to deal with - they only meet once a month - but things have moved very quickly on the retail side here in the last five to 10 years, and that has forced them to be more proactive and reactive than in the past,” he says. “For example, the retailers used to only trade here one Sunday a month, but now the retail side is a very professional operation open four days a week.
“We get frustrated the trustees don’t work a bit quicker - however, we do now have the new premises we were angling for, so it is up to us to make business work to the best of our abilities.”
The trustees have been supportive, says Rowe, and the atmosphere among the wholesalers has completely changed since the renovation. “It is just so much easier to do our work,” he explains.
But other traders are less positive about the trustees’ attitude towards the market’s four remaining wholesalers. “I think the trustees are too retail-oriented and have forgotten that Borough was originally a wholesale market,” says Bourne. “But wholesale is changing year by year. The fact that independent retailers and street traders, who are our main customers, are starting to drop out of the race, impacts on us. No youngsters want to work 12-15 hour days in a shop anymore. There were 45 wholesale businesses here in 1978 when I started, and now there are just four. In 1978, my father was saying how quiet the business was, but the decline went on and has been steady over the last couple of generations.
“The two worst things to ever happen to the wholesale business are Sunday opening hours and the working wife,” he adds. “There is not really a lot the trustees can do for wholesale now - retail is really the future at Borough.”
Robinson adds: “I think there is too much emphasis on retail. We get people round here who have only ever heard Borough referred to as a retail market, and don’t realise that it was originally a wholesale outlet. Changing that mindset needs to come from the trustees.”
But the demise of the wholesale sector is not unique to Borough, says Rowe, and his clientele has changed significantly over the years. “Twenty-five years ago it was 99 per cent greengrocers, but now they represent just five per cent. We have picked up trade from Chinese restaurants, kebab shops and the like, and the fact we offer a direct delivery service to customers has also made a big difference.”
Indeed, all the wholesalers have found themselves forced to adapt to today’s retailer-oriented marketplace, with most adapting their product mix in recent years to meet the changing demands of their customers.
But how can wholesalers compete against Borough’s blossoming retail business, which sees some 12,000 visitors - both tourists and regulars - flock to its wealth of traditional market stalls every Saturday?
In fact, wholesalers are largely positive about the retail side of things. “The retail element has without a doubt helped raise the profile of Borough and boosted turnover for us wholesalers too, as we supply the retailers,” says Robinson.
“The retail market at Borough is now tremendously busy, and there is a broad spectrum of traders there across all products,” says Sugarman. “The area in and around the Borough is very popular in itself as a tourist trail, and we also get really good press in the nationals, which keeps people coming here. The only downside is a lack of parking in the area.”
The success of the Borough’s retail division has encouraged one or two of the wholesalers to set up their own stalls selling to the public. C&C Fruit Co already operates retail stand Elsey & Bent, and others are looking to follow suit.
“I am 95 per cent sure we will start up a retail side at the end of January, just to complement the wholesale trade,” says Sugarman. “We won’t forget that, first and foremost, Borough is a wholesale market, and the retail market was built on the back of that.”
Geoff Rowe’s business will also implement a retail element by the middle of next year, converting one side of its stand to dealing with the public.
But trading in the last couple of months has been tough for wholesalers and retailers alike at the Borough. “Since the end of the summer, consumer confidence has been low and people have definitely been holding back on their spending,” says Sugarman. “The weather has also been poor, which plays right into the hands of the supermarkets - but those things are obviously out of our control.”
However, niggles aside, Sugarman remains confident that wholesalers at Borough can keep their heads above water. “Without a doubt, wholesale is surviving at the Borough,” he adds. “They said we were closing 30 years ago, but we’re still here. There might only be four of us left, but we have adapted to change and started selling a wider range of produce to meet demand.”
Circle of trustees
Nurseryman Will Sibley, Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers, this year became the first Trustee of Borough Market to take advantage of a new act of parliament that has opened up holding the privileged position to people from outside the parish.
“We organised a wonderful event here a couple of years ago with the Worshipful Company and the National Fruit Show, and after that I felt I owed something to Borough,” he tells FPJ. “As it happened, an act of parliament was underway to change who could become a trustee of the market, as for the last 250 years only the people of the parish were allowed. I was the first of this new breed of trustees, and it is a huge privilege for me to be involved in such an exciting place.”
