In the MARKET
KEVIN MILNE KNOWS JUST THE SPOT FOR FABULOUS FOOD AND QUIRKY CLOTHES
Who can resist a great market? And surely the most enticing ones in the world are the famous markets of London? When I first lived in London in the 1970s, I was entranced by Portobello Market in Notting Hill, ostensibly a Saturday market which specialises in antiques and second-hand goods. You can get anything there including, as I was to discover a year too late, horse meat. We’d been delighted to find a butcher who sold mince and we enjoyed it – until an investigation revealed we’d been eating free-range nag.
If it is fabulous food you’re after, let me direct you to London’s Borough Market, which I visited recently. There’s been a market here, on this site next to London Bridge, since at least 1276.
Borough Market is a treat. I love the specialty food stalls – my favourite is an oyster outlet. You’ll queue here for at least 10 minutes to have your oysters shucked in front of you. You choose them individually – strong or mild, salty or not, English, Scottish or French, large or small. Ben, who runs the stall, will describe the day’s oysters with the enthusiasm of a wine connoisseur.
I had a half-dozen mixture with a tasty craft beer from a very special pub inside the market called The Rake. There’s nothing flash about it except the beer. It’s one of the world’s notable craft beer outlets and is packed most days. An American with a long beard turned up when I was there, with a beer publication pressed to his nose. “So! So this is…The Rake?” he stammered, as if just reaching Mecca. “What can we get you, bro?” asked the barman. “Oh, no. You tell me, sir,” he replied.
The Camden Market is a confluence of several smaller markets alongside the famous Camden Lock on London’s Regent’s Canal. Years ago, when I first visited, it was an intriguing, if dowdy, bric-a-brac market. But a $600-million investment has turned it into London’s fourth most popular tourist attraction. Camden Market gained its cred among younger buyers when it was discovered late singer Amy Winehouse hung out there.
This is the market for clothing, but even beyond clothing, the range is astonishing. I found a stall that sold breakfast cereals from all over the world. You don’t have to buy the whole box – just buy by the ounce.
As someone of challenged eyesight, I was also fascinated by a shop run by General Eyewear. It makes glorious artisan specs and sunglasses. They provide modern lenses, to your prescription, inside unused vintage frames that date back as far as 1810. Now that’s cool.
I adore London’s markets, and oops, I’ve not even told you about Petticoat Lane, Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Covent Garden markets. Not to mention Broadway, and Brixton, and Greenwich and Columbia Road...