16 Jul
News
Boqueria market becomes one of the 'Magnificent Seven'
Barcelona’s most important market becomes one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ (M7), an initiative set up by the Borough Market of London to create an international alliance with some of the most important markets in the world.
The aim of the alliance is not to organise large-scale meetings, but ensure smooth relations that allow the managers of the different markets involved to exchange experiences and knowledge. The markets included in the alliance, who share similar problems and strengths, are Borough Market of London, the Markthalle Neun of Berlin, the Central Market Hall of Budapest, the Sydney Fish Market, the Queen Victoria Market of Melbourne and the Pike Place Market of Seattle.
The common goals of the Alliance are to share knowledge in areas such as promoting quality, sustainability and a focus on food and its production from the environmental standpoint. Other topics to be worked on together are exchanging experiences, methods to help create and strengthen a sense of community in the cities where the markets are located and the development of new uses for their historical areas and sites. This work may have a practical reflection in the exchange of trade fairs between some of the markets included in the alliance.
A single voice on the world stage
As other aspects of the project, the M7 members, who aim to broach these topics with one voice on the world stage, intend to cooperate in increasing their personnel through an international exchange programme and in the longer term, increase the members of the alliance by inviting other food markets from all over the world to join them.
In addition to becoming global food icons, the M7 founder members share common problems such as the enormous pressure on the use of land in city centres or the huge volumes of visitors attracted by the historical location and special atmosphere of many of them. Between them, these seven markets attract 74.5 million visitors per year and need to find a balance between this and their local community through the shared use of good practices to face this challenge without renouncing authenticity and the traditional experience of the market for customers and visitors.
Boqueria and Borough, twinned since 2006
Since 2006 Boqueria market and the Borough market of Longon have a twin-based relationship that favours exchange between both markets. The Barcelona-based market also has contacts with some of the most important markets in the world such as the Queen Victoria Market of Melbourne which sent a representative group to visit the Boqueria in 2014, like the other Australian market in the M7 alliance, the Sydney Fish Market, which has also visited the Market in Barcelona.
Within the framework of these relations Òscar Ubide, Managing Director of Boqueria Market, explained “When we met our colleagues in London, Budapest, Seattle, Sydney and Melbourne, we realised that the markets that occupy a central role in their cities face the same opportunities and challenges. Through the exchange of management models and experiences, this alliance will help us grow and continue to maintain our markets in their rightful place, at the heart of the supply of fresh food for each of our cities and countries”.
The aim of the alliance is not to organise large-scale meetings, but ensure smooth relations that allow the managers of the different markets involved to exchange experiences and knowledge. The markets included in the alliance, who share similar problems and strengths, are Borough Market of London, the Markthalle Neun of Berlin, the Central Market Hall of Budapest, the Sydney Fish Market, the Queen Victoria Market of Melbourne and the Pike Place Market of Seattle.
The common goals of the Alliance are to share knowledge in areas such as promoting quality, sustainability and a focus on food and its production from the environmental standpoint. Other topics to be worked on together are exchanging experiences, methods to help create and strengthen a sense of community in the cities where the markets are located and the development of new uses for their historical areas and sites. This work may have a practical reflection in the exchange of trade fairs between some of the markets included in the alliance.
A single voice on the world stage
As other aspects of the project, the M7 members, who aim to broach these topics with one voice on the world stage, intend to cooperate in increasing their personnel through an international exchange programme and in the longer term, increase the members of the alliance by inviting other food markets from all over the world to join them.
In addition to becoming global food icons, the M7 founder members share common problems such as the enormous pressure on the use of land in city centres or the huge volumes of visitors attracted by the historical location and special atmosphere of many of them. Between them, these seven markets attract 74.5 million visitors per year and need to find a balance between this and their local community through the shared use of good practices to face this challenge without renouncing authenticity and the traditional experience of the market for customers and visitors.
Boqueria and Borough, twinned since 2006
Since 2006 Boqueria market and the Borough market of Longon have a twin-based relationship that favours exchange between both markets. The Barcelona-based market also has contacts with some of the most important markets in the world such as the Queen Victoria Market of Melbourne which sent a representative group to visit the Boqueria in 2014, like the other Australian market in the M7 alliance, the Sydney Fish Market, which has also visited the Market in Barcelona.
Within the framework of these relations Òscar Ubide, Managing Director of Boqueria Market, explained “When we met our colleagues in London, Budapest, Seattle, Sydney and Melbourne, we realised that the markets that occupy a central role in their cities face the same opportunities and challenges. Through the exchange of management models and experiences, this alliance will help us grow and continue to maintain our markets in their rightful place, at the heart of the supply of fresh food for each of our cities and countries”.