Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London, UK
Open: Thurs 11a-5p, Fri 12p-6p, Sat 8a-5p
As a food lover I’m always inclined to visit good market whenever I travel. The name Borough kept on coming up so I paid a visit on my last day around the lunch hour. Conveniently located right by the London Bridge Tube station, Borough Market is a quick and easy jaunt if you’re out sightseeing.
Like many things in London, Borough Market has a long history. Dating back as far as 1014 (like that was even a year) London Bridge (near to the current market) attracted all sorts of food traders. If you fast forward to the 13th century, the traders were moved to Borough High Street and from that point on there has been a market in that area. Today the market is divided into 3 sections with a mix of about 130 permanent shops and temporary vendor stalls. The market is about 90% covered which I guess is a necessity based on London’s weather but as it isn’t really in a building I imagine it gets pretty chilly during the winter.
The market has the usual mix of goods on offer from fresh produce, meats, fish and cheese but also has a pretty solid prepared foods presence which is perfect for a lunchtime visit.
After doing some research there were two items I knew I had to try: the Chorizo sandwich and the toasted cheese.
I managed to find the Chorizo sandwich pretty easily and hopped into line. The sandwhich features a chorizo sausage that has been split lengthwise and grilled. It’s placed on a fresh bun that is drizzled with olive oil and is then topped with roasted piquillo peppers and rocket. You have the option of a double or single, which relates to the number of sausages. I opted for a single. Everything about this sandwich was fantastic. The sausage was perfectly spiced and the bit of the rocket and the texture of the pepper really worked well together. I almost bought another sandwich but decided to go on a quest for the cheese sandwich instead.
I walked in circles look for this cheese sandwich to no avail. I ended up standing in a corner with my super slow Blackberry trying to search for more information. As it turns out Ruth Reichl (former Editor in Chief of now-defunct Gourmet Magazine) said it was one of her favourite foods in London. Now I wanted it even more! I found the shop that sells them but unfortunately they are only available on Saturdays and I was there on a Sunday. WOMP WOMP. I have since learned that the sandwich isn’t even at Borough anymore but has moved elsewhere.
I ended up grabbing a duck confit sandwich from another stall (yes, I had two sandwiches for lunch). The duck was cooked in a giant pan within view and was placed on a fresh bun with a bit of rocket. The duck was great with the right mix of crispy bits, fatty bits and meaty bits. I think the sandwich really needed more rocket or something else to balance it out because the sandwich really felt like a lot of meat on a bun.
The market on a Friday at lunch was definitely hopping and some parts were super congested. If I lived in London I probably wouldn’t visit it often but it’s definitely a great stop if you’re in the neighbourhood.
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This has been in my places-to-go-to list for years and still haven’t been. I will have to search for the duck in the bun ( yeah, fatty bits and meaty bits sound so great).
I have not been and am not here on the right days to visit but my friend who I am staying with already wrote a post for my blog a couple of years ago.. so through your pics and hers, I can live vicariously. And vow to be back!
Love the Borough Market!
Borough has slowly over the years priced itself out of the market (pardon the pun) for good well priced food. It is just well over priced now, and apart form a few stalls and shops close by I wouldn’t return.
Shame you missed the cheese sandwiches, they are awesome.