London’s historic Borough Market is asking social media influencers to seek permission from traders before filming food content on their phones.
The news comes as one Instagram creator was asked by security to stop recording and leave the premises earlier this year.
Gerry del Guercio, who with his friend Paul Delany runs the social media account Bite Twice and helped build Carmela’s pizzeria, was in the middle of talking about an apple crumble when he was escorted out.
A less than favourable review, he described the £9 dish as “slightly better than what I got at primary school”.
Guercio, 44, shared an update via his Bite Twice channel to tell his plus-200,000 followers: “We get kicked out of Borough market whilst reviewing the ridiculously overhyped £9 viral ‘Humble Crumble’.”
He later told the Times: “The modern concept of Borough Market now exists because of social media. It needs it, it’s important to them. The whole not-recording thing is ridiculous, we are just two guys with our camera phones.”
Other influencers are believed to have encountered difficulties with filming social media content at Borough Market in recent weeks, as the operator clamps down on people who cause “disruption” to stallholders.
The market has an online form, active for some time, which requires people to apply to film or take photographs for professional purposes, often the case in hospitality venues.
Influencers are asked to seek approval via the website, and those who are will be sent a permission letter via email to take with them on shoots.
A spokesman for Borough Market told the Standard: “Our filming policy is designed to ensure that activity doesn’t cause disruption to stallholders or visitors and our security team is trained to ask for the relevant permission from anyone filming in the market...
“Our number one priority is to ensure that visitors are comfortable and at times we do need to alleviate the congestion which can happen around particularly popular sites within our market.
“This occasionally means we ask food reviewers to stop filming if they are causing congestion or haven't got the relevant permission.”
The spokeswoman added that Borough Market is in the process of reviewing its policy.
Borough Market is one of the oldest and largest food markets in the country, with food and drink sales on the site dating back to the 12th century.
Popular traders include the Ginger Pig, famous for its sausage rolls, and the Bath Soft Cheese Company.
Borough Market, Southwark, SE1 9AL, boroughmarket.org.uk
