The Market hosted a meeting of the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) on December 13^th.

Wanda Goldwag OBE and Jo Breare, respectively Chair and General Manager of Covent Garden Market Authority, welcomed counterparts from market landlords and managers from Birmingham, Bradford, Derby, Glasgow, London and Manchester for an update on progress at NCGM and a roundtable meeting to share and learn from common experiences, as well as challenges and achievements across the UK’s market sector.

Jo gave the group a tour of the Market, outlining progress to date with the redevelopment programme and Wanda spoke about the aims she and CGMA have for the Market in the next few years, as well as her stated belief that the country’s wholesale markets would be stronger if they work together to promote the value and social benefits they provide.

There was also time to give the fellow NABMA members an insight to the results of work around the Market’s 50^th anniversary.

NABMA’s wholesale arm meets at Markets across the UK two or three times each year and had not been to NCGM for a few years. This visit coincided, of course, with this market being the Wholesale Market of the Year – a fact that we show off about with posters around the site.

David Preston, NABMA Chief Executive, thanked Wanda and the team at CGMA for “the welcome, information and hospitality”. He added: “The learning and information agenda was excellent. You have to be congratulated on the vision, innovation and quality of your project and what has been delivered so far. It really is both impressive and exciting. We look forward to returning in the very near future.”

Left to right - Dan Richie, City of London Corporation, David Preston, NABMA, Cllr Chris Poulter and Cllr Mick Barker, Derby City Council, Wanda Goldwag OBE, CGMA, Colin Wolstenholme, Bradford Markets, Jo Slater, Manchester City Council, Giles Roddy, CGMA, Tom McIntyre, Glasgow City Council, Andrew Barnes, Birmingham Wholesale Market Company, Jo Breare and Tommy Leighton, CGMA, and Nigel Jenney, Fresh Produce Consortium