The last that Lewishamites saw of Model Market was in 2021, when it was shut down. Now, the beloved street food market situated on the fringes of Lewisham Shopping Centre is set for a welcome return.
With its roots dating back to 1950s, when it was a general market renowned for its Black-owned businesses, Model Market pivoted in 2014 to become a street food market operated by Street Feast, the outfit behind Street Feast in Dalston and Dinerama in Shoreditch. In the wake of Covid, Street Feast went under, and Model Market called it a day.
You can't keep a good market down, though, and as part of the phased regeneration of Lewisham Shopping Centre — which also includes fresh public spaces; a new music venue; and additional shops, cafés, restaurants and bars — Model Market will reopen later this summer.
It's not clear which traders will be at the rebooted Model Market (some of the originals are no longer with us), although a call-out on the website for those who "cook, craft, brew, bake, or create" suggests the venue will retain the community sensibilities that punters always liked about it.
At least we now know who'll be running the show. German Kraft — purveyors of rather delicious Teutonic-styled beers — will curate the traders, and set up a taproom on site (though not a microbrewery; apparently there isn't the space). The timing is spot-on; German Kraft will soon have to vacate their long-running Mercato Metropolitano premises at Elephant and Castle to make way for redevelopment.
It's good they'll be sticking around in south London — and in a relatively similar quasi-boho street food setup to boot.
