The City of London corporation is set to bring a new food market and hotel to The Square Mile
An iconic Victorian-era building is set to be redeveloped, transforming previously derelict and historic structures into a new food market and a boutique hotel. The City of London Corporation has announced that ‘The Annexe buildings’ in West Smithfield is set to undergo a major regeneration project. In partnership with developers General Projects Limited and Sir Lloyd Dorfman’s Esselco Group Limited, the Annex buildings are set to be transformed.
Located on the south-west side of Smithfield Market near Farringdon and the new London Museum, the project will be split into two parts. Planning to launch in early 2028, this new food market will feature independent vendors, outdoor installations, and a selection of programmes. By 2030, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, ground-floor retail, food and beverage, and a pocket park will replace a disused service area.
The new food market is inspired by Smithfield’s historic writings as a ‘kitchen of the universe’, featuring a curated mix of established and start-up chefs who represent the best of independent London and showcase the diversity of cuisine, culture and history across the City.
This new project will go hand in hand with the City of London’s Destination City Growth strategy to keep the Square Mile open. The London Museum will open doors to its permanent galleries in the General Market towards the end of this year. The Barbican Centre is also undergoing a refurbishment programme ahead of even more ambitious plans to modernise its spaces, and across the road is the Smithfield meat market.
Chris Hayward, Policy Chairman at the City of London Corporation, said: “Smithfield has always been London’s kitchen, a place of trade, energy and life for over a thousand years. The Annexe redevelopment honours that history while giving this remarkable corner of the Square Mile a bold new future.
“Alongside the new London Museum and the Barbican, it will help make Smithfield somewhere Londoners and visitors come back to again and again, not for one particular reason, but because there is always something extraordinary to discover. This is Destination City in action.”
Jacob Loftus, CEO of General Projects, said: “We are honoured to have been selected as the new custodians of these iconic buildings. Working in partnership with the Corporation, London Museum and other key stakeholders, we look forward to delivering an exciting new future for these unique properties that will celebrate and embrace their history, whilst forging a new sustainable and creative complex to deliver the next piece of London’s most exciting new Cultural neighbourhood.”
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