Traders and tenants |
Contacts and Links |
Byelaws | History
Meat has been bought and sold at Smithfield for over 800 years,
making it one of the oldest markets in London. A livestock market
occupied the site as early as the 10th century.
Approximately 120,000 tons of produce pass through the market
each year. As well as meat and poultry, products such as cheese,
pies, and other delicatessen goods are available. Buyers including
butchers, restaurateurs and caterers are able see the goods for
themselves and drive away with what they have bought. Bargaining
between buyers and sellers at Smithfield sets the guidelines for
meat and poultry prices throughout the UK.
The market has recently undergone a £70 million refurbishment to
equip it for the future and enable it to comply with modern hygiene
standards. The ancient meat market has been transformed into the
most modern in Europe, possibly even the world.
The process of change at Smithfield has not been restricted to
the buildings alone, but has extended to the whole environment and
working practices that had hardly changed in 130 years. The result
has been the creation of a thoroughly modern temperature controlled
environment inside a magnificent Grade II listed Victorian
building.
Common
questions about the proposed development at West Smithfield
Poultry and avian flu
You can get the latest updates about import regulations on
poultry and poultry products from the
Food Standard Agency.
Traders and tenants
Download the list of Smithfield tenants
here (64kb)
Application for tenancy
Smithfield Market has 66 stands and 67 offices, and
some commercial offices.
It is Markets Committee policy not to fill vacant trading space
in the Poultry Market for meat trading purposes, but there are a
number of vacant commercial offices.
If you are interested in a tenancy please either contact
The Superintendent, Smithfield Market, Charterhouse Street,
London, EC1A 9PQ
Tel 020 7332 3092
Contacts and links
Contacts
Smithfield Market Tenants Association
Tel 020 7248 3151
smta.smithfield@btconnect.com
Links
Byelaws
History
In 1174 the site was described by
William Fitzstephen, clerk to Thomas à Becket as "a smooth
field where every Friday there is a celebrated rendezvous of
fine horses to be sold, and in another quarter are placed
vendibles of the peasant, swine with their deep flanks, and
cows and oxen of immense bulk."
It is thought that the name Smithfield came from a corruption of
‘smeth field’ Saxon for "Smoothfield". The City of London gained
market rights under a charter granted by Edward III in 1327.
When a grant of a market was made, either to an individual or a
municipality, it was usual to allow the grantees the right of
taking fixed tolls in view of the expenses necessarily involved in
erecting, maintaining and supervising the market. In 1852 the
Smithfield Market Removal Act was passed and the live cattle market
was relocated to a new site at Copenhagen Fields in Islington.
In 1860 the City of London obtained an Act of Parliament (The
Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market Act of 1860), allowing the
construction of new buildings on the Smithfield site. Work began in
1866 on the two main sections of the market, the East and West
Buildings. These buildings were built above railway lines which had
newly connected London to every other part of the country, enabling
meat to be delivered directly to the market.
The buildings, designed by City Architect Sir Horace Jones, were
commissioned in 1866 and completed in November 1868 at a cost of
£993,816. The Metropolitan Meat & Poultry Act also authorised
the development of the Poultry Market which opened in 1875. This
building was subsequently destroyed by a major fire in 1958 and was
replaced by the current building in 1962. Further buildings were
added to the market in later years, the General Market in 1883 and
the Annexe Market in 1888.
The original layout of the East and West Market buildings was
162 stalls which were easily accessible to customers as they were
open on most sides. Today, the refurbished buildings accommodate
just 23 units in the East Building and 21 in the West which, rather
than being of a uniform size, have been tailored where possible to
the tenants requirements. Units are divided into a number of
temperature controlled areas. Customers are able to walk along the
central avenues choosing from the goods on display. If however they
want to take a closer look inside the shop they must be dressed in
clean protective clothing in order to comply with hygiene
regulations.
Smithfield Market, Charterhouse
Street, London EC1A 9PQ. Tel 020 7332 3092 .
Email.
Nearest tube Farringdon / Barbican. Trading hours Monday to Friday
4.00am - 12.00 noon.