The other weekend, on Caitlin's recommendation, Andrew and I headed south of the river to check out London's Borough Market. Caitlin had mentioned that this is her favourite market and one of her favourite places in London. The market has a long and impressive history. It is London's oldest fresh food market. Old is the right word; there has been a market in the vicinity for over 2000 years.

Located on the South bank of the Thames next to Southwark Cathedral, the Borough Market is the place to go for all your fresh produce needs. It's also a great place to pick up that extra something special you can't find in your local Morrisons (def: Woolies).


Think Pyrmont Growers Markets (PGM) on steroids. Not only is the Borough Market about four times the size of PGM, it's also about twice as crowded. Our visit coincided with lunchtime and it was standing room only.


The standard foodie delicacies (bread, cheese, olives etc) were on show but the market does have an obvious British and European slant. The vast number of cheese stalls must be a result of England's proximity the continent. I was in turophilic heaven! Especially as the cheesemongers were more than happy to let me sample their wares. In the Butcher's refrigerators alongside the lamb roast and beef mince we were slightly startled to see rabbit carcasses on sale. One butcher had a deer (headless and gutted) strung up outside his stall. Not something you see back home.


Although busy, lunch time was ideal timing for hungry fushies. It meant we had empty tummies ready to welcome borough market goodies. We stuck with classics and had burgers for lunch (Andrew - beef, Jess - lamb). Next time we may brave the lines and try the Venison burger. For take-home goodies we picked up some clementines (def: mandarins), kalamata olives and some dolmades. We're really missing Woolies' deli counter at Marrickville metro.

Although it was crowded and a tad expensive, the market was well-worth a visit. We'll definitely be back, if only for more olives and dolmades. I think I might take a proposed dinner plan next time so as to guide my Borough wanderings.