Smithfield Market

Hot on the heels of Shoreditch, Smithfield Market area is buzzing with potential and definitely one that commercial and residential property-pundits are keeping a close eye on.

A short walk from St Pauls, Old Street and Midtown, Smithfield is a superb area to consider if you are looking for post-pandemic goodness in the form of still-affordable character offices with world-class transport connections. And, with a veritable tsunami of classic cool and accessible urban culture about to break, now is a great time to make Smithfield your home. 

Smithfield Market itself remains, to this day,  one of the country’s leading meat markets – a vibrant home to dozens of stallholders, temperature-controlled storage units and the delightful din of general market hustle and bustle. However, serious usage change is on the horizon.

In 2021, the City of London Corporation announced plans to relocate Smithfield market activities to a new London location – a consolidated mega-market that is set to also house Billingsgate fish market and New Spitalfields fruit and vegetable markets.

This seismic shift to the status quo is all part of the Corporation’s Culture Mile strategy – a plan that aims to  transform the Square Mile into central London’s version of the South Bank. The wider plan also includes the planned move of the Museum of London to a home in Smithfield and proposals for a concert hall which would be home to Sir Simon Rattle . Smithfield 2:0 also looks a bit like…. Fresh produce food trading hall. Co-working spaces. Flexible exhibition rooms. Basement food research labs. Seed banks. Music and conference spaces….and so much more.

“The transformation of the buildings at Smithfield Market, and the creation of new and exciting spaces for residents, businesses and traders, offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for those that lease or buy commercial property (in particular) in this area,” explains Brett Sullings, Stirling Ackroyd. “This really is a chance to secure a foothold in what could become one of the most desirable areas of London in the not too distant future.”

Nice Neighbours

Proof positive that even the most ambitious development plans can become a delicious  reality, the ice-cool adjacent areas of Clerkenwell and Farringdon have already evolved from gloriously gritty to thoroughly modern destinations where tens of thousands of people work, rest and play daily. And so, the addition of Smithfield to the mix is an exciting inevitability.

Connection

Just moments from Farringdon Station, Smithfield residents already benefit from some of the best regional and local connections countrywide, and in the weeks ahead Crossrail will be opening nearby offering access to Heathrow or Canary Wharf in 10 Minutes.

A History of Entertainment and Commerce – Combine

In the 12th Century, Smithfield was predominantly a vast recreational area where jousts and tournaments were the entertainment of the day. The location of the Bartholomew Fair (est 1133 to 1855), this annual event was one of London’s pre-eminent summer fairs, opening each year on 24 August. Three full days of merrymaking, dancing, selling and music which, over the centuries, became the most debauched and drunken holiday in the city’s calendar! With extensive new development on the horizon, an 800+ year history of great times could be about to be resurrected.

At  Stirling Ackroyd, we really do know the Smithfield Market neighbourhood. We have had a branch here since 1986, and as a result have excellent landlord and property owner connections for both residential and commercial.

For details on Shoreditch properties, please click here to speak to our Shoreditch team.