Billingsgate is, by law, a "free and open" Market giving everyone the right to attend the Market during trading hours and to purchase fish from any merchant who is willing to serve them.
When can the public go to Billingsgate? It's open the professionals the public at all times and there is no charge to get in. However, Saturdays have become the most popular 'public day', where tourists and locals are the main customers. The market often stays open later on Saturdays to around 9am.
By road. From the City - A1100 Tower Hill - A1203 East Smithfield - The Highway - Limehouse Link Tunnel (follow signs to Royal Docks) on exit from tunnel into Aspen Way. Take the 1st slip road and follow the signs to Billingsgate Market.
What's the best time to go to the Billingsgate Market?
When is the best time to go to Billingsgate? As the market opens at 4am, most serious buyers are in and out before half five if not before. However, remember you'll have to queue if you arrive before 5am. We would suggest arriving any time after that and possibly the optimal time is around 5:30am.
Shop On The Busiest Day If You Want The Most Variety
However, if you want something very specific (like Opad or Mahi) or the widest selection of fresh, whole fish, then your best bet is usually Thursday through Sunday.
Uk's Largest Fish Market - Billingsgate Fish Market London | Watch this before visit #billingsgate
Why is the billingsgate fish market closing?
Jason Holland. Billingsgate fish market – which is the oldest fish market in the U.K. capital of London and what was once the world's largest fish market – is set to close in 2028 after the City of London Corporation recently decided to withdraw its support.
1. Blue fin tuna: But the most expensive seafood in the world belongs to a type of tuna called bluefin tuna. Of course, Pacific bluefin tuna is never used in canned fish and instead is used in luxury sushi.
The freehold owner of the site is the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, but the City of London Corporation still runs the market; they pay an annual ground rent stipulated in an agreement between the two councils as "the gift of one fish".
A traditional shout market will see buyers competing with each other on the market floor, raising the bid price quickly until the final winning bid is accepted. The buyer will let the auctioneer know how many boxes they want at that price and any remaining boxes will go back up for auction.
The lemon sole (Microstomus kitt) is a flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, where it lives on stony bottoms down to depths of about 1,400 metres (4,600 ft).
Salt the fish half an hour to an hour before cooking, depending on the size. A thin fish, less than 2 cm thick, will need a shorter time than a thicker fish. If you salt your fish less than an hour before cooking, you can leave the fish on the kitchen counter.
Plaice is a lean fish and cooks quicker than other flatfish. This is easily prevented by using wet cooking methods, such as brining, boiling or breading – or by keeping the skin on while cooking. Plaice has a distinct umami-like taste that stands well on its own.
Now, we learn that the two markets will neither stay nor move, but be wound up entirely. The decision was made after inflation and rising construction costs made the Dagenham move unviable. Just like that, two of the oldest trading organisations in the world will cease to exist.
Still the very best place to buy fish from people who know . Can also source rare pieces when given time. Prices are affordable too, enjoy the experience before its gone.
The corporation decided in a separate vote last November to permanently close Smithfield and Billingsgate when it pulled the plug on a planned £740m relocation to a new site in the east of the capital at Dagenham, blaming rising costs.
As the largest wholesale meat market in the UK and one of the largest in Europe, Smithfield Market is a cornerstone of London's culinary scene and a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts.
The City of London Corporation has agreed to stop running Smithfield and Billingsgate markets and pay compensation to traders as it looks to shut down the sites.
Half of the 'top 10' UK fish stocks are overfished or have been reduced to a critically low size. Many cod populations are in crisis, pushing this iconic British fish towards collapse. Government-set catch limits that exceed scientific advice are driving these fish populations into decline.
