Mercato Metropolitano, London

The more food, the merrier. Emerging from a former paper factory in Southwark, Mercato Metropolitano is a rambling collective of community-oriented culinary wonder.

The market spans an enormous 45,000 square feet and consists of market stalls, an Italian supermarket and even hidden extras such as a barber shop, a cinema, a boxing gym, a co-working space and the occasional pop-up hotel.

These make for a seemingly odd menu, but make sense in the context of the market’s extensive community-first programming calendar, which includes cooking and gardening classes as well as social activities.

Turin-based Mercato Metropolitano has brought a community-oriented food market to Elephant & Castle.

The vibe is reclaimed industrial, with painted brick, paned ceilings and exposed concrete featuring throughout. Similarly, signage and messaging is uniform, creating a cohesive market brand rather than a series of smaller ones.

Communal tables gather amidst a perimeter of stalls including cheesemongers, coffee roasters, pizza makers and gelaterias. Outside, a courtyard area features a herb garden, food trucks and colourful seating – plus that all-important wifi capability.

Cuisine from around the world is represented, with an emphasis on the small and the local – and an aim to bring together and support the local community through food and related cultural experiences. This support is further bolstered through the low-cost workspace, social spaces and community events.

Food might be at the heart of it all, but Mercato Metropolitano aims to become an affordable one-stop-shop for local residents’ culinary, social and community needs.