A London food network set up to boost trade from the South East into the catering and retail trades in the capital was launched this week at New Covent Garden Market.
The Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA) and the South East Food Group Partnership (SEFGP) introduced the initiative - Local to London: New Covent Garden Market - at the Celebration of Local Food event on Wednesday.
The open day formed part of a three-year project between the CGMA and the SEFGP, with funding from the South East England Development Agency, to get more local food into London through wholesalers and distributors based at the market.
The long-awaited event, which was pushed back from October after the foot and mouth scare, was organised with input from a number of major food players in the region, including London Food Link, Tastes of Anglia, English Farming and Food Partnerships and the Horticultural Development Council, with funding from Food From Britain, as well as the London Development Agency.
The initiative brought together the entire supply chain, from regional producers to wholesale traders and distributors, buyers from both the public and private sectors, and chefs, to tour the market and meet each other.
Tom Beeston has led the project since September. He told FPJ: “My brief is to increase the proportion of local food in London and the South East by 15 per cent, in line with the London Food Strategy.
“New Covent Garden Market is growing and is vibrant and, once you get past the initial banter, the traders know that they have to start supplying what the customer needs. I am fed up with reports and I want to see some practical action.
“The first step is to get businesses to sign up to the membership organisation operating under the Local to London banner,” he added.
The initial commitment shown by market traders, producers and distributors has been overwhelming, Beeston said. “Initially, we will be focusing on signing up New Covent Garden-based businesses and related producers,” he explained. “At a later date, we would like to roll out to trade customers.”
Rick Harris, from IA Harris & Son Ltd, hosted a 20-strong morning tour of the market. “Everyone was asking about how fresh the produce is, how often it is delivered, how much demand there is for local produce, and what time I have to get up in the morning,” he told FPJ. “This market is a little bit different as it focuses on the London restaurant trade - and half of the restaurants in England are here - as well as the public sector.”
Sir Don Curry, who chairs the group implementing the government’s Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy, described the open day as a “Super Wednesday” in terms of the food agenda in the capital. “This is about establishing long-term relationships, with Covent Garden market as the hub and the London market as the target,” he said. “Surveys show that we are not anywhere near meeting the demand for local produce, so we need to open up access to the market for the foodservice sector, retailers large and small, and public sector food procurement. This is just the start of something big.”
CGMA chief executive Jan Lloyd, who opened the event, said: “This is the first time that we have tried this sort of initiative and we are very grateful for the support we have received.
“From the first idea to this event has taken just 10 months, proving that we don’t just talk about things - we get them done.
“The success of this day will mean an increase of locally sourced products into the market,” she added.
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