Mercato Metropolitano

The last few weeks have been so special as the Mercato Metropolitano team welcomed the wonderful community of Ilford to our brand new sustainable community market, #MercatoIlford, on 11th July. Familiar and new faces joined us to celebrate and experience everything Mercato Ilford has to offer. We are grateful to the journalists who came to visit us on our opening weekend, to make sure this message and our #MovimentoMetropolitano are shared far and wide. This is a space for everyone: It's a place to connect over nutritious food, make memories, learn something new and appreciate international cultures. From Julio Bruno's interview with Shay Kaur Grewal on BBC Radio London to Inês Santos's exploration of how Mercato Ilford is joining a mission to positively influence local communities for an article in MyLondon, the stories we've been featured in are true reflections of our movement. Let us know if you saw them. 🗞️ Thank you to the teams at BBC Radio, Retail Week, Reach plc, MyLondon, Secret London, Caterer.com and City AM to name a few 👏 #MercatoMetropolitano #MovimentoMetroplitano #HospitalityIndustry #Community

“It’s been a journey, for sure. A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into getting to this point. But in that time, the goal for Ilford never changed. We’ve tried to build a community space that allows people to come together, and we’ve achieved that.” Ahead of launching our newest sustainable community market last week, our Managing Director Luke Jenkins sat down with Hugh Radojev from Retail Week to discuss why Mercato Ilford aims to become a central hub for communities in the area, acting as a signpost to regeneration and opportunities for local entrepreneurs. We champion small-scale artisans by giving them the space to showcase their businesses in a unique 'incubation' space that helps cultivate the talents of trading partners so they become stronger commercially.  Mercato Ilford is no exception. In his interview with Retail Week, Luke highlights that what makes Mercato Ilford so unique is our focus on encouraging local business, saying "We really want Ilford to be a place where new entrepreneurs can get a start and turn themselves into reputable brands." 🔗 Read the full story below and don't forget to join us at Mercato Ilford to meet the trading partners who make it so special. https://lnkd.in/eWhW-Bvn #MovimentoMetropolitano #Entrepreneur #Hospitality

We are pleased to see Wales put forward new proposals banning free drink refills in cafes and restaurants 🙌 Alongside other proposed legislation tackling the promotions and positioning of unhealthy food online and instore, these proactive efforts from the Welsh Government aim to make the country’s food landscape healthier. At Mercato Metropolitano, we’re doing everything we can to rebuild society’s relationship with natural, nutritious and affordable food through our regenerative community food movement, Movimento Metropolitano. That’s why we applaud this latest move to empower the Welsh population to make better food choices, and we ask that these positive changes are ratified and replicated wider across the UK. Sharing his thoughts on the proposed new Welsh legislation, our Founder, Andrea Rasca, said: “Despite the rising tide of health warnings on the risks of ultra-processed foods and drinks, these unhealthy, often plastic-wrapped products are still filling our supermarkets, kitchens, and plates, marketed as the most cheap and accessible fuel. This is not the way food should be produced, perceived, or consumed – it’s clear that we’ve lost our way. Food is a force to nourish, fuel progress, and connect us with the natural world. People must care for the food on their plates; not just for their own wellbeing, but to preserve the integrity of the environment and precious soil where all food starts its journey. These proposals from the Welsh Government are a solid step in the right direction and are something I’d like to see implemented not just in Wales – but across the whole of the UK and beyond.” You can read the full BBC article here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eav9ssCK Image credit: Getty Images #MercatoMetropolitano #MovimentoMetropolitano #UltraProcessedFoods #Nutrition

We’re touched by your message, Razali Samsudin, your words mean so much to so many people! From all of us at Mercato Metropolitano a huge thank you and a big shout-out to the amazing Ilford and Redbridge community! #WELoveIlford 💚 #MMIlford #MovimentoMetropolitano #community #positiveimpact #localeconomy

Mercato Metropolitano #ilford now open and on the map. Come and have a look for yourself! London Borough of Redbridge

BeBeMe serving best drinks at Mercato Metropolitano inilford 💫🥂

Mercato Metropolitano Now open inilford 🙂 Redbridge Council

“So what we are doing is regenerating a part of town with over 100 London Living Wage employees. People live where they live and we have to bring to people the same entertainment and lifestyle as everywhere else.” During the hustle and bustle of opening Mercato Metropolitano Ilford, we were thrilled that our Chairman Julio Bruno, was invited to speak on BBC London Radio, where he discussed the grand opening of our brand new sustainable, community food market in Ilford. 🎉 In the interview, Julio highlighted the diverse food and drink options available at Mercato Ilford – from Punjabi and Mexican cuisine to Thai and Japanese delicacies – which are all organic and sustainably-sourced. He also emphasised our continued commitment to paying the London Living Wage, as we look to create 100 jobs in the area. This initiative is part of our broader mission to regenerate Ilford, transforming an almost abandoned car park into a vibrant, sustainable community space. 🌱 We are proud to be part of the 'Spark Ilford' regeneration project, bringing new life and opportunities to the area. Our market is designed to be more than just a place to eat—it’s a community hub where local people as well as visitors from around the world can come together to learn, socialise, and enjoy themselves. Listen to the full interview at the link below (around the 1 hour 14 minute mark) and check out some behind-the-scenes photos from the studio below! 📸🎙️ A big thank you to Shay Kaur Grewal for hosting us and for the fantastic conversation about our mission and impact. 🙏 #MercatoMetropolitano #Ilford #SustainableMarket #Community #LondonLivingWage #Regeneration #BBC https://lnkd.in/eP_xk3eD

Today was the day we brought an underutilised space in East London back to life ⚡ Because today marks the opening of our brand new sustainable, community market: ✨Mercato Ilford ✨ Located in a transformed car park in the heart of Ilford’s cultural quarter, Mercato Ilford will spark regeneration for the local area and economy, providing residents and visitors with a vibrant new destination for culture and food. What will Mercato bring to Ilford? 🤝 100 new jobs for the local community 🌎 A space for local people to enjoy global cuisines ✨Unwavering support for the creativity and craftsmanship of small artisans  💡A platform to promote local food entrepreneurialism 🌱Improved access to healthy and locally/sustainably-sourced food 🙌 An inclusive hub for cultural activities and social initiatives At Mercato Metropolitano, we are guided by the values of our regenerative food movement, Movimento Metropolitano – which is focused on regenerating and revitalising urban neighbourhoods and building communities around good, healthy, and affordable food for everyone. The opening of Mercato Ilford is not only our newest market – it’s an integral pillar and living expression of this movement and mindset that’s driving positive impact for local people and the environment. So with the ribbons cut and our treasured local community gathered, what have we got lined up over the next few days to celebrate? Check out our full events schedule here to find out: https://lnkd.in/dtke4hi6 Bring your friends, families, and colleagues to share delicious, nutritious food – or come alone and meet someone new across the table! We can’t wait to break bread with you at Mercato Ilford very soon 🥖 #MercatoMetropolitano #MovimentoMetropolitano #MercatoIlford #MMIlford #LondonBusiness

24 hours to go!!… Mercato Metropolitano Ilford opens on 11th July! Joins us for our opening weekend, packed with live music and performances, delicious food, games for the whole family, kids’ activities, wine and beer tastings, workshops, cooking demonstrations, live sports screening … Stay updated on our events and secure your spot for the opening weekend now! Dates: 11th to 14th July 2024 Venue: MM Ilford, 3 Chadwick Rd, Ilford, IG1 1EQ See full schedule https://rb.gy/c8s9bu #MercatoMetropolitano #MovimentoMetropolitano #Community #MMIlford