Before first light, Canary Wharf in London is still asleep. The banks are closed. The streets are empty. But just a stone’s throw from this financial hub, a fish market is already bustling.

Billingsgate Fish Market is the UK’s biggest inland fish market, with nearly 700 years of history. Every morning, it supplies fresh seafood to restaurants and hotels across the city. The prices are also fair, which brings in many locals, tourists as well as Hongkongers.

But its owner, the City of London Corporation, is set to close it by 2028 to make way for redevelopment.

While the market’s future is uncertain, a father and son who run a seafood stall, a seasoned porter and a café owner tell us what life there is really like and what makes the market so special.