Photo: Courtesy of the market
New Spitalfields Market
New Spitalfields Market in Leyton, E10, is the UK's largest and highest-turnover wholesale horticultural market, run by the City of London Corporation. Spread across a 31-acre purpose-built site off Ruckholt Road, it opened here in 1991 after the original Spitalfields fruit and vegetable trade moved out of central London. More than a hundred traders work through the night supplying fruit, vegetables and flowers to shops, restaurants and caterers across London and beyond. This is a working trade market with a real early-morning buzz, not a tourist street market, and it is best known for its extraordinary range of exotic and international produce.
Opening times
New Spitalfields trades in the early hours, broadly from around midnight through to the late morning, Monday to Saturday, with the busiest activity well before dawn. It is closed on Sundays. Hours can vary by trader and by season, so anyone planning a trip should check ahead. The Tenants' Association can be reached on weekday mornings for current details.
What's on the stalls
The market specialises in wholesale fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, with traders stocking thousands of lines sourced from across the world. It is especially strong on exotic and international produce, from African and Asian vegetables to Eastern European specialities and British seasonal crops. Many of the businesses are family-run and have operated here for generations. The on-site Market Hall is equipped with cold storage and ripening rooms to keep produce in peak condition.
Around the market / getting there
The market sits on Sherrin Road, off Ruckholt Road in Leyton, close to the A12 and Hackney Marshes. Leyton and Leyton Midland Road stations are the nearest rail and Tube links, and there is extensive on-site parking for trade vehicles. Because this is a working wholesale site with constant forklift and lorry movement, casual browsing is limited and visitors should take care. Cafes on site serve the early-morning trade.
Common questions
- What are New Spitalfields Market opening times?
- New Spitalfields is an early-morning wholesale market, trading roughly from around midnight to the late morning, Monday to Saturday, and closed on Sundays. The peak buying activity happens before dawn. Hours vary by trader and season, so it is worth checking ahead before visiting.
- Is New Spitalfields Market open to the public?
- It is primarily a wholesale trade market serving shops, restaurants and caterers who buy in bulk. The site does serve general buyers as well as wholesalers, but it is a working market with heavy vehicle and forklift movement rather than a retail street market, so it is not a casual shopping destination.
- What is the best time to visit New Spitalfields Market?
- The market is busiest in the small hours of the morning, typically before dawn, when traders and buyers are most active. If you want to see it in full swing, an early start between midnight and the early morning is the time to go.
- Where is New Spitalfields Market?
- It is on Sherrin Road, off Ruckholt Road in Leyton, E10 5SQ, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The nearest stations are Leyton and Leyton Midland Road, and the site is close to the A12.
Other markets nearby
- Christmas Tree Market Hackney Wick Hackney Wick, Hackney
- Chatsworth Road Market Lower Clapton, Hackney
- Well Street Market Hackney
- Roman Road Market Bow, Tower Hamlets
- Victoria Park Market Victoria Park, Hackney
- London Fields Sunday Market London Fields, Hackney