Photo Tour – Borough Market
This post was originally intended as a guest post for another blog. When I sent the post however, the recipient said they wanted to cut it down to one or two photos, which I thought wouldn’t really work for a photo tour. As they hadn’t set any specifications beforehand, I was also a little confused. No matter, I would have happily written another post or re-worked and edited it but there is one thing Food Stories will not accept people – and that is rudeness! One line e-mails and never once a single utterance of thank you for the effort – unacceptable in my book. I put a lot of work into the post and so thought I would share it here instead. I’ve since found criticism of the attitude of said person on the internet (from other bloggers) and so feel a bit silly for not checking them out before - you live and learn.
Anyway, let’s get started shall we? Borough Market is London’s oldest food market, and a big pull for chefs, tourists and locals alike, bursting with the finest produce. It is run as a charity, the trustees of which are all locals, living in the area known as Borough. The market has won many awards, including, ‘Best Market, ‘Best Specialist Market’, ‘London’s Best Breakfast’ (for Roast restaurant) and ‘Best Beer Experience’ (for The Rake pub). There’s something to cater for all tastes – foods from all around the world – and it’s easy to find more novel ingredients such as ostrich meat alongside traditional fare.
When I visited yesterday, the sun was shining and streaming through the ornate Victorian roof with it’s tangle of rail lines, bridges and listed buildings. The place was buzzing with an energy that only comes from visitors and producers who really love their food and a heady mixture of sounds, smells and voices. It’s overwhelming.
These guys above are from my favourite fruit and veg stall. That’s my money he’s holding! These two are always up for a laugh and have the most beautiful selection of tomatoes and berries. This is the place to go for a bit of friendly banter with your purchase.
Calling all chocoholics! This is a deliciously sinful stall just for you. In addition to these amazing slabs of pure chocolate, you can find chocolate brownies (seriously squidgy), coconut drops cakes (nuggets of fresh coconut bound with a sticky syrup) and just about everything you can think of covered, smothered or dipped in chocolate.
Feeling a bit guilty after all that sugar? Time to stock up on some fresh veggies then. For me, this is the way that vegetables should be sold – untrimmed, unwashed and making no apologies for coming right out of the ground. It makes me feel healthy just looking at them.
This jolly man sells the most gorgeous cider (drinking at 11 am seems perfectly normal here), either warm and spiced or traditional cold and not too fizzy. It’s poured straight from the barrel, dry, medium or sweet. As you can see, the seller likes to keep a pint on the go himself…
As I mentioned, you can buy foods here from many different cuisines, such as these French cured meats and 3 year aged Comte. We couldn’t resist buying a slab of that cheese which is salty, rich and creamy – brilliant layers of flavour.
Speaking of cheese, the market is home to a branch of the famous ‘Neals Yard Dairy‘ (see cheese seller above). These people take cheese very seriously – great emphasis is placed on storing the cheese properly and selling it when at it’s absolute best. A passion for the products is apparent from everyone and you find yourself constantly munching on samples, the air thick with wafts of different cheeses that are stacked floor to ceiling in lovingly placed rows.
The range of cheeses is impressive and there is something for everyone – even the more adventurous palettes – such as the oozing Milleens and Stinking Bishop below.
Want some bread for all that cheese? The variations are endless. One of my favourite destinations is DeGustibus, outstanding artisan bread makers whom I also saw recently at The Real Food Festival (pictured below).
They sell breads from five regions, America, Britain, Mediterranean, Continental and Eastern Europe – all using traditional methods to maximise flavour. There are many other bread stalls here too of course and I just couldn’t resist taking a picture of these beautiful baguettes, so fresh looking. I bet they have a wonderful crust and a soft, fluffy interior.
There’s a wide selection for the seafood lover too – the fresh fish gleaming on their elaborate display. Watch out flip flop wearers, it’s wet around there! I love how the roof is weighed down with bags of water, I half expected to see little goldfish swimming around in them.
I expect you’re getting a bit hungry after all this shopping – sample tasting aside – so how about one of these tasty lamb skewers, served with warm flat breads, tzatziki and salad. There’s plenty of snacks to choose from, sizzling chorizo sandwiches, burgers, bangers and seared, hand dived scallops which remarkably, were free!
And where to eat your lunch? Outside the adjoining Southwark cathedral of course. When built it was the first gothic church in London and the gardens provide some picturesque surroundings perfect for a Borough picnic.
To wash it all down, let’s make a final visit to the pub to quench our thirst with an ice cold pint of Sierra Nevada beer. This we actually discovered at The Taste Festival in Regent’s Park and were thrilled to find they have an outlet in Borough.
So, cheers everyone! It’s been a pleasure to show you around a little. I hope you enjoyed the mini visit – I certainly enjoyed being your guide. Even though this post didn’t reach it’s original destination (and I had to miss this month’s Daring Bakers challenge to write it), I’m always thankful for a good reason to visit Borough (even though it does put a strain on the wallet – it is a tourist attraction after all). I also want to give you a little heads up to watch this space over the next couple of weeks – I have some exciting projects in the pipeline for Food Stories. Over and out!
Category: Borough Market, Markets 32 comments »
June 30th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I love Borough Market, but never get much opportunity to go there, sadly. Your pictures really do it justice!
June 30th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
This was superb… really gave me a feeling of being there! excellent photos had my salivating.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
This sounds amazing Helen! I loved the tour and seriously need to get there some day. To me, that is what a market should be. I really feel like I was there. I am so glad you like Sierra Nevada – I am going to have to try it again soon. It is pretty big here in the States and it has been a while since I had a pint. I would say I will trade you a Sierra Nevada for a pint of that dry Cider…but since you now have access to both, you are all set!
