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In the last decade, the number of street food markets in the UK has soared. Not only do they provide affordable, authentic food experiences for customers, but also open up exciting opportunities for aspiring chefs wanting to establish their brands in the food industry.
But with so many options available, which food markets are the most popular in the UK?
To find out, here at Capital on Tap we’ve analysed 50 food markets from around the UK, looking at Google search volume and the number of TikTok and Instagram posts. We’ve also provided some tips on how budding entrepreneurs can use food markets to their advantage, and how to stand out from the crowd with a new food stall or truck.
A closer look at the most viral UK food markets
To discover the most popular food market overall, we considered each metric to calculate a final score:
|
Rank |
Market |
Location |
Avg. monthly search vol |
No. of Instagram posts |
No. of TikTok posts |
|
1 |
Borough Market |
London |
301,000 |
555,509 |
11,800 |
|
2 |
Broadway Market |
London |
33,100 |
138,238 |
1,290 |
|
3 |
Seven Dials Market |
London |
60,500 |
10,554 |
1,295 |
|
4 |
Harewood House |
Leeds |
40,500 |
45,391 |
482 |
|
5 |
Boxpark Shoreditch |
London |
27,100 |
18,411 |
1,156 |
|
6 |
Brixton Village Market |
London |
2,400 |
57,099 |
708 |
|
7 |
St George's Market |
Belfast |
22,200 |
32,166 |
336 |
|
8 |
Mackie Mayor |
Manchester |
33,100 |
13,243 |
120 |
|
9 |
Maltby Street Market |
London |
22,200 |
27,244 |
159 |
|
10 |
Baltic Market |
Liverpool |
18,100 |
19,910 |
427 |
Borough Market
Our research found that the most popular food market is Borough Market, situated in Southwark in the heart of central London.
Being one of the largest and most historic markets in the city, and home to over 100 stalls serving cuisine from across the globe, Borough Market naturally receives significant attention online. With an impressive average of 301,000 monthly Google searches, it surpasses all other markets in our study.
Offering a diverse range of cuisine, from fresh organic fruit to authentic Thai dishes, Borough Market has established itself as a "must-visit” on social media.
One particular stall that has benefitted from the social buzz is dessert stall Humble Crumble, boasting 21.5 million TikTok views. Now famed for its homemade crumble with artisanal toppings, it has definitely made an impression on foodies in the city.
Broadway Market
In second place is Broadway Market in Hackney, receiving an average 33,100 Google searches per month.
Though it’s less searched-for than Borough Market, what it lacks here it makes up for with social media hype, coming in second place for the most Instagram posts of all markets analysed, with 138,238 posts.
A true standout here is Irish food stall Emerald Eats. With 15.4 million TikTok views, it’s doing well online, impressing customers with its authentic chicken fillet rolls and spice bags. This stall is just one of 120 in the market, selling fresh groceries and hot dishes to take away.
Seven Dials Market
In third place is Seven Dials market, also found in central London. This multi-level food hall receives around 60,500 searches per month — the second most Googled of all markets in our study.
A notable food stall here is the Hash Hut, with 3.3 million TikTok views, specialising in mouth-watering potato dishes.
The most popular food markets outside of London
After our research revealed that London is home to many of the UK’s top food markets, we decided to look at the top 10 food markets outside the city, leading the street food scene across the UK.
|
Rank |
Market |
Location |
Avg. monthly search vol |
No. of Instagram posts |
No. of TikTok posts |
|
1 |
Harewood House |
Leeds |
40,500 |
45,391 |
482 |
|
2 |
St George's Market |
Belfast |
22,200 |
32,166 |
336 |
|
3 |
Mackie Mayor |
Manchester |
33,100 |
13,243 |
120 |
|
4 |
Baltic Market |
Liverpool |
18,100 |
19,910 |
427 |
|
5 |
Digbeth Dining Club |
Birmingham |
8,100 |
23,284 |
172 |
|
6 |
Kirkgate Market |
Leeds |
14,800 |
7,997 |
129 |
|
7 |
The Dockyard Social |
Glasgow |
9,900 |
3,867 |
238 |
|
8 |
St Nicholas Market |
Bristol |
12,100 |
8,506 |
45 |
|
9 |
Stockbridge Market |
Edinburgh |
8,100 |
9,936 |
78 |
|
10 |
The Forge Market |
Glasgow |
5,400 |
841 |
326 |
Harewood House
Taking the crown for the most popular food market outside of London is Harewood House market in Leeds. This artisanal seasonal market also ranks as the fourth popular in the entire UK ranking, including those in London.
