Brick Lane Market is the collective name for a number of London markets centred on Brick Lane, in Tower Hamlets in east London. The original market was located at the northern end of Brick Lane and in the heart of what is now east London's Bangladeshi community but now commonly refers to the various markets that are housed along the famous London street. The various markets that stretch the length of Brick Lane operate both weekdays but most historically weekends: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The markets sell a diverse range of items, from antique books to eight-track cartridge decks, vintage clothing to street food, and for many years hosted a stall selling nothing but rusty cog wheels. The markets have always been popular with and much photographed by art students, and bargain hunters from across London value it greatly. [1]
The markets originally developed in the 17th century as a lone farmers' market that was held on Sundays due to religious observances by the area's then-prolific Jewish community. [2] During the 20th century, the Brick Lane area experienced an influx of Bangladeshi immigrants who transformed the marketplace. Even today, Brick Lane is very famous for its curry houses. [3]
Since the early 2000s, several specific markets have opened within the premises of the Old Truman Brewery. Once one of London's largest breweries, The Truman Brewery is now home to roughly 250 businesses, shops, and eateries. [4]
The Truman Markets forms a part of the wider Brick Lane Market and is located in the historic 11-acre Old Truman Brewery, at the northern end of Brick Lane. [5]
The Truman Markets comprise six different markets, all opened at different times in the past two decade: Backyard Market, Brick Lane Vintage Market, Ely's Yard Food Trucks, Rinse Showrooms, Upmarket, and the Tea Rooms. [6]
The Upmarket, opened in 2004, houses almost 100 stallholders and boasts the biggest food hall in East London. The Backyard Market, formerly an 8,000 square feet warehouse, was added in 2006. The Brick Lane Vintage Market originally operated as a monthly event beginning in 2008 and as of 2010 has been a permanent fixture onsite. The Tea Rooms was founded in 2009, and the former Boiler House food hall opened in 2010.
The Backyard Market, Brick Lane Vintage Market, Ely's Yard Food Trucks, Rinse Showrooms and Tea Rooms are all located within the confines of the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.
The Upmarket is housed in the Truman Brewery's 'F-Block' building and is accessible from Brick Lane and Ely's Yard (just off Hanbury Street). The venue is an old service yard and one of East London's busiest roadways. Ely's Yard also hosts many events and holds other shops, bars, restaurants, and artwork by the prominent street artists Banksy and D*Face. [7] The Backyard Market, operating by the same hours as the Tea Rooms, is located in the Brewery's U Block, on the east side of the Brewery's estate, between Dray Walk and Buxton/Quaker Street. [7] [8]
The Backyard Market was established in 2006 and is one of the Truman Markets’ youngest vendors. [9] Housing over eighty stalls, The Backyard Market is unique in that it allows young artists and designers to be part of a creative community in which they have the opportunity to showcase their work. The Backyard Market was the first of its kind in the area to open on Saturdays. [6]
The Backyard Market offers an eclectic mix of independent businesses and retail outlets, such as cafes, boutiques, and hair salons that cater to a diverse clientele, with an emphasis on arts and crafts.
The Brick Lane Vintage Market is composed of more than 60 small businesses owned by British and European vintage specialists offering clothing and accessories ranging from 1920s haute couture to 1990s sportswear. Also on offer are vinyl record, upcycled fashion and an array of unique, vintage trinkets. [10]
The Brick Lane Vintage Market is open 7 days a week: Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6.30 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m and attracts millions of visitors every year.
Rinse Showrooms derived its name from the community radio station Rinse FM that formerly operated from the same venue. Rinse Showrooms first opened in July 2016 and is home to a small collective of emerging, independent fashion designers. The venue is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m
The Tea Rooms, founded in 2009, is a market named for its large selection of teas and coffees and traditional baked goods as well as antiques, silk cushions, furniture, collectibles and handmade goods. It is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. [11]
The Upmarket is open every weekend: Saturday 11 a.m. from to 5.30 p.m and Sunday 10 a.m. from to 6 p.m. having first opened in September 2004. It has almost one hundred stallholders and is East London's biggest street food hall as well as selling a variety of vintage clothing, handmade accessories, illustrations, arts and crafts as well as organic produce, cakes and desserts.
