20. A Great Saturday AM Ritual: Pottering about Borough Market

Here's my $.02 (£.01?...) on one of most obvious-but oft overlooked places in London that makes London such an incredible place: Borough Market....

I have a confession:  I get up earlier on Saturday morning than I ever do during the week for work.  Crazy, I know-but this is what you do when want to be at Borough Market before 8.30am on a Saturday!  This is what you do to get the best pick of the fruit and veg, guarantee that the queue at Monmouth Coffee won’t be around the block, and ensure that the crowds are quiet enough to where you can actually have a chat with the traders without feeling like you're bothering them.

My love affair with Borough began almost four years ago when I first moved to this incredible city from Seattle, Washington (USA).  Seattle is known for many things-two of them being coffee and Pike Place Market-and my first visit to Borough was for what I heard was supposed to be one of the better places in London to find a good cup of coffee (heavily understated!)-and to take a peek at what the local produce looked like at a local farmers market.  It was supposed to be a one-off visit, and instead has turned into my Saturday AM ritual.

Borough has made me aware of food that I never knew existed (Jerusalem artichokes, patty pan, swedes...), introduced me to the most amazing goat’s cheese (Chidwickbury), given me the opportunity to buy meat that I know is fresher (and likely more humanely killed) than any chain can ever provide, and has in general turned me into someone who is more aware of what good, local produce can taste like.  I wouldn’t call myself a ‘foodie’, but I am more passionate about my food than ever before because of the time I spend at Borough.

So, if for some reason, you find yourself awake before 8am on Saturday morning, get yourself out of bed and head on over to Borough.  If you love food, I can’t think of a better place to be –and, where else are you ever going to possibly see a doggie in a pram in London?!?

Author: Kristina Smith
American Expat in London