I’d been researching the whereabouts of good flea markets in London and the name “Borough Market” kept popping up here and there as a really popular place to go, but I kept dismissing it as it was a food market rather than a place to rummage for antique gems or vintage duds, which is what I was originally after. After our visit to The Shard we were making our way back to the tube station, down a little lane being buffeted by the bitingly cold wind, when I saw a sign for the Borough Market! (Haaaallelujah!) It’s essentially almost right at the base of the monumental building, and was just what we were after since we were both starving and it had turned out to be a bit of a grey, miserable day. And what better to pick up your spirits than a piping hot brownie fresh from the oven?

The down side to this place? No matter how hungry you are, you will not be able to try every single delicious morsel there is in this market! There are places selling burgers, traditional Cornish pasties, amazing cakes and pastries, cheeses and sausages made and brought fresh from local farms, and also a healthy helping of stalls piled high with delicacies from other lands, such as Turkish delight, kibeh (they were the best), and baklava. Meandering through the aisles of fresh fruit and vegetables was also fascinating. Strangely shaped tomatoes, a thousand different varieties of mushrooms, and just the sheer vibrant freshness of all this produce made me wish I could live here just so I could cook with such amazing ingredients – and of course taste them!

We spent a good two hours here at least, gorging ourselves on the sights and the food. Recommendations? The hot brownies, millefeuille and raspberry tart (pretty much everything) from the bakery that presents itself as soon as you walk through the market’s main entrance off Borough High St (Comptoir Gourmand), the lamb kibeh from the Lebanese stall (we had one, then went back for four), and the chorizo stall. And of course, a cup of mulled wine to wash it all down and warm your chilly bones. The Borough Market is not to be missed!

Check out their website and how to get there here.