Barrow boys have been welcoming shopper to Broadway Market in Hackney since the 1890s, selling everything from bacon to beans. John and his mate Tony may be the last in the line. John started selling fruit and veg on the market nearly 50 years ago. He traded through the eighties’ crash, now his barrows are the centrepiece of the revived Saturday market. He embodies today’s principles of quality, speciality and variety. Now there are 80 more stalls to welcome you. And while they don’t all seek to match John’s competitive prices, they all offer something special, and they all offer one thing for free: a welcoming smile.

Most stalls are open from 9am-5pm on Saturdays, but John starts serving much earlier.