With Borough now the most famous food market in the UK, twinned with some of Europe’s great food markets, like the Boquería in Barcelona, one of the trustees’ aims is to promote the market on a much bigger scale and utilise the skills of the new trustees.
George Nicholson, who has been a trustee of Borough for 30 years and is an ex-chair of the board, welcomes the fact the trust now has the option of choosing its members. “Now we can appoint who we want and headhunt people with expertise, like Will, which should help us stand up to the supermarkets a bit more,” he says.
The relationship between the wholesalers and the retailers at Borough is now coming full circle, with many of the retailers starting to set up wholesale businesses of their own, says Sibley, and becoming significant suppliers of food around London. “The trustees are going to have to respond to changes like this,” he says. “Part of my role is to fight the wholesale corner, and now the four dedicated wholesalers have a brand-new facility and we are encouraging smaller businesses to start up wholesale elements of their own. We have got to add value to the wholesale side of the market.”
“We haven’t taken our eyes off the ball with wholesale at all,” adds Nicholson. “But Borough is now more than just a retail and a wholesale market - it is a composite market. We have shops, restaurants, retail and wholesale elements here, and that has evolved almost by accident, and is something that will prove to be the market model of the future across the country.”
Borough used to be a local market, but the area has changed significantly over the years, says Nicholson. “There used to be a large working class population, and there still is, but the area’s population is now much more mobile and transient, and we are twinned with markets like the Boquería, which again makes us an international market, not just a local one.”
Borough’s other unique selling point is that it is a 24-hour market, argues Sibley - whatever time of day it is, somebody is selling food at Borough, and the overlap between the retail and wholesale businesses creates that bustling atmosphere.
The market has so far only scratched the surface of its potential, according to Sibley, but lack of space will always present a huge challenge. “This site may act as an incubator; while individual businesses can expand, they may not be able to do so here due to space restrictions, so this base will give them a nice environment in which to grow.
“But there is a very strict process as to who can trade here; there is a committee of standards, and even established businesses who want to introduce a new line have to refer to that committee. Borough is a big brand, and we have got to keep the quality high,” he adds.
Borough has a huge following among the new breed of foodies in the UK, and famous chef sightings and television and film crews are regular occurrences. The market is planning its very own Food School, according to Sibley, due to open within two years, which aims to teach all age groups about the importance of food, as well as train up chefs and offer corporate events. The Borough Market Cookbook - Meat and Fish, now on sale at the market and in bookshops, is also another way the market is promoting itself and its produce.
This is all a far cry from the Borough of 10 years ago. “Back then, Borough faced a trilogy of problems; income stood at less than half a million pounds and was falling, there was no investment being ploughed into the structures and new market regulations were making life increasingly difficult,” says Nicholson.
“So these three things triggered the calls for renovation, and now we have just finished the first and second phases of development, ahead of the third and final phase, which is being funded largely by Network Rail.”
Network Rail’s plan is to build new track, new stations, extend platforms and improve signalling on the Thameslink route - which involves London Bridge station, right next to the market.Work on the Borough Viaduct section is to kick off at the start of January 2009, and the project is expected to force many of Borough Market’s retailers to relocate to a site in the Jubilee Market, adjacent to the wholesale area.
Traders were left in limbo for a while as Network Rail’s plans remained unclear, but Nicholson explains that people have been happier since a definite decision was taken in July, and the long-term prospects after the development is finished look good for the market. “Whereas the market now is effectively full, Network Rail’s investment should actually furnish us with more space in the future for expansion of the retail and wholesale sides, as well as a brand-new roof which will completely cover the wholesale market area.
“Everything we have done up to now, including expanding the market and refurbishing the wholesale side, has taken into account the rail development, and that is why we have only renovated one side of the viaduct,” he adds.
Borough now has a seat on the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA), and Nicholson is also secretary of the National Retail Planning Forum - initiatives which he feels give Borough a stronger voice in a national context. “People who run markets have to regard themselves as part of the retail picture, and feel they can present a challenge to the big beasts. We also need people working outside markets to see their potential and the high levels of service and different products markets can offer.
