Cape Town - Vendors trading at the V&A Food Market are soon to be without a home as the lease of the building they are trading in has not been renewed.
The popular Food Market took to Twitter on Saturday announcing that next Sunday would be its last day of trading.
The Waterfront recently announced that Time Out Market, a global media and entertainment company, is set to open later this year in Cape Town at the V&A Waterfront.
It said Time Out Market Cape Town would span about 9000m2 and feature 14 kitchens, four bars and one stage, with approximately 750 seats. However, one of the vendors, owner of Plucky’s Fried Chicken, Heinrich Herboth, said most of the vendors were upset over this.
“I started in December 2020 in the middle of the pandemic and only in July last year things started to look up and we survived.
“We are upset that they are kicking us out for a UK-based company taking over the space, which we are told will be responsible for the curation of the food market and how they want to fill up the space.
“We also can’t apply and there is no one we can talk to. We are also upset because they could have at least waited for after Easter when there are fewer tourists so that we can have a decent season for a change,” he said.
Sad news - our beloved market is closing. A big thank you to all our customers and vendors for their wonderful support over the years. We hope you’ll continue to support all your foodie faves in their new adventures beyond our walls. Our last day of trading is 22 Jan 2023. pic.twitter.com/RiOajQoX9W
V&A Waterfront spokesperson Donald Kau said they have had applications from the majority of the tenants in the Food Market and that most of them were on the waiting list.
Kau said when there was space, the tenants were not interested in places offered, such as at the Clock Tower, adding that the place was now fully let.
Kau said currently V&A Waterfront has only been able to house three of the current Food Market tenants: Knysna Oyster Co, 7 Colours Eatery and Royal Tea, who had been housed in Union Square, Battery Park and the upper level of the shopping centre.
He said the vast majority of the remaining tenants had alternative premises that they traded from and that the Food Market was not their only source of income.
“New vendors have to be independent operators – no chain restaurants – and just as has been the case with the agent managing the Food Market, Time Out will select and curate their food offering,” he said.
mthuthuzeli.ntseku@inl.co.za