Brick Lane Market is the collective name for a number of

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

markets centred on Brick Lane, in

Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough covering much of the traditional East End. It was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney, Poplar, and Bethnal Green. 'Tower Hamlets' was originally ...

in east London. The original market was located at the northern end of Brick Lane and in the heart of 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.

History

Early history

The markets originally developed in the 17th century as a lone

farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...

that was held on Sundays due to religious observances by the area's then-prolific

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

community. 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.

Recent history

Since the early 2000s, several specific markets have opened within the premises of the

Old Truman Brewery 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 ...

. Once one of London's largest breweries, The Truman Brewery is now home to roughly 250 businesses, shops, and eateries.

Truman Markets

The ''Truman Markets'' forms a part of the wider Brick Lane Market and is located in the historic 11-acre

, at the northern end of Brick Lane in northern Spitalfields and southeastern Shoreditch. 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. Jewelry at the Sunday UpMarket

Unique clothing and accessory designs at the Sunday UpMarket

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.

Layout

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 Hanbury Street is a street running from Spitalfields to Whitechapel, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs east from Commercial Street to the junction of Old Montague Street and Vallance Road at the east end. The e ...

). 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 Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigram ...

and

D*Face Dean Stockton, better known by his alias D*Face, is an English multimedia street artist who uses spray paint, stickers, posters, and stencils. D*Face grew up in London and had a childhood interest in graffiti in drawing. He credits this to Hen ...

. 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. 'Mexichino' food stand at Boiler House Food Hall

'Mexichino' food stand at Boiler House Food Hall

Japanese food stand at Boiler House Food Hall

Backyard Market

The Backyard Market was established in 2006 and is one of the Truman Markets’ youngest vendors. 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. 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.

Brick Lane Vintage Market

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. 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

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

Tea Rooms

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.

Upmarket

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".

Former Boiler House Food Hall

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. 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. 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.

Transport

The closest

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...

stations are Aldgate East and Liverpool Street. The

London Overground London Overground (also known simply as the Overground) is a suburban rail network serving London and its environs. Established in 2007 to take over Silverlink Metro routes, (via archive.org). it now serves a large part of Greater London as w ...

Shoreditch High Street station Shoreditch High Street is a London Overground station located on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch in East London. It is served by the East London Line between and with services running either to , or , , West Croydon, , and is in Travelcard ...

is also within walking distance.

References

External links

Brick Lane Market
{{London markets Retail markets in London Streets in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets 17th-century establishments in England Spitalfields