“I think it would be fair to say that Borough has been through a period of getting its act together, but we have enjoyed huge growth in the last 10 years and the market is now financially stable. We have developed an international reputation, and cannot afford to rest on our laurels,” adds Nicholson.
BOURNE’S NEW IDENTITY
A&W Bourne was founded in Borough in 1889 by the great-grandfather of current director Martin D Bourne, above. He took over the business in 2000, although he has worked there since 1978.
The firm, which handles a wide range of vegetables, counts street traders and independent retailers as its main customers.
“We suffered a bit when we moved to the temporary site, but business has levelled off now,” says Bourne. “More people have come back and shown their faces since we came to the Jubilee Market in March.
“I think it’s a good thing that the retail market carries on during the day after the wholesalers have finished trading.
“However, the weather has really hurt trade in the last couple of months; when it is wet and windy, street traders don’t set up their stalls and so don’t come to us for supplies,” he adds.
ROWE-ING UPSTREAM
G Rowe Ltd has been based in the market for 34 years. Mushrooms are its main line, although the firm also handles Dutch and Belgian salads.
“I have taken on Steve Grover and his son James to run our retail side, which will come into play next year,” says owner Geoff Rowe. “Over the last 10 years we have added more and more lines, and now have direct contacts in Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands. We supply hotels, greengrocers and secondary wholesalers based in Borough Market itself.”
G Rowe is the only one of the market’s four traditional wholesalers to offer a direct delivery service to clients, which it has done since trading from its new premises. “Steve has done that for us, using the contacts he had when he owned a greengrocers in Blackheath. We will deliver any quantity to any of our customers,” says Rowe.
The firm is also the only Borough wholesaler to have installed a set of weighing scales for various items, so that customers are not obliged to buy a whole box of one product, adds Rowe.
COOL RUNNINGS FOR C&C
C&C Fruit Co Ltd has had a base at Borough for 12 years, with Peter Robinson at the helm since the outset.
The renovated wholesale premises mean the company can hold 20 pallets in refrigerated conditions, which it never used to be able to using the old refrigerators. “This has started to attract new custom to the market,” says Robinson.
“It is normal for business to be slow at this time of year, but things are set to pick up this week in the run-up to Christmas. Customers are starting to ask if we’ve got certain lines in,” he adds.
ELSEY & BENT WEATHERS TOUGH TRADING PERIOD
Trade has been difficult for the last few months, according to Lawrence Fowler of retail stall Elsey & Bent, which is part of the C&C group. Fowler runs the stall with his sister Kelly Boyle.
“Lines like soft fruit have really slowed down - there haven’t been any cheap strawberries or blueberries around for a while - and people are spending less. It’s been a bad summer for veg, with lines like broccoli going into ridiculous money, fetching £20 a box. Prices have been all over the shop this year,” he says.
The retail stalls feed off Borough’s wholesale element, and there are strong relationships between the businesses, says Fowler. “The Borough is so small that we all know each other, which I don’t think is the case at other wholesale markets.
“Without Borough, what would the food columnists write about?” he asks. “It’s really cool to be into your food now, and we have regular customers visiting who are our bread and butter, as well as the passing tourist trade.”
Elsey & Bent is quite a young firm, says Fowler, but there are not many young people willing to start work at 2.30am, and it is hard to find staff, especially for the early shift.
FINDING A RETAIL BOOTH
L Booth Ltd, trading as The Wild Mushroom Company, is a wholesale business serving high-end restaurants in central London, also operating a dedicated retail stall at the Borough. The former accounts for 75 per cent of its business, and the latter 25 per cent.
“We were in the City for 45 years, near St Paul’s, but moved to Borough 10 years ago because we outgrew our old premises,” says Tony Booth. “We came here when they first started regenerating Borough.”
Booth has seen lots of wholesalers drop out over the years, but says the retail side of the market has grown out of all proportion. “There was clearly a gap for a retail market selling top-quality foodstuff, and that’s been proven by the amount of other markets that have cropped up in Borough’s wake,” he says.
The company does not sell just mushrooms, but a wide range of fresh produce and some canned and tinned lines too. “Retail is the only thing that’s kept the market alive, so we had to adapt and widen our product range from our original focus of mushrooms, salads and herbs,” adds Booth.
No comments yet