Whitecross Street
London, EC1Y 8JL
Nearest Transport: Barbican
020 7378 0422
The sun was (finally) shining when I visited this bustling market/food festival which takes place on the first Friday and Saturday of every month, 11am-6pm, on the site of one of London's oldest street markets,dating back to mediaevel times. There are fantastic local and regional food producers (Neal's Yard Cheeses, Burnt Sugar fudges, Crumbs and Doilies cupcakes and more), and some from further afield. Lots of lovely things to sample or buy to eat as you browse - stuffed chillies, pies and tarts all looked great, but it was the gorgeous aroma of wild mushrooms cooking on Sporeboys mushroom stall that decided us - cooked with a little parsley and held between two slices of sourdough bread with some parmesan and a drizzle of oil, this was probably the best sandwich ever, and a recipe I'll definitely try at home...
The sun was (finally) shining when I visited this bustling market/food festival which takes place on the first Friday and Saturday of every month, 11am-6pm, on the site of one of London's oldest street markets,dating back to mediaevel times. There are fantastic local and regional food producers (Neal's Yard Cheeses, Burnt Sugar fudges, Crumbs and Doilies cupcakes and more), and some from further afield. Lots of lovely things to sample or buy to eat as you browse - stuffed chillies, pies and tarts all looked great, but it was the gorgeous aroma of wild mushrooms cooking on Sporeboys mushroom stall that decided us - cooked with a little parsley and held between two slices of sourdough bread with some parmesan and a drizzle of oil, this was probably the best sandwich ever, and a recipe I'll definitely try at home. You can take home cheeses, meats and pickles, and chat to the makers - the Bendgate pickles and preserves people from Yorkshire were particularly friendly and had lots of helpful recipe suggestions. Definitely worth a visit - and in September there's an extra 3 day market (21,22,23)to celebrate Islington car-free day. Sporeboys are also at the Covent Garden night market, but this is currently Bendgate's only London market, so worth a trip to EC1.