COMPANY INFORMATION

Le Marché is a premium greengrocer and catering supply company with a proud heritage - we can trace our roots back to 1770.

The story of Le Marché began with selling watercress in the original Covent Garden Market in the 1800’s.

Fast forward to the present day and Le Marché supplies the very best hotels and restaurants in the UK. Marcus Rowlerson is Managing Director and has spent a lifetime in the industry.

Credit: Claridges

LE MARCHÉ ACCOLADES

  • Le Marché supplies six restaurants that hold three Michelin Stars - four in London plus two more located outside of the capital.

  • Eight hotels in London hold three Michelin Keys. Le Marché supplies all but one of them.

  • Le Marché is an Associate Member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and supporter of The Gold Service Scholarship and League of Club Chefs.

MEET THE TEAM

  • Marcus Rowlerson

    Marcus Rowlerson

    MANAGING DIRECTOR

  • Chloe Rowlerson

    Chloe Rowlerson

    ACCOUNTANT

  • Ben Cartwright

    Ben Cartwright

    BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

  • Robert King

    Robert King

    BUYER

  • Darren Farragher

    Darren Farragher

    BUYER

  • Kevin Dodd

    Kevin Dodd

    TRANSPORT MANAGER

  • Dagmara Pajda

    Dagmara Pajda

    OFFICE MANAGER

  • Andy Charman

    Andy Charman

    IMPORT BUYER

  • Paul Ryan

    Paul Ryan

    OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

  • Robert Fry

    Robert Fry

    WAREHOUSE MANAGER

  • Anna Zawada

    Anna Zawada

    OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

  • Ardit Konjufca

    Ardit Konjufca

    WAREHOUSE OPERATIVE

  • Terry Mensah

    Terry Mensah

    DRIVER

  • Charles Wint

    Charles Wint

    WAREHOUSE OPERATIVE

  • Vinit Bhatt

    Vinit Bhatt

    WAREHOUSE OPERATIVE

  • Urvish Patel

    Urvish Patel

    WAREHOUSE OPERATIVE

  • Christiano Bzerra

    Christiano Bzerra

    DRIVER

  • Jonathan Vodini

    Jonathan Vodini

    DRIVER

  • Sonia Pinto

    Sonia Pinto

    PURCHASE LEDGER

  • Mo Nadji

    Mo Nadji

    WAREHOUSE OPERATIVE

  • Baceu Val

    Baceu Val

    DRIVER

  • Pasha Mohammed

    Pasha Mohammed

    OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

THE HISTORY OF LE MARCHÉ

We are a company with a proud heritage. The roots of Le Marché stretch all the way back to 1770, when we first started to supply London with the finest fresh produce.

It is currently managed by Marcus Rowlerson, who has spent a lifetime in the industry and built up this business over thirty years. See our Testimonials. Marcus started as a teenager back in 1985 and has never looked back.

Before we rebranded as Le Marché Limited, our business was called John Connell.

The first recorded trading of the company took place during the eighteenth century when Hertfordshire farmer Joseph Harrison drove his horse and cart to London to sell his wares.

Demand grew and he started trading in the old Covent Garden Market (see picture), which eventually moved to Vauxhall, our current home, in 1974.

The original Covent Garden Market

The business passed down from father to son, until another descendant - a woman called Mary Connell, neé Harrison, took over.

Mary continued handing control down the female line, first to her daughter, Jane, then to Jane’s niece, Margaret, before finally handing it back over to Margaret’s son, John Frank Bunney.

This photo shows Mary selling watercress in the original market.

Marcus started to work for John when he was a schoolboy in the 1980’s. The rest, as they say, is history.

Selling watercress in the original Covent Garden Market.

TIMELINE

1770 - Watercress grower Joseph Harrison, from Boxmoor in Hertfordshire, drives his produce to Seven Dials in London by horse and cart.

1800 – Joseph Harrison is trading regularly in the Covent Garden Market area.

1826 – The Charter Market is built and James’ son is now trading at the bottom of James Street.

1860 – Mary Connell (neé Harrison) carries on trading as “Mrs Connell”.

1911 – Mary Connell dies and the business in Covent Garden is taken over by her daughter, Jane.

1924 – Jane Connell’s niece, Margaret, moves from Boxmoor to live in Covent Garden and works with her aunt selling watercress six days a week, including Billingsgate on Sundays. By this time many of Jane’s nieces and nephews are also running businesses in Covent Garden and at Borough and Farringdon Street Markets.

1941 – Jane and Margaret are living in “The Cut” next to Waterloo Station when, on May 10th, during the last and biggest air raid on London, their home is destroyed by an incendiary bomb. Jane moves back to Boxmoor and Margaret eventually moves into a flat in Covent Garden.

1944 – Jane dies aged 75.

1965 – Margaret retires and her son, John Frank Bunney, inherits the company.

1974 – The move to Nine Elms enables the business to expand into selling salads, fruit and vegetables, as well as specialising in its original produce watercress.

1990 – With the decline of the retail greengrocery trade the decision is made to expand the delivery service, supplying into London’s top West End eateries.

2013 – John retires and the business now becomes part of The French Garden, continuing to supply the city’s finest restaurants. By now some have been customers for more than 40 years.

2017 – John Connell merges to become Le Marché Limited, an exclusive club serving only the top 100 finest dining establishments in London. The ‘FTSE 100 of the catering world’.