Future 'looking quite bleak' for market cafe

A popular cafe in Borough Market, south-east London, says it is facing an uncertain future after being told its lease would not be renewed. Emma Layton said she wants market officials to clarify why Maria’s Market Cafe, which has operated for 65 years, is being forced out of a prime central position. Layton described the situation as creating “loss, remorse and confusion,” and added that she is trying to keep employing local staff and supporting the market and its traders, noting the cafe’s British menu traditions. Borough Market said lease decisions after expiry follow a formal review process considering multiple factors, and it declined to comment on the specific reasons for this case because discussions on individual tenancies are confidential. Layton has also begun legal proceedings to try to stay. The business was opened by Maria Moruzzi in 1961 and later sold in 2021 to Mark Aldridge, who promised to preserve the traditional menu. Borough Market has operated near London Bridge since 1756 and is managed by a charitable trust.