Have you ever visited somewhere that transports you to a completely different world? Borough Market, located at the southern end of London Bridge, does exactly that. Wandering through the market, my eyes shoot in every possible direction. There’s so much to see, so much to do and so much to eat. Bright colours are splashed across stalls, sounds of sizzling and spluttering echo around me as heavenly scents travel from all directions – the stalls are screaming to me. Come to me, pick me, choose me!
It’s a Saturday in mid-November and Borough Market is bustling. Arguably at its liveliest, the market is lined with crowds of people following the trails of exotic street food and the endless amount of choice. People travel hundreds and thousands of miles to taste this food and the quality of the market and its produce is worth every single one of those miles.
‘No market compares to Borough Market’, someone says as they demolish some form of pastry. He’s right. Borough Market has been around for over 1,000 years and is London’s oldest food market – it’s iconic, and people love it. I can see why. Strolling around the market, I’m on a journey around the world. There’s cuisine from every corner of the globe - Mexican, Chinese, British, Italian, Japanese, Sri Lankan, Croatian… the list goes on. It’s a way to escape your normal life and experience a glimpse of another life.
One minute I’m in Italy, with its mouth-watering salami and pancetta; the next I’m transported to a world of truffles, olives and wines in Croatia. Before I can click my fingers, I’m in France, experiencing an array of cheese and wine and the next time I blink, I’m in Mexico – surrounded by an abundance of herbs, spices and chillies.
The market is a community. Many of the stallholders are producers – they’re farmers, fishermen, bakers and winemakers - they’re people that genuinely care about the produce they are making and selling and that’s perfectly clear as I wander around the stalls. It’s a place to talk to the stallholders, ask questions, explore their world of cuisine – to bond over a mutual love of food and drink.
I’m baffled by the amount of choice on offer to me as I walk the length of the market. It’s almost overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to look, never mind where to go. The air is filled with various aromas – each taking you to somewhere new. In fact, you could visit the market every day and probably still never have to have the same food twice – that’s how much choice there is.
As one visitor put it: ‘It really does show how multicultural London is now and I love it! In terms of food markets, it’s great. There’s so much choice and something for everyone’.
As I reach the end of one section of the market, I’m faced with a fruit and veg stall, Elsey and Bent. It’s display of produce is an explosion of colour – it’s vibrant, fragrant and appealing. It may be November, but the vibrancy of the produce transports me to somewhere tropical. I don’t feel like I’m in central London anymore. I’m in a foodie’s paradise.
The crowds are still thick. People are bumping into each other. They’re rushing to purchase the food they’re craving. There’s the odd disappointed face as stalls run out of produce but other than that, everyone’s happy. Perhaps unusually for Londoners, people are talking to each other. They have nothing in common but they’re socialising with strangers and bonding over one thing: food.
‘I’ve never been before but I had heard of it obviously, and I think one thing about that stands out is the overwhelming amount of people and all the different smells coming from each stall. I also think that the variety of food from a range of cultures is great because it means that you try something new. The area surprised me, I didn’t expect it to be under a bridge and thought it would be in a narrow street or something, but it didn’t really put me off trying the food. I think it is definitely a traditional market that you have to experience. There’s also a lot of history in and around the market, and I think that’s what really makes it an essential place to visit in London’, said one first time visitor.
I complete my visit with one final stroll from one side of the market to the other, savouring the scents, embracing the atmosphere and preparing myself to be transported back to reality.
I’m not typically one for visiting food markets – I just don’t like how scents collide and combine with each other. But there’s something about Borough Market that makes it different. It’s not only tolerable, it’s enjoyable. It’s exhilarating – a gourmet paradise. One of those places that transports you to a completely different world.
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