New Covent Garden Market is the largest fruit, vegetable and flower market in the UK. They are passionate about food and passionate about flowers and pride themselves on being the focus for food and flowers in London.
With over 200 businesses, employing over 2,500 people, the Market supplies 40% of fresh fruit & vegetables eaten outside of the home in London and is used by 75% of London florists.
They have a large range of different types of food and flower businesses serving London's best restaurants, cafés, schools, hospitals, florists and retail markets, amongst others. If you're looking for the best produce, delivered with the best service then you can do no better than to take a trip to New Covent Garden Market.
The Fruit & Vegetable Market wholesalers trade from around 00:00 - 06:00 Monday to Saturday, though some do open and close slightly later or earlier.
Cafés and Shops
If you need a bacon butty or a hot cup of coffee to keep you going in the morning, then we have loads of cafés to choose from. These are dotted around the site in both the Fruit & Vegetable and Flower Markets. There is also a Post Office on the West Bridge (Fruit & Vegetable Market) offering a full range of postal services.
The Flower Market's core trading hours are 02:00 - 08:00 Monday to Saturday. Please note that not all wholesalers are open on Saturday so do check with your wholesaler before coming to the Market.
The wholesale distributors tend to operate 24hrs with their office hours around 07:00 - 15:00. The Market's Main Entrance is open 24hrs so you can access the Market site at any time night or day.
Entry to the market
If you're coming by foot then there is no entry fee. For each vehicle, there is an entry charge of £5 payable at the Main and Flower Market entrances. Payment booths are manned at all times when the Market is open.
If you use the Market twice or more a week (on average) then it works out cheaper for you to buy an Annual Entry Permit.
Parking at the market
Once you've paid to enter the Market, parking is free while you carry out your business. There are several car parks on site for both private and commercial vehicles and coach parking is available at the Main Entrance Vehicle Park.
Covent Garden dates back to medieval days when the Abbey of Westminster owned the 'Convent Garden' from which surplus produce was sold to Londoners near to The Strand.
A regular market grew up and in 1670 Charles II granted a charter to the Earl of Bedford to hold a market there. The market square was partly designed by Inigo Jones on an Italianite design.
The Market grew rapidly and the Dedicated or 'Charter' Market, designed by James Fowler, was erected in 1829/30. Eventually the Market spread to some 30 acres.
After 1918 the Market and its trading rights were sold by the Duke of Bedford to a property company.
Eventually the government recognised that public sector involvement would be necessary to modernise the Market and in 1961 Covent Garden Market Authority was established.
The Authority selected Nine Elms at Vauxhall as the new home for the Market and the acquisition of the site and construction began in 1971. On Monday 11th November 1974 trading began on the new site.
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History Of New Covent Garden