I’d been meaning to get to Borough Market for aeons. To be honest, I can’t believe I haven’t been before.
February half term brought with it bright unseasonably warm weather. A perfect time to pack up en famille and head to the capital for a little bit of culinary and cultural sustenance with an afternoon Bank Side at Borough Market and a whistle-stop tour of Tate Modern.
Borough Market is a foodie mecca. I’m sure I read somewhere that the fruit and veg stalls are the most Instagrammed in, where was it now….London, the UK, I’m not sure. But let’s not let facts slow me down, I’ll continue. So, yeah, it’s a big deal of a place to the Insta foodie brigade, and I can see why.
We arrived slap bang in the middle of the lunchtime rush and the place was packed. Suits queuing up for their sandwiches, tourists taking pictures and an assault of smells and sounds. We did a slow tour round, taking in the various fair that it had to offer. And settled on some fresh juices to sip while we sauntered along, deciding to eat on our return leg of the afternoon.
Moving away from the temporary stalls and street foods, there are plenty of fixed stalls and shops in the market too. The likes of Chegworth Farm Shop brimming with the freshest of fruits and vegetables, Brindisa Spanish Foods for everything Iberian and The London Gin Co. for booze, booze and more booze, of all kinds, each an opportunity to stop and browse and chat and to also sample some cherry Bourbon.
What I ate
Spoilt for choice, I was adamant that my selection would be something that offered a depart from the norm, so I steered away from the more standard market offerings of pulled pork and pie & mash, and settled on a salt beef sandwich from a stall that sold just that on bagels or rye. The sandwich, two layers of light rye bread studded with caraway seeds, topped with slaw, pickles, mustard and salt beef brisket, was possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten. On reflection, I went a little heavy on the mustard. After chatting to the server, I got caught in the moment and nodded my head in agreement to any additions he suggested. “Extra Mustard”, hell, yeah!
What to expect
There is a bit of everything at Borough Market. Bars, cafes, butcher, baker, you get the idea. It’s brimming with fresh food, deli goods, unusual fair and market staples, everything from regional UK cheeses through to cured meats and heaps of Calabrian Nduja.
How we got there
We took the train to London Bridge, from there it’s a short walk of 5 minutes or so. We made an afternoon of it, starting with reconnaissance at Borough Market before walking along Bank Side past The Globe to the Tate Modern. Then returned back to the market as it was winding down and the crowds had subsided. We went on a Thursday when the full market is on from 10:00-17:00. Look here for market hours.
History of Borough Market
I had the impression that the market had changed. Of course, I have no previous version to compare it to, but nonetheless, I imagined more traditional market stalls. This view is substantiated in Borough Market’s history. After a few decades of increasing supermarket shopping and the decline of the wholesale market, an interest in artisan foods in the 90s saw the start of Borough Market’s renaissance.
Will I go back?
I feel that both familiarity and frequency would be rewarded. Like anywhere, a bit if inside knowledge goes a long way and I can’t wait to go back.