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Bread Ahead Faces Exit From Borough Market After Traders Say Lease Will Not Be Renewed

Ongoing talks have not resolved the dispute and the bakery says a forced move could cost 83 London jobs.

Overview

  • Bread Ahead says market trustees told the bakery it must leave because it has become "too successful" following international franchising, a claim the founder made public this week.
  • Borough Market says lease decisions follow a formal, confidential renewal process and that it remains in contact with the Bread Ahead team without commenting on tenancy details.
  • The founder, Matthew Jones, has lodged a solicitor's letter, appealed for public support and asked the market to apologise, while operations at the Borough Market site continue.
  • Bread Ahead warns it may need to vacate by October and is simultaneously preparing a planned New York opening in November, with the company stressing it remains founder-led despite overseas expansion.
  • The case is one of several recent non-renewal disputes at Borough Market, raising questions about how the trustees apply renewal criteria and the potential impact on long-standing local vendors and their staff.