Located in the heart of the area’s Cultural Quarter, the market is Mercato Metropolitano’s fifth London site, joining its venues in Wood Wharf, Mayfair, Elephant & Castle, and Elephant Park.
Traders at the market include Latin street food brad Afuego Burger, run by food entrepreneur Yassir Chair; Injera Hub, a family-owned business serving authentic Ethiopian and Eritrean meals from their family cookbook; and gelateria Badiani.
The Ilford site was announced back in 2019 as part of Redbridge Council’s Ilford for All Manifesto, which helped to secure a grant for the project.
“We are excited to be opening up a new market in Ilford, making this our fifth location in London,” says Andrea Rasca, founder and CEO of Mercato Metropolitano.
“Hospitality can act as a force for good - and through Movimento Metropolitano, our mission is to build more inclusive communities and sustainable local food systems. It will serve as a catalyst for diverse cultures and passionate people to come together to enjoy good food from all over the world without cultural or societal barriers.
“Ilford’s Cultural Quarter is the perfect location for this, providing ample opportunities to experience cultural diversity, historic architecture, and art. Mercato Ilford will be more than simply a place to eat, it will have social impact programmes and community plans in place to tackle food poverty, educate on the importance of good nutrition and help address ongoing socio-economic issues within the community.”
Mercato Metropolitano Ilford was initially due to open in spring 2020 but was delayed because of the Coronavirus pandemic. It was then due to open in November 2021 but this deadline was also not met.
The market is part of the ‘Spark Ilford’ regeneration project, helping drive new interest and visitors to the area for arts, entertainment, events, and food, while working with the community to achieve this.