By LAUREN KELLY BROWN, AUGUST 2017
London is an amazing place of culture and diversity. By far my favourite part of this is the food. Yes, food! I am a massive foodie and love trying new cuisines from all over the world.The best places to fully immerse yourself in the wondrous smells and flavours of foreign delights are the various food markets that are dotted all over our glorious city. Another great thing about food markets? Samples. SO MANY SAMPLES. Unsure what you want to eat? Why not try a little bit of everything!
You can find pretty much any type of food at these markets, so don’t just stick to what you know. Try something new! Always remember to check the websites for opening times as not all markets are open every day.
Here are some of my favourites!
Borough Market – London Bridge Probably the most famous market in the city, Borough Market is definitely a must on your list of places to visit. I am blessed with being located in an office just minutes away and often find myself strolling through on my lunch breaks, soaking in the great vibes that exuberate from this place.
There’s something here for everyone; fresh produce, hot and cold meals to go, and of course – cakes! With over 100 traders to choose from, it can be tough to decide what stall to stop at.
Recommendations would be: Gastronomica – Fairly priced (and rather large!) sandwiches, filled with Italian cured meats various cheeses and salad Kappacasein – Grilled cheese. 5 types of onion. Sourdough bread. Cheese. YUM! Mountain’s Boston Sausage – Hand-made Lincolnshire sausages and deliciously mouth-watering gourmet burgers. Honestly, SO GOOD! Although quite frankly, I recommend everything. It’s all great!
Camden Market - Camden Ever since the tender age of 14, I have been a frequent wanderer of Camden’s bustling and vibrant streets. This is probably one of my favourite places during the summer months as there’s always something going on! Home to music venues that line every street and a vast, interesting array of stalls and stores – I could quite easily spend days here and still not have enjoyed everything this awesome place has to offer! The market is the go-to place if you’re feeling adventurous about your next meal. I’m a lover of all things spicy and here you’ll find spicy cuisine in abundance here! Of course, there are also burgers, cheesy chips and enough variety of cake to last you at least year – all equally as delicious. For me, the best part about eating in Camden market is the seating. As well as areas to sit all around the lock (great in the summer time!), there are seats made out of motorcycles overlooking the water and pop-up seating areas between the stalls, depending on current events in the area. For a truly unique experience, I highly recommend Camden Market!
Leather Lane Market - Chancery Lane Taking a visit to Leather Lane Market is a mouth-watering experience. The aroma from each and every stall on this street is intoxicating and I quite literally want to eat everything whenever I come here! There is so much variety and all of it is great. This is definitely a place for everyone, no matter what your preference in food as there is quite literally, everything to choose from. In terms of surroundings, there’s not a lot more to do apart from eat and browse the bric-a-brac – however, when there’s this much good food on offer, what else would you rather be doing?! Recommendations: Grill my cheese – As you may have noticed, I get quite excited whenever I talk about cheese. That’s because cheese is the best! So are these toasties, IMO. Daddy Donkey – The name is hilarious, but their burritos are nothing to laugh at. Seriously one of the best burritos I’ve ever had, but be prepared to queue!
Brick Lane Market - E1 Part food market, part flea market, Brick Lane is a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon (even if it can get a little chaotic!). Frequented by students and bargain hunters, the market has roots that go all the way back to the 17th century and it sits alongside the East London street which has been made famous for its Bangladeshi restaurants. An average plate of hot food costs around £5, which isn’t bad at all. There’s also plenty of street entertainment, so if you’re looking for something fun, quirky and different – head on over!
