Throwing dinner parties are one of my favourite things: I like to think that I make up for what I lack in presentation (none of my plates match; there are never enough chairs) with enthusiasm for trying new recipes and baking cakes. But last Friday night’s soiree had to be extra-special, as it was serving a dual purpose: welcoming my friend Laura, who was in town visiting from New York, and thanking my pals Hetty and Ben for lending me their acting skills (and dignity) in a short film that we made earlier this month.
In other words? This was a job for Borough Market. Depending on who you ask, Borough Market is either extremely old, dating back to the thirteenth century, or very extremely old, dating back to Roman times. In either case, this sprawling market, just south of London Bridge, is the undisputed heart of London’s foodie culture. Wholesalers are there every weekday morning from 2 a.m to 8 a.m. (celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsey are often spotted making their selections), but amateur cooks like me shop at the retail market on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
If you do like cooking, it’s truly a food wonderland – the fresh game, fish, produce and other ingredients are like no other and will surely inspire you to push your established culinary boundaries. But even if you can’t tell the difference between a frying pan and a crème brulee torch, the market will delight you. There are plenty of exotic prepared foods, and free samples on offer at almost every stall, offered up by friendly workers who are passionate about their products and who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Indeed, there’s so much to try that you can enjoy what amounts to a free lunch, although I’ve never known anyone to be able to hold back from purchasing at least a few tempting tidbits.
Our browsing done – I was now supplied with a giant piece of salmon, a couple of bunches of organic asparagus and a very inexpensive kilogram of baby new potatoes - Laura and I bought wraps full of delicious roast and settled in to enjoy our lunch in the sunny grounds of the Southwark Cathedral, where almost every inch of grass was already occupied by other diners who were sighing blissfully as they chewed their way through their own lunches.
And dinner? Thanks to Borough Market, my guests left at 3:30 in the morning, they left not a scrap of food behind, and they left all of my mismatched plates stacked in the dishwasher. I think that can be chalked up as a success.
BOROUGH MARKET; 8 Southwark Street, London