With 40,500 monthly searches, this market is searched even more than Broadway Market in London, the second most popular market in the overall ranking. It has the most Instagram posts, amounting 45,391, the highest in this list. It also has the highest number of TikToks of all markets in this specific analysis, at 482 overall.
St George's Market
Belfast’s St George’s Market is the second most popular food market in the UK, outside of London.
The market has won several awards for its fresh and local produce and its exciting atmosphere. In fact, it was named the UK’s best large indoor market in 2023 by the NAMBA Great British Market awards.
A well-known street food hub in Northern Ireland’s capital, St George’s Market ranks third for monthly searches in this analysis, receiving an average of 22,200, and the second-highest number of Instagram posts, at 32,166. It ranks third for TikTok posts, with 336 overall.
Mackie Mayor
Manchester’s Mackie Mayor ranks in third place for the third most popular food market in the UK outside of England’s capital.
A bustling indoor market in Manchester’s famous Northern Quarter, Mackie Mayor serves up a vibrant mix of food and drink from a range of talented food vendors.
We found that this market has the second-highest search volume of all markets outside of London, with 33,100 searches per month, coming just behind Harewood House. It ranks in fifth place for the number of Instagram posts, having received 13,243 overall. Although, it doesn’t perform as well on TikTok, ranking eighth overall, at 120 posts.
How food markets can help your food business
Setting up a food stall in a market can be an excellent entry point into the food industry. Food markets can be invaluable for a new food business, offering exposure, customer interaction, and networking opportunities.
With this in mind, Kamilla Fernandes-Pickett, Marketing and Communications Senior Manager at Capital on Tap has shared some advice on setting up a food business in a market, plus tips on how to stand out from the crowd once you’ve set up shop:
Flexibility
Pop-ups and food trucks provide flexibility: you can try different locations, work on the days you wish to, and ultimately make your own business decisions.
Plus, while starting a food truck requires a lot of time and money, it’s often more affordable and less risky than opening up a restaurant.
With low overhead costs, a reduced need for extensive equipment, and greater flexibility with business decisions, launching a food stall or truck can be a great starting point.
Existing customer base
A huge benefit is that popular markets already have plenty of customers. You can be assured that people will always be around, and people will always be hungry!
The high footfall will be a huge benefit to your business, especially if your food smells great — people will be sure to stop by.
Room to expand your brand
A mobile food van offers a platform to establish your brand on a smaller scale before considering expansion into larger ventures like sit-down restaurants or franchising trucks. By starting out this way, you can find out what works for you, which areas you need to improve on, and ultimately how you want to progress your brand to the next level.
How to stand out from the crowd with a food stall or truck
Once you’ve decided to pursue a food stall to boost your business, there are some essential things to consider to ensure your new business is a roaring success:
Location is everything
Assessing your location first is essential. Do your research and make sure that your market of choice is consistently busy and opens on the days you want to work. Plus, consider practicalities like parking, overhead costs and initial investments.
Give out samples
Samples are a great way of drawing customers in. If they like what they eat, you might make a sale. Either way, this encourages people to approach your stall and creates a good atmosphere, which will ultimately bring in more customers. Plus, people get to try out your delicious food and rave about it to others.
Network, network, network
A great benefit of setting up a food truck or stall is that you can talk to other people in the business. Get chatting, see what other people are doing, and watch out for any opportunities that come your way. The more you talk and the more people you meet, the better!
By using food markets to their maximum potential, you can not only increase brand awareness and generate sales but also gather valuable connections that can help drive the growth of your new food business.
Methodology and sources
We ranked 50 UK food markets by how popular they are online.
For each food market, we gathered the Google search volume as well as the number of TikTok and Instagram posts tagged with each hashtag relevant to each food market (e.g for Borough Market, the hashtag would be #boroughmarket).
We then combined these three metrics to achieve a final score, allowing us to reveal which UK food market is the most popular.
