While in London in October we went to Borough Market. Now this is what we call a market! What a great place. If we lived in London, here is where you would find us on a Friday! If you are going to London, put this market on your to-do list!
Borough Market is full of traders selling artisanal products which have been created by hand in their own kitchens, from French patés to English preserves, from meat pies to vegetarian curries, all reflecting their passion and expertise. There are even traders that come over from Italy! At an outdoor table, were two people who had come over from Grana d’Oro (The Red Cows Company), in the Emilia Reggiano region to sell their Parmigiano-Reggiano made from the milk of Reggiana cows. It was pretty fantastic! There are stacks of beautiful, yeasty breads, a variety of cheeses, stunningly fresh fish and seafood. Mrs. King’s Pies sells traditional English savory pies. Of course, we bought one! There are tons of prepared foods, ready for take-away. The Cannon brothers from Norfolk, specialize in British charcuterie, from Cornish air-dried lamb to Welsh salami and Scottish wild venison chorizo.
At one place, you could even buy glasses of Prosecco! That’s what I call civilized shopping!
The ever fabulous Neal’s Yard is also here with their stunning array of cheeses from farms all over the UK and Ireland. A wonderful place for us cheese lovers! We bought a couple of cheeses; the standout, without question, was Beenleigh, a blue from Ticklemore Cheese in Devon. It was absolutely to die for. Wish we could get it here!
Time for a break at Monmouth Coffee. What I read is true, they have wonderful coffee! Really crazy busy place! Of course, whenever we go to a food market we cannot resist buying something! So we were “forced” to buy a few things including gorgeous looking freshly made “real” English muffins for toasting the following morning. They were 1” thick and when you pry them apart with a fork, as the baker informed us was the correct way, they are full of bubbles so that once toasted, the butter oozes into the holes. Yikes, they were divine!
The folks who run Borough Market believe we deserve more than sitting at our computers eating another bland packaged sandwich and “crisps”. So, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 until 3, Green Market, a part of Borough Market, has a dedicated lunch market that becomes one of the finest canteens imaginable, featuring offerings from many of the regular stalls. On Friday’s there are even more choices and the Market is swarming with people at lunch time buying yummy things to eat like Indian curries, paella and Thai food, all of the highest quality. You can buy breads, cheeses, veggies and meats to create your own perfect sandwich or salad to satisfy your cravings that day! Those with a desire for a sweetie won’t be disappointed either!
We have our own Granville Island Market in Vancouver but it can’t hold a candle to Borough Market…sigh. I suppose we can only dream!
