New Covent Garden Market will remain the home of UK fresh produce and become a “London icon” following its transition to new purpose-built facilities, the chair of the market authority has said.
Pam Alexander, chair of the Covent Garden Market Authority (CGMA), was speaking at the company’s annual stakeholder reception, held today (6 October) at the newly-opened Nine Elms Tavern.
At the reception, which was attended by CGMA board members and other market stakeholders, an exhibition of poster artwork allowed visitors to see what the new market will look like.
Colour images, created by a French designer, of new units in the fruit and vegetable wholesale market, catering distributor units and the new flower market demonstrated what facilities tenants will have in the new development, including options for pallet racking up to a height of four rows, additional mezzanine space, and the option for linear units.
During the event, it was also announced that Alexander has been reappointed as chair of CGMA for another three years. High-profile attendees included Conservative minister Lord de Mauley as well as trade representatives from the Netherlands and Jamaica.
Alexander used her speech to reflect on the market’s past and explain her vision for its future, including pointing out how tenants have already successfully undergone one major transition, when the market moved from its central London location to New Covent Garden Market in the 1970s.
“Our tenants are nothing if not resourceful, and after the switch to New Covent Garden Market they developed new links with top London restaurants,” she said. “Despite all their very natural concerns about this next move, this market community will meet all upcoming challenges. This is, and will remain, the home of UK fresh produce.”
Work has begun on renovating the multi-storey carpark at the market, with the Flower Market set to move to its interim building in 12 months time. A full schedule of upcoming building work and development is available here.
“This is a market with big ambitions. We are going to be one of the London icons on the new Nine Elms development,” Alexander said.
