Smithfield Market pre-Christmas meat auction returns

Meat usually destined for restaurants and hotels was sold at the auction

The Smithfield Market has held its traditional pre-Christmas meat auction for the first time since before pandemic.

Hundreds of bidding customers attended the London event in which sellers auctioned off surplus meat that hasn't been sold in the festive season.

Sellers have been trading at the market since the 12th Century.

Greg Lawrence, a meat wholesaler who has worked at the auction for 50 years, said: "Everyone is a bit excited. This starts our Christmas and I know for a lot of people who attend the auction, it starts their Christmas too.

"It's a lot of fun as well."

For more than 800 years, a market has existed on the Smithfield site in some form.

It closed in 1855, but was rebuilt and reopened on 24 November 1868.

The present Smithfield Market in Charterhouse Street was established by the 1860 Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market Act.

Customers queued early in the morning on Saturday to get a prime bidding spot

Market sellers have been at the Smithfield site since the 12th Century

People, young and old, got in on the bidding action for the prime cuts

Meat wholesaler Greg Lawrence said the auction kicked off his Christmas

Hundreds of people gathered for the traditional meat auction at the Smithfield site

By the end of the selling, buyers were well stocked up for Christmas Day and beyond