I spent a couple of hours wandering around Borough Market and the surrounding streets one afternoon last week experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the market. It was busy too with tourists and office workers alike... and yes, perhaps I tasted one or two of the delights on offer!
The first thing that caught my eye were these greenest of olives:
The trader explained these are picked young so they’re not as bitter and then are only lightly cured, which means they don’t lose their colour so much. I couldn’t resist them and left carrying a small pot!
There’s many samples on offer throughout the Market, for me it was cheese next. The smell of cheese as you walk around is strong and you know when the next cheese stall is approaching, it’s great!
This one stall asked customers not to taste their product – and tbh that was fine by me!
It's wheatgrass for smoothies
As well as cheese, bread, cured sausages, vegetables, fruit, meat and lunch there was plenty of fresh fish for sale. Over the fish on each of the fish stalls hung plastic bags of water, which had me bemused:
Did you know?
These bags deter the flies, and aren’t as one of the traders joked for the free goldfish when you spend £100! It’s a simple thing and it seemed to work – I’m not sure if it only works for fish – but I do wonder how this was discovered?!
Wandering over towards the Green Market area the smells of lunch intensified, as did the sounds of a choir practicing in the distance. Here I succumbed to a Raspberry & Chilli goats milk ice cream – no pictures I’m afraid – well it was yum and a warm afternoon and I didn’t want to drop it!
I was on the look out for Borough Market’s new clock – I’d read about it on Twitter before my visit – but when I looked up I didn’t expect to see this on the London skyline!
Heading further along Clink Street I was at the Golden Hinde which is right next to the Old Thameside Inn – a favourite haunt for office workers looking for some sun after work. The full-size reproduced galleon looks resplendent alongside both the old and modern buildings.
After a quick wander up to the Anchor Bankside to admire the view from there (another favourite riverside pub which featured in one of the Bridget Jones films), I headed back to Borough Market to have another look for their
. Unfortunately I still didn’t spot it and by the time I reached the new Market Hall to ask, it was shut for a private event.
So I’ll have to leave that for another day – if you’ve been did you see the clock that was unveiled on 25 June?
As I was back in the market, I decided to have another look around and discovered more delights. How beautiful and charming does this bike look, you wouldn’t think you were in the midst of a very busy city, would you?
My final tasting of the day was this Italian spreadable spicy salami – it sounds weird I know, but tastes divine. I didn’t buy any – as I wasn’t sure it’d make it home intact – but I’m going back for some soon. It’d be great on roast potatoes or pasta, or on its own!
