Following 18 months of work, upgrades to parts of Tooting Market are finally complete and it is definitely worth a visit. 

The market has been a staple in Tooting Broadway for several years but has been given a revamp.

Led by the market manager, Roi Mengelgrein, several new stalls have been installed into the market. This includes the expansion of the yard area, which has several new vendors and a new gym on the first floor. 

Previously the yard area was an empty lot, but the decision was taken to expand out and make the market larger, opening it up to more local businesses. Dubbed the 'Yard Market,' the market now boasts a swanky new area which includes various eateries and smaller shopping stalls.

 

Part of the Yard Market includes a specialised chips store.

Mr Mengelgrein said: "The reception to the Yard Market has been very good. I think traders and people were impressed how the final product turned out. After 18 months of closed doors developments, it was a very good feeling to finally get to the open the new market extension. I think people generally didn’t know what to expect and when they saw the final design and tenant mix, they love it.  

"We all have our own niches. Box Park are kings of the containers and Brixton for example, have their niche carved out in the area. I think overall today, Tooting Market has a very good reputation as a place to be, shop, eat, drink etc. and our waiting list grows weekly. at this stage, we need to strengthen the success of the new yard market over the coming months. I would like to see lots of events take place in the market this summer. Thereafter, we’ll probably look to buy up another market." 

 

There is a brand new F45 gym on the top floor.

Mr Mengelgrein also reiterated that the market is here to stay. The market was at threat of closure due to proposed plans of building a Crossrail II station in Tooting Broadway. But these upgrades firmly "cement our position by making the market even bigger and more of a community hub.

"We were awesome before the development, and now we’re even better, so why on earth would you want to replace this market with a dull ventilation shaft," Mr Mengelgrein added.

These views were also echoed by vendors, who spoke to the Wandsworth Times.

Matt, who works as Kitchen Manager at Boom Bap Burger and Bar, which has been a staple in the market for three years,described the new location as "excellent". 

 

The Yard Market entrance, which was previously an empty lot.

"We are in the middle of the market so it draws in more customers. We are now surrounded with other vendors and it's enjoyable. Everyone comes together and it's a nice little community within the market. It's awesome to see smaller businesses growing too. I used to come to the market quite a lot when I was younger and the change is nice.

"There wasn't much for kids or families before but now its much better. People come down from the gym, grab their carbs or wine in the Yard Market. Everything brings something in for each business and everyone who works here seems to be local. They remember the market before and its still a local place for local people," Matt said.

 

Boom Bap Burger has been part of the market for almost three years now.

Marco, who manages Poptata, said the market now has a great potential, he said: "We just need to bring more people in, there is so much potential for it to be better than other markets in Shoreditch and Brixton."

He wasn't the only one to compare Tooting Market to Boxpark and other markets across London.

Emily, who works at a Moroccan gift shop said she has seen the gentrification process in Brixton and that "it is interesting to see a belated version of the social phenomena in Tooting."

The market has really grown in the last 18 months, and with the Yard Market and F45 Training now up and running, it is really living up to its potential that was highlighted by Lonely Planet in 2017.