Food Market Review: Borough Market. I’m lucky to live a fifteen-minute walk from the foodie heaven of Borough Market. Visit if you’re looking for the best food markets in London, places to eat near London Bridge, or you want to buy fresh produce and artisan food. It’s a must for all food lovers.
Busy Borough Market
Borough Market Food Stalls and Shops
You will find a selection of stalls and mini-shops dotted around the large market, so make sure you see them all! I’ll list a few of the Traders to give you an idea of what you can expect. Try Chegworth Valley, Elsey & Bent, Ted’s Veg, Paul Wheeler and Turnips for fresh produce. They sell British-grown fruit, veg, salad, herbs and wild mushrooms.
Fresh Produce
Cheese lovers will be so happy because there is so much choice. Some sellers include Alsop & Walker, who are East Sussex cheesemakers, and Blackwoods, a Brockley (London) based cow’s milk cheesemaker. The big Neal’s Yard Dairy shop is well worth investigating for British cheese. For imported cheese, try the Borough Cheese Company. Swiss cheese is available at Jumi Cheese and Mons. If you want a comforting toasted cheese sandwich or raclette, find the Kappacasein shop. There are more cheese stalls and shops, so try a little nibble (of cheese) at each!
Cheese
Meat lovers will be content with a good selection of cured meats from Brindisa, the Spanish food importer. Also, try The Parma Ham and Mozzarella Stand for their regional cured meats from Italy. If you want to try ostrich or unusual meat, seek out the Exotic Meat Co. Ginger Pig, famous for British meat products and a favourite of many restaurants.
Brindisa Spanish Foods Shop
Seafood and fish are plentiful. Try Applebee’s Fish which is a café, and fishmongers. Oak & Smoke sell smoked fish; Richard Haward and the Wright Brothers specialise in oysters. For fish and hand-dived scallops from Devon, try Shellseekers Fish & Game.
Richard Haward’s Oysters
Baked goods can be found at Bread Ahead, which also runs a bakery school. For rye bread, try Karaway Bakery. Comptoir Gourmand sells fabulous French-style cakes and pastries. Local Bermondsey bread and pastries can be bought from Olivier’s Bakery. The Flour Station is the place for artisan sourdough bread. Confectionery and sweet treats are available from Gelateria 3Bis, a traditional Italian gelato shop. The Greedy Goat serves natural goat’s milk ice cream if you fancy trying something a little different. You can buy chocolates from So Chocolicious and handmade fudge from Whirld.
Baked Goods
There is a lot more available, including dry pasta, fresh pasta, olive oil, truffles, eggs, spices, preserves, condiments, and the list goes on.
Borough Market Restaurants and Street Food
I’ve lived in the vicinity for a year now, so I have managed to eat at a few restaurants in Borough Market and nearby. I can recommend these places: Roast: Located in the iconic Floral Hall building, Roast serves British dishes made from Borough Market fresh produce. Brindisa: The perfect place to try tapas and make sure you buy some food to take home from their shop in Floral Hall. Fish!: If you want excellent fish and chips, you must visit this restaurant. Arabica: For healthy and super tasty Middle Eastern dishes, visit Arabica.
Brindisa Restaurant
El Pastor: I love the tacos here; really tasty and super cute! Arthur Hooper’s: Overlooking Borough Market, this eatery and bar serve seasonally inspired small places sourced from local traders at the market. You will see long queues outside Padella, which serves pasta dishes. I will try to eat there if the line ever subsides!
Padella Queues
If you work in the vicinity or you’re a tourist looking for a quick bite, try the street food stalls and hot food counters. You can sample salt beef bagels and sandwiches, paella, falafel wraps, pies, fish and chips, empanadas, wild mushroom risotto, scotch eggs, salt and pepper chilli squid, hot waffles, soul food, Indian food and more.
Salt Beef Bagels and Sandwiches
A few of my favourites include the toasted cheese sandwich from Kappacasein, halloumi wraps at Gourmet Goat and chips from Fish! There are a few pubs in the area if you fancy a pint. Try the famous Market Porter on Stoney Street.
Toasted Cheese Sandwich from Kappacasein
Monmouth Coffee is the perfect place to get your caffeine fix. If you want to be healthy, buy organic juice with a shot of wheatgrass.
Borough Market Information
Borough Market
To learn more about this historic food market, established in 1756, go to the Borough Market Website. As you explore the site, take a good look around because you will spot something interesting, like the ‘Rents’ board and the green metal and glass roof. Since writing this article, a new food court area has opened up called The Borough Market Kitchen which you can read about here. Borough Market is opposite London Bridge underground station Borough exit. Or you can walk from Borough station. The address is 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL. The market is open Monday to Saturday, but please note that Mondays and Tuesdays it is a limited market. Opening times are generally 10 am until 5 pm but open until 6 pm on Friday. During December, the market is usually open on Sundays.
Author: Homegirl London. Photographs: Homegirl London.