Many of the items that are sold at Upmarket are one-of-a-kind items that are produced by the stallholders themselves. Stallholders frequently sell their products directly to the customers, as Upmarket is a self-reported "platform for emerging designers and organic cuisine". [5]
Dating as far back as the 1830s, the Truman Brewery's Boiler House served as both a historical landmark and the site of Brick Lane's former food hall, with 7,700 square feet of space. The Boiler House Food Hall was founded in 2010 and operated from an almost a decade until closing in March 2020. The venue is now predominantly used as an events space. Visitors were previously allowed to dine outside in the beer garden, or be seated inside around the great chimney at the lounge bar. [12]
The Boiler House was home to over thirty stalls of international cuisine; the variety of dishes includes Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Peruvian, Japanese and Caribbean-Asian fusion. [13] [14]
The former food hall was once a hot bed for London's burgeoning vegan street food community and was the genesis for the Truman Brewery's hugely popular 'Vegan Nights' event.
The closest London Underground stations are Aldgate East and Liverpool Street. The London Overground Shoreditch High Street station is also within walking distance. [15]
Shoreditch was a London Underground station located in Shoreditch in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London. Originally opened by the East London Railway in 1876, the station was permanently closed in 2006 being replaced directly to the west of the site by Shoreditch High Street station in 2010.
Spitalfields is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in East London and situated in the East End. Spitalfields is formed around Commercial Street and Brick Lane. It has several markets, including Spitalfields Market, the historic Old Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane Market and Petticoat Lane Market. The area has a long attracted migrants from overseas, including many Jews, whose presence gained the area the 19th century nickname of Little Jerusalem.
Portobello Road is a street in the Notting Hill district of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in West London. It runs almost the length of Notting Hill from South to North, roughly parallel with Ladbroke Grove. On Saturdays it is home to Portobello Road Market, one of London's notable street markets, known for its second-hand clothes, pastries and antiques. Every August since 1996, the Portobello Film Festival has been held in locations around Portobello Road and, in 2015, Portobello Radio was founded as the area's community radio station.
Brick Lane is a famous street in the East End of London, in the borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs from Swanfield Street in Bethnal Green in the north, crosses the Bethnal Green Road before reaching the busiest, most commercially active part which runs through Spitalfields, or along its eastern edge. Brick Lane's southern end is connected to Whitechapel High Street by a short extension called Osborn Street.
Kensington High Street is the main shopping street in Kensington, London, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.
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The St. Lawrence Market South building is a major public market building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the southwest corner of Front and Lower Jarvis Streets. Along with the St. Lawrence Market North and St. Lawrence Hall, it comprises the St. Lawrence Market complex. The current building was opened in 1902, incorporating the 1845 Toronto City Hall building into the structure. The building was restored during the 1970s.
Risinghurst is a suburb of Oxford, England 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the city centre, just outside the Oxford Ring Road. It is near to Headington, Barton and Wood Farm. It was built during the interwar period to relieve the housing shortage from working-class people moving to cities, in this case to take advantage of the motor industry in Oxford.
The Black Eagle Brewery is the former brewing plant of Truman's Brewery located around Brick Lane in the Spitalfields area, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Truman's subsequently became Truman, Hanbury and Buxton. By 1853, the Black Eagle Brewery was the largest in the world, with an annual production of 400,000 barrels.
Fournier Street, formerly Church Street, is a street of 18th-century houses in Spitalfields in the East End of London. It is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and runs between Commercial Street and Brick Lane. The street is named after a man of Huguenot extraction, George Fournier.
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Hanbury Street is a street running from Commercial Street in Spitalfields to the junction of Old Montague Street and Vallance Road in Whitechapel located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The eastern section is restricted to pedal cycles and pedestrians only.
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Truman's Brewery was a large East London brewery and one of the largest brewers in the world at the end of the 19th century. Founded around 1666, the Black Eagle Brewery was established on a plot of land next to what is now Brick Lane in London, E1. It grew steadily until the 18th century when, under the management of Benjamin Truman, and driven by the demand for porter, it expanded rapidly and became one of the largest brewers in London. Its growth continued into and through the 19th century with the expansion of its brewery and pub estate. In 1873, it purchased Philips Brewery in Burton and became the largest brewery in the world.
The Fox Inn is a public house in Green Lane, Hanwell, in the London Borough of Ealing. Built in 1848, it is a largely unspoilt and original mid-Victorian pub. It has received a 'local listing' from Ealing Council as a building of local interest.
The Newman Arms is a public house and restaurant at 23 Rathbone Street, Fitzrovia, London, W1. The pub dates back to 1730, and was once a brothel.
St Mark's Church, Silvertown or St Mark's Church, Victoria Docks is a former church building in Silvertown in east London, located on North Woolwich Road. It takes one of its names from the nearby Royal Docks. It was listed as Grade II* in 1971 and now houses the Brick Lane Music Hall.