Who We Are

Who We Are

Market Curators was founded by a team of operators and placemaking specialists who understand how markets really work. Led by Raymond Linch, the business brings together hands-on experience from hundreds of market and food hall projects across the UK and Europe.

Our Story

Our goal is simple: to create thriving destinations that connect people, celebrate independent enterprise, and deliver lasting regeneration. We combine strategy, design and delivery under one roof, ensuring every project moves smoothly from concept to completion.

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Our Experience

With over 250 market and food hall developments completed, our experience spans everything from feasibility and business planning to design, stakeholder engagement and long-term operation.

We’ve helped transform underused buildings into cultural anchors, advised councils on regeneration-led masterplans, and supported private developers to deliver commercially resilient destinations.

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Our Approach

We take a collaborative, practical and hands-on approach to every project. Our work is about action, not just advice, combining insight, creativity and delivery experience to turn ideas into thriving destinations.

Hands-on delivery

We work alongside our clients, traders and teams, staying involved through every stage of the process.

End-to-end expertise

We manage the full journey, covering feasibility, design, tenant mix, launch and operation.

Independent spirit

We champion local enterprise and individuality, helping each place reflect its community.

Collaborative mindset

Partnerships are central to how we work, with councils, developers and operators all sharing the same goal.

Our Team

Our team brings together decades of combined experience across markets, food halls, retail, placemaking and design. Each member brings specialist expertise, united by a shared commitment to community, authenticity and quality.

Raymond Linch

Market Specialist

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James Wrigley

Food Hall Specialist

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Julian Pearce

Communications & Engagement Specialist

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Gary Rowlandson

Group Project Manager

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Jonathan Thorns

Creative Architectural Designer

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Kelly Leman

Creative Executive

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Our Values

At the heart of everything we do is a belief that great places bring people together. Our values guide how we design, curate and deliver destinations that are purposeful, sustainable and rooted in community.

Places with purpose

We design markets and food halls that deliver genuine community benefit alongside commercial success.

Curating the right mix

We balance independent operators, entrepreneurs and established brands to create vibrant, commercially sustainable destinations.

Sustainability matters

We design and deliver adaptable spaces with a light environmental footprint.

Community connection

We create places that people love to visit, work and return to.

Talk to Us About Your Next Project

If you’d like to discuss a project or explore how we can support your plans, get in touch with our team today on 0203 857 3847 or email hello@marketcurators.uk for a conversation about how we can help shape your market or food hall.

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Raymond Linch

Market Specialist

With a lifelong passion for markets, Raymond has led more than 250 market and food hall projects across the UK and Europe, many now recognised as sector-leading examples of regeneration. His expertise spans strategy, feasibility and delivery, with a focus on supporting independent traders and creating authentic, community-focused destinations.

James Wrigley

Food Hall Specialist

With nearly two decades in retail, leisure and hospitality, James has operated and restructured multiple food halls with annual turnovers exceeding £3.5m. He specialises in commercial modelling, operational management and trader partnerships, helping create successful, sustainable venues that integrate seamlessly into wider regeneration and placemaking strategies.

Julian Pearce

Communications & Engagement Specialist

Julian has almost 20 years’ experience in communications and stakeholder engagement, working across markets, shopping centres, and large-scale regeneration schemes. He leads consultation strategies for Market Curators, combining a deep understanding of public engagement with expertise in digital communication and placemaking.

Gary Rowlandson

Group Project Manager

Projects:

  • Lennel Sage acquisition: Client Lead
  • Client lead for £972 Million acquisition and delivery of 3000 plus homes between the Client (Sage Housing/ Leaf Living) and Vistry Countryside Partnerships
  • Leading a team of 11 Employers Agents/ Quantity Surveyors and 8 Clerk of Works to Cost manage, Quality manage and deliver completions of homes within the direction of the Development Agreement
  • Sage Housing: Client Lead
  • Client lead for section 106 development agreement schemes across the country
  • Leading a team of 6 Employers agents, Quantity Surveyors and Project managers to cost manage, project manage, quality manage and deliver completions defined by the Development Agreement.

Jonathan Thorns

Creative Architectural Designer

Jonathan is our in-house Architect. Being a chartered Architect since 2015 he has demonstrated the ability to deliver high quality conceptual and technical designs for market halls, food halls and regeneration repurposing all over the UK.

Jonathan’s expertise in placemaking has seen him realise and deliver numerous schemes across the UK with emphasis on sustainable designs that are adaptable and resilient for the future.

His role is to lead large commercial projects from feasibility to completion, specialising in Markets and Food Halls across the UK. Over several years, he has established a reputation for being able deliver high quality market and food hall design for local authorities property developers and regeneration schemes with development budgets ranging from 3 Million to 12 Million.

As a recognised point of contact for project stakeholders, he establishes and maintains transparent & pragmatic relationships with all parties throughout the project’s duration, by liaising closely with clients, understanding their process, ambitions, and interpreting their needs.

Jonathan’s practical experience spans over 15 years, over various sectors and numerous counties across the UK and internationally, most notable projects include a refurbishment of a Grade II Victorian Indoor Market Hall with vaulted basement bar, developing modern food halls with competitive leisure spread over 30,000 sq/ft and an extension to Twickenham Stadium forecourt to facilitate increasing hospitality / fan zone events with street food offerings.

Jonathan has worked on over 25 market and food halls and outdoor markets including urban design all of which integrate and glue the market into wider town centre regeneration. Because of this we can complete all of the RIBA stages in-house or work alongside to a clients chosen architect. The benefits include time efficiencies and generally reduced architectural costs to the clients.

As well as his noticeable practice experience, Jonathan is heavily involved in local initiatives through his RIBA work which has included President of the Lincolnshire Society of Architects, External Examiner for Hull College and University of Hull, Guest lecturer at Lincoln University and key participant in the RIBA mentoring scheme with local Universities since its inception.

Out of work, Jonathan is a family man with a love of staycations, especially if they involve fine dining restaurants and Yurts!

Kelly Leman

Creative Executive

Kelly holds a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design and leads the creative direction of our visual communications. She produces branding, print and digital materials for client projects, ensuring each scheme reflects its local identity and vision.

0203 857 3847

hello@marketcurators.uk

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