New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) marked the beginning of the 23rd British Food Fortnight on Friday September 20th with an interactive event at the Market to highlight and celebrate the work of British growers of fresh fruit and vegetables.

The early-morning occasion brought together a host of invited growers with wholesalers and catering distributors, industry and government representatives and the media. The group’s shared purpose was to show their support for British growers and the annual two-week showcase for all domestically produced food and drink.

“The first day of British Food Fortnight is always a momentous day in the nation’s food calendar,” said Wanda Goldwag OBE, Chair of Covent Garden Market Authority, the landlord and management company at NCGM. “This market has marked the annual event in various ways over the years but this year, we wanted to make it more of an interactive occasion and invite people to meet some of the fantastic British growers who supply wholesalers both here and around the country.”

CAPTIONS. Clockwise from top: Chefs from Westminster Kingsway College created a delicious, cooked breakfast using products sourced from the Market that morning; Iain Furness, owner of The French Garden; Mayor of Wandsworth Councillor Sana Jafri, Gary Marshall, Owner of Bevington Salads and Chairman of Covent Garden Tenants Association; Sarah Culcutt, CEO of the City Harvest Charity; a delegation from berry growers Driscoll’s; Gary Marshall; fresh produce from DDP, a supplier at NCGM.

The early morning event culminated with a breakfast cooked using products sourced from the Market that morning, by student chefs from Westminster Kingsway College (Westking), based in Victoria. Westking buys its fresh produce from NCGM and also receives two products each month, one homegrown and one imported, free of charge, to support its students’ development.

“It is fitting that the 23rd British Food Fortnight is launched at New Covent Garden Market, the Britain’s oldest and largest fresh produce wholesale market,” said Alexia Robinson, Founder & CEO, Love British Food, the organiser of BFF since its inception. “Fruit and vegetables from across Britain have been sold in London since Medieval times.  And the new market established 50 years ago at Nine Elms provides an invaluable market hub for restaurants across the capital and South East."