New Spitalfields Market in Leyton London is Britain's premier wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market serving London and the Home Counties. The Market is designed for business with excellent trading facilities and is second to none. Since relocating from its old congested site trading on public roadways to its new purpose built complex in 1991 New Spitalfields Market can today justifiably claim to be the largest revenue earning fresh fruit vegetable and flower wholesale market in the UK. Sited with direct access to the motorway network, the ports and the airports, New Spitalfields wholesale fruit vegetable and flower market is well placed not only to serve north and east London but south east London, the Midlands, East Anglia and Kent. In fact, the whole of England and the near continent of Europe. New Spitalfields Market the number one wholesale market in the UK, offers the widest range of exotic fresh fruit and vegetables sourced from all over the world, to meet the needs of a cosmopolitan London and beyond. In turn there has been an increasing number of ethnic traders. Today the market has over 60% traders sourcing Asian, Afro-Caribbean, Turkish, Chinese, Egyptian, fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers.

The evolution and mixture of tenants, particularly those specialising in exotic fruits and vegetables has been a welcomed development which has contributed to make New Spitalfields Market, the market for success. Spitalfields Market Tenants Association Ltd was formed on the 20th October 1926 to represent the interests of the fruit, vegetables and flower wholesalers trading in Spitalfields Market. Established as an Employer's Organisation, the Association's role has and is constantly changing. Not only does the Association keep a watchful eye over the interests of its members, the tenants of the market but the Association has become more focused on promoting New Spitalfields Market. The Associations' Council of Management were aware that there was an active need to promote the market and with the joint agreement of the market's landlords, the City of London Corporation, the declared aim was to place and keep the market to the forefront of the industry.

Spitalfields is one of the City's younger markets, starting life as a thirteenth century market in a fi eld next to St Mary Spittel on the edge of the Square Mile.

In 1682, King Charles II granted John Balch, a silk thrower, a Royal Charter that gave him the right to hold a market on Thursdays and Saturdays in or near Spital Square. For the next 200 years, the market traded from a collection of sheds and stalls, doing its best to cope with London's growing appetite for fresh fruit and vegetables. As time went by, it became a centre for the sale of home-grown produce, which was being traded there six days a week.

By 1876, a former market porter called Robert Horner bought a short lease on the market and started work on a new market building, which was completed in 1893 at a cost of £80,000. In 1920, the Corporation acquired direct control of the market, extending the original buildings some eight years later. For the next 60 years, Spitalfi elds' nationwide reputation grew, as did the traffi c congestion in the narrow streets around it.

With no room for the expansion it so badly needed, the market was forced to move and in May 1991, it opened its doors at its new location in Leyton. In contrast to its former cramped surroundings, the new Spitalfi elds Market now covers over 31 acres (13 hectares), with fast, easy access to the motorway network and the ports. At its centre is the Market Hall, which houses more than 100 trading units for wholesalers dealing in fruit, vegetables and fl owers, equipped to the latest standards with facilities that include cold storage rooms, ripening rooms and racking for palletised produce, according to requirements. There are also four separate buildings with self-contained units for catering supply companies, fruit importers and other related businesses, as well as accommodation for companies providing back-up services such as diesel/propane supplies, specialist pallet services and fork lift truck maintenance. Not forgetting over 1,900 parking spaces for its traders, customers and staff, together with the all important market cafes where so much business is done.

With its relocation to these smart, spacious new premises, the spirit of Spitalfi elds is alive and well, together with its infl uence as a trading centre. No other horticultural market in the UK can boast so many wholesale traders under one roof – and no other market in Europe offers a wider choice of exotic fruit and vegetables, thanks to the tireless efforts of its specialist wholesalers in these areas.

New Spitalfields Market occupies an area covering 13 hectares (over 31 acres) and consists of a Market Hall of 28,700 sq.mtrs (309,000 sq.ft.) housing 115 trading units for wholesalers dealing in fruit, vegetables and flowers. Four separate buildings provide 3720 sq.mtrs (40,000 sq.ft) of modern self contained units for catering supply companies. Over 900 sq.mtrs (10,000 sq.ft) of office space is also provided for fruit importers etc.

In addition, there are five ancillary accommodation units which house cafes, communal toilets and maintenance facilities. The services of a diesel/propane supplier, specialist pallet services and fork lift truck maintenance companies are also provided.

New Spitalfields Market has the highest number of wholesale traders of any horticultural market in the United Kingdom and the continual specialisation by wholesalers in exotic fruit and vegetables provides the greatest choice of these products of any Market in Europe.

The Market site has extensive parking facilities providing over 1,800 spaces for customers, delivery vehicles and Market personnel, in addition there are over 100 spaces for the fleets of vehicles operated by the catering supply businesses. The Market Hall houses 121 trading units for wholesalers dealing in fruit, vegetables and flowers. Modern facilities in the Market Hall include cold storage rooms, ripening rooms and racking for palletised produce. The site has extensive parking facilities for customers, delivery vehicles and market personnel.