Don’t worry about the writing gig too much. It is terrible the way you were treated. I used to be treated that way by a newspaper I used to write for. One article was all it took for me to realize that I was way out of their league when it came to politeness!
June 30th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Wonderful pics Helen! I love the comment about the cider..LOL. I had a bit of a chuckle about drinking at 11 am! Hope you’re enjoying the summer.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Wow, man I am green with envy. I would love to go there. Here in SA organic markets seem to be a novelty and I always feel ripped off and most of the stuff is SOOOO expensive. I understand that the farming methods are expensive, but I cannot justify paying R25.00 for a loaf of bread.
June 30th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Helen – I would love to know who the rude man was. Just so that i can visit his Blog and see how clearly stupendous it must be…
Don’t worry about it. In my short time in the food world, I’ve met some amazing people. Unfortunately, I have also met a lot of false, insincere, pretentious tme wasting idiots. The world of food is as fickle as the rest of it I am afraid.
Anyway, if it is worth anything, another great post from one of my fave Bloggers.
Cheers
Dave
June 30th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Wow! Very nice post indeed….well done!
June 30th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Helen, what a great tour you had:) Loved your pictures and story! I was especially intrigued by cheese:) they are so big and wow what a variety!
June 30th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
i wish all the cheese sellers looked like that. sierra nevada brewery is located not very far from where i live. how funny that a california beer is enjoyed across the pond!
June 30th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Oh YUM! And I’m going to Borough Market for the first time this weekend so I’m really excited to have a little tour in advance. Thanks for stopping by my blog – it looks as though Borough Market will be the place to look for more interestingly shaped veggies!
Lysy
June 30th, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Fantastic! Very envious. Very.
Love the photo of the bread in particular and am intrigued by the stinky cheese. The stinkier the better.
Also very curious about the rude blogger!
June 30th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
This is great — I’m keeping it on file for the next time I visit London (soon, I hope!) You’re right, I don’t see how this would have worked with just one or two photos.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:49 am
What a fantastic post with gorgeous pictures! Thoses cheeses and bread, just beautiful. The heck with who didn’t want this, they are crazy!
July 1st, 2008 at 10:00 am
I looooved those markets when I visited London awhile back. I was tempted to buy so much fresh produce like the amazing mushrooms, but we weren’t staying in London for long and were eating out every day, so it didn’t seem any point.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:11 am
I love Borough Market, but I rarely buy anything there as I do find the produce very expensive. I like to have a wander around and eat oysters and cheese samples!
Did you try the Stichelton from Neal’s Yard? I was instantly hooked.
And drinking mulled cider at 11am is the best! The raclette is my favourite nibble.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:17 am
Fabulous post Helen! The photos are super.
No way can you cut this down to 2 pics, it would hardly be a photo tour would it?
July 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Fantastic pictures!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Helen, great photos! They’ve encouraged me to want to go back one day, as I haven’t been in years. So thank you!
July 1st, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Great pictorial. And you go, girl for standing up for yourself!! This blogging business doesn’t pay us and if someone wants your great pics and writing, they’ve gotta at least be kind!
July 1st, 2008 at 9:03 pm
I loved that post Helen, it was great and you are right, it did need all the pictures!
I want some of that oozing cheeese, with a glass of cider
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:47 am
I love Borough Market!!! Especially the cheese stand – if only I could stand and taste all day long… yum, yum!
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:54 am
I am glad you posted it here as it wouldn’t be the same without the photos – they are gorgeous – would love to visit this place – and I don’t mind spending a bit more money at these markets for the good vibes, the good food and to keep the markets open (by the way, I am slowly working on that top ten photos tag but it is one of those projects which take time)
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Name and shame Helen… this is the internet after all, it’s what we do best… and in this instance, you have every right to express your opinion… I can only assume you signed up for a guest blogging stint and then got shafted by the editorial team… which doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.
As for the rest of this post, it was fantastic. I’m coming to the UK in September and have Borough Markets on the list of places to check out. Might see you there
Matt
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:12 am
Thanks for this great post – I feel like I have just had a little vacation! Loved it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Thank you all for your lovely comments about the post and also for your encouraging words about the rude, arrogant, shamelessly self-promoting, commercial and supercilious Benjamin Christie – Oops!
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I lived in Borough 20 years ago. It wasn’t as fancy back then.
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Oh my – I just read the comments. Benjamin C still up to his old tricks. Will he ever learn? And just realised you found our old food blog scool post on the subject. Sorry you had to put up with that. I gave up doing guest posts years ago – never worth the effor tin my experience!
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Lizzie – Sorry, missed your question before. Oh yes! I have tried the Stichelton. I totally agree – it’s fantastic! So creamy and tangy.
July 5th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
ooo I love Borough market, there’s nothing like it at all in Ireland!!1 Am going to London tomorrow if only it was on, on a Sunday
July 25th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Great photo tour – I realyl must dig out some of my photos of Borough and post them. I always taks a ton, then spend a year editing them by which time I have totally lost the urge to post!! As for the guest blog gig, really, the internet is full of people who think you are just dying to expend your energy to benefit them. Too rude for words! Glad you “inadvertently” told us who the guilty party was…
Jeannes last blog post..Deconstructed cherry pavlova "shots"
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Nice post! I subscribed, look forward to reading more!
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:50 am
Nice pics! My wife and I write free city guides, and we obviously take lots of photos to use in them. Borough Market is a brilliant place for photography, but I have to say I struggeld to get pics that I felt summed it up. Any tips?I have used some on our Borough Market page though…
http://www.free-city-guides.com/london/borough-market/