MMy Wood Wharf will occupy two levels of 10 George Street, the first Vertus build-to-rent residence in the vibrant new Canary Wharf district, Wood Wharf.
MMy Wood Wharf will include 600 sqm of space and follow the same approach to artisanal, natural and sustainable food for which Mercato Metropolitano is known for in their community markets in Elephant & Castle and Mayfair.
Artisanal kitchens, a discerning deli/grocery store, an extensive selection of fresh and healthy world products, organic and biodynamic wines from small vineyards; local and European cheeses, and a bakery, will be included in the new Wood Wharf market space.
On the lower level MMy Wood Wharf plans to include a Mercato Metropolitano’s live, jazz music venue. The MMy Wood Wharf concept is a distillation of the larger markets operated by Mercato Metropolitano aimed at local neighbourhoods.
MMy is reminiscent of the time when Andrea Rasca, Mercato Metropolitano’s founder and CEO, spent in Japan, where limited space and local community needs led to neighbourhood dependency on convenience corner stores. The format has been further developed in London by Rasca and the same team behind the success of the other MM markets based on the understanding that each local community needs a centre of aggregation around food, social values and shared experience, where the elements of inclusiveness, sustainability and healthy lifestyle remain at the core of the offer.
To achieve this, MMy Wood Wharf will include a programme of activities that will educate and engage local residents and the wider community with an aim to communicate important values, such as food accessibility, nutritional excellence, compatibility with local culture, a sense of community and conviviality.
Martin Jones, Retail Leasing Executive, Canary Wharf Group said; “Mercato Metropolitano’s business model fits our vision for Wood Wharf in bringing creative, educational and highly entrepreneurial businesses to Canary Wharf that have the ability to continuously adapt and widen our appeal.
“We wish Mercato every success and are excited to partner with a team who have a such a strong track record in creating unique, fun and compelling destinations that value sustainability.
“We expect to make some exciting new Wood Wharf letting announcements soon, across many different sectors including music, fitness and education.”
In addition to the Wood Wharf site, MM is driving a £35m expansion plan to open sustainable community markets in Southwark and Ilford in 2021, followed by other projects in Europe, the US, and Japan, which are expected to create 2,000 new jobs.
The MM expansion is heavily focused on social impact and on the creation of a global movement of artisans and the health-conscious, where accessibility to adequate food is an important catalyst for community building, as well as being a sacrosanct human right. Additionally, the economic model is predicated on aggregating local traders and creating an alignment of interest with both the traders and the landlords hosting the markets.
