London’s biggest food hall, Market Halls, which has three sites in Victoria, Fulham and on Oxford Street, has said via Eater that social distancing will make reopening food halls impossible, and its site will remain closed.
A statement sent to Eater said that ongoing uncertainty and a loss of shoppers and workers from London means that the indoor food markets will remain closed until further notice.
Chief executive, Andy Lewis-Pratt did say in a statement that it was “Heartbreaking to see our business brought to its knees by COVID-19 and the ongoing uncertainty around how we get back to normal.”
He added that he was “Desperately sorry for my employees and the independent food traders that make our Market Halls Family so special. We will support them as much as we can and continue to explore all possible opportunities to get us going again.”
He also insisted that Market Halls ‘will reopen’ however declined to comment as to when that would be.
Lewis-Pratt also wished those reopening the best of luck, but “what will significantly help all of us is a firm indication of when social distancing will come to an end and, together with the London Mayor, a joint determination to get London safely back to work and its streets busy again.”
