Italian economist, dreamer and foodie Andrea Rasca has opened a continental Europe-style market and food destination in south-east London, bringing some Continental living and style to the post-Brexit city.

Following a successful opening in Porto Genova, Milan last summer, Mercato Metropolitano (MM), officially opens this September but is already open for foodies.
Built on the site of a disused paper factory and located in the hipsterish sounding ‘SoBo’ area (south of Borough), part of the Borough Triangle that is currently undergoing a £3 billion regeneration Mercato is conceived around the values of craftsmanship, sustainability, urban renewal, good honest artisan food and passion for taking pride in work.
Andrea says, “ The western world has a growing dependence on industrialised food and products that are made in large volumes with a focus on sales, not quality. As a result we have lost the sense of what our bodies really need.
“We don’t need something just to fill our bellies, we need nutrients to make our bodies and minds work properly. And on a social level we need good and tasty food to share with our friends and family”.
Lots of London-based artisan food makers and craftspeople including  ‘the best pizza maker’ from Naples are taking space at Mercato that will see workshops, cookery demos, talks and cultural events organised.
Mercato promises to offer an authentic, inclusive, sustainable, socially responsible and educational offering based on a passionate Italian market experience, similar to the atmosphere in Lisbon’s Mercado da Ribeira; Vienna’s Naschmarkt and Madrid’s Mercado San Miguel. To have such a place and atmosphere in London is very welcome, complementing Borough Market.
Already signed up to this gastronomic hub are on site bakery, fishmongers, butchers, coffee roasters, pizza chefs, artisan beer makers, cheesemongers, specialist charcuterie, a large selection of Italy’s most exciting wines, fruit and vegetable growers, farmers and, obviously, pasta makers!
A cinema, event spaces and a pop-up hotel help complete the place.
We’ll be visiting SoBo and Mercato soon for a full review!

www.mercatometropolitano.co.uk