Saturday Heaven: Borough Market

Borough market is one of my favourite places in London. If you love food and cooking, it is irresistible.

Usually I am so lazy that I rarely arrive before 11.30 but this weekend we had breakfast booked at Roast so were there for 9.15. Our Roast experience is going to be a subject of another post so I won't expand on it here!

It's amazing how quiet the market is even at 10.30: I'm used to it being absolutely packed and a struggle to get anywhere but this was a revelation. Am absolutely resolved to always arrive early and make sure I'm gone by midday when it gets too crazy!

There's so many photos in this post because I always want to take so many while I'm there. It's all so beautiful and I want to capture it. I'm always particularly drawn in by the fruit and veg: they're such a glorious rainbow array of fresh colour. Turnips is probably my favourite and most frequented: they have such a huge selection and all sorts of more unusual varieties you might struggle to find outside a food market.

My advice would always be to visit on an empty stomach. There are endless tempting tastes for you at every stall and I actually felt a bit cheated this time having eaten first!

I will allow a coffee for the lovely walk along the river from Embankment: also one of the most beautiful views of London and a happy way to start your weekend.

I have to admit than it wouldn't be a trip to Borough without a few drinks but then who wouldn't like to wander with a cold prosecco in hand?! That's my go-to drink (yes, I confess it, possibly even at 11am) but the New Forest Cider stall is also wonderful - they have mulled cider throughout the year as well as a surprising array of variations and they're amazing experts. In fact that's one of the special things about this market: all the traders are infinitely knowledgeable and passionate about their produce - and you won't get that at a supermarket! You'll be surprised what amazing value lots of it is too.

Weekend boozing aside, my favourite snacks/lunch are the fab scallops from Shellseekers or the freshly shucked oysters from Richard Hayward. I'm too scared to do my own oysters at home so they are a proper treat.

Best mulled cider in London

For possibly the first time ever I am without a shopping list, and winging it in terms of dinner (yes I'm usually a crazy planner). It's a lovely experience to just buy what I feel like (whether it goes together or not!) and take the advice of the stallholders. It ended up being so simple that I'm not even going to type a proper recipe.

Scallops from Shellseekers

The lovely gent at the fish stall (sadly I can't remember which) advises plaice fillets. I can't resist adding a few scallops but cook them later exactly as he suggest: hot frying pan for just a few minutes. They are meltingly fresh and delicious - a thousand miles away from the frankly uninspiring pre-packed salmon fillets on the supermarket shelves.

Vegetables? A wealth of possibility. I plump for jerusalem artichokes and roast them in a hot oven in olive oil, sea salt and rosemary. A salad love, I can't resist the selection here: sorrel, mizuna, winter purslane and red mustard make a herby selection that's lovely with the fish. I did also make a salsa verde but it was really too strong for a delicate fish like plaice: which for me tasted lovely just as it was.

Borough-inspired dinner

I think it's important to do at least one fun activity every weekend: it's all too easy to let our time off slip by without truly enjoying it.

We trek home at 3pm, tired but happy and carrying a heavy coolbag full of our bounty. A beautiful London Saturday outside and a fresh seasonal dinner to follow.

Borough: I love you. Food for the stomach but also, undoubtedly, for the soul.


To find out more about all the fantastic traders at Borough Market, visit http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/traders