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A London Christmas 2007: Food & Flower Markets
 
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"To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,
Home again, home again, dancing a jig; To market, to market, to buy a fat hog; Home again, home again, jiggety-jog..."  Our guide to the best London markets for festive food and flowers will certainly have you jiggety-jogging all the way home. Faced with all that fresh produce you'll be pleased you avoided the neon lights of the faceless supermarkets where you wouldn't know if your sprouts have come from Timbuktu or Taunton. Highlights include a trip to Borough (the "larder of London"), and Columbia Road for fresh flowers, Christmas sprigs and the must-have mistletoe. Get ready to pucker up. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A London Christmas 2007: Related Articles Traditional London Christmas Map Traditional London Christmas Guide (Printable Version) Sugar & Spice | Hotel Hideaways | Food & Flower Markets | Traditional Toys | Ice Skating | Festive Fairs | Shows & Pantos | Christmas Lights | Tinsel & Trimmings | Christmas Day & Boxing Day | Carols & Services | New Year | Fish & Fowl | Greens, Cheese & Delis   Lots of Fish... Billingsgate Market Trafalgar Way, E14 5ST Tuesdays to Saturdays 5:00-8:30 Originally a general market for corn, coal, iron, wine, salt, pottery, fish and other goods, Billingsgate is now the only London-based market dedicated to fish. 16th-19th century From the sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century, fish and seafood were sold from stalls and sheds around the 'hythe' or dock at Billingsgate. Today The current market - a more modern manifestation overlooking Canary Wharf is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5am to 8.30am with one trader based here on Sundays - John Stockwell Ltd specialising in shellfish (from 6am to 8am). The market is mainly aimed at wholesalers although it is open to the general public and the sight of the working market is worth seeing. In addition to a wide selection of fish and fish products, there are a few traders dealing in poultry, cooking oils, potatoes, trade sundries and specialist restaurant and catering supplies. If you are here to buy there is a half a stone limit when it comes to buying fish (this may vary with individual traders offering mixed boxes). Your best bet is to get there early if you want the catch of the day. Children under 12 not allowed. Address: Trafalgar Way, E14 5ST Phone: 020 7987 1118 Timing: Tue to Sat 5:00-8:30. Closed on Tuesdays following a Bank Holiday Monday. Nearest Station: Canary Wharf Tube Billingsgate Market - Information  Borough Market
Southwark Street, SE1 1TJ Thu, Fri and Sat and daily from 20th Dec to 24th Dec (Christmas Eve) 2007 Nestled in-between Borough High Street, Bedale Street, Stoney Street and Winchester Walk lives "London's Larder", more formally known as Borough Market . This gourmand's delight is London's oldest food market and boasts a mouth-watering range of fresh food stalls under its Dickensian wrought-iron roof. You can get everything you need for a very special gourmet Christmas dinner here. Turkey and all the trimmings, organic vegetables, fruity Christmas puddings, the full works. But just because it's a market doesn't mean it's cheap - and some of the delicious goods can leave you feeling out of pocket. Savvy shoppers take care to browse around for the best deals. So certainly feel free to do a little window shopping before you buy and you'll find there are plenty of goods to be had at reasonable prices. Extended Christmas Opening Hours: Thu 20th Dec 2007 11:00-19:00 Fri 21st Dec 2007 12:00-18:00 Sat 22nd 2007 Dec 9:00-16:00 Sun 23rd 2007 Dec 10:00-16:00 Mon 24th (Christmas Eve) 2007 Dec 9:00-14:00 Fri 28th Dec 12:00-18:00 Sat 29th Dec 9:00-16:00 Address: Southwark Street, SE1 1TJ Timing: Thu 11:00-17:00, Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-16:00 and daily from 20th Dec to 24th Dec (Christmas Eve) 2007 Nearest Station: London Bridge Tube / Rail Borough Market - Information  Broadway Market
East London, E8 4PH Saturdays 9:00-17:00 Broadway is a great little market that stars in David Cronenberg's recently released film 'Eastern Promises', a gripping thriller set and shot in contemporary London. It's certainly worth the trip down there for the tremendous variety of goods at prices well below those at the more famous markets in town. There's a good selection of organic food including rare breed pork, veal and venison, sea food and fresh fish, handmade cheese butter and butter milk, fair-trade coffee, and organic breads, cakes and pastries. You'll end up grazing as you go when you come to stock up on all the ingredients you need for a Christmas feast. And, while you're there, you can do some present scouting too; stalls selling everything from food to clothes are here. Hidden gems include the Marissa V clothing stall and Kate Garwood Ceramics - a little-known but fantastic potter. Broadway has a rich tradition of providing produce for the city; in years gone by, livestock would travel through what is now Broadway Market from London Fields - the last common grazing area - before their final stop at Slaughter Street in Brick Lane or East Smithfield. Broadway was also one of the original chartered open markets in London. It's good to see it is still as popular today and set to become a whole lot more famous after its starring role on the big screen. Address: East London, E8 4PH Timing: Saturdays 9:00-17:00 Nearest Station: Bethnal Green Tube Broadway Market - Information  Columbia Road Market
Columbia Road, Hackney, E2 7RG Sundays 8:00-14:00 Lined with chic boutiques, every Sunday this historic street fills with a bright patchwork of hundreds of flower stalls. Columbia Road is the capital's most colourful and sweet-smelling market. At this time of year the market is crammed with Christmas trees (from 2nd December) in every shape and size, as well as holly, ivy and the all-important mistletoe. Cut flowers, shrubs, bedding plants and other horticultural delights are also for sale as well as topiary trees, pot plants, hanging baskets, bulbs and bouquets. While the 52 stalls only sell flowers and plants, the neighbouring shops and yards sell everything to cater for the green-fingered, from pots to potting soil. With most of the traders being based in Essex, many of the plants and flowers are grown and produced locally, reducing the impact on the environment. There are plenty of attractive cafes, pubs and stalls where you can make a pit-stop; Treacle is a personal favourite for a reviving cuppa. If travelling to the market by Tube, Old Street is the nearest station. Turn left on exit, walk along Old Street into Hackney Road and after 200 metres turn right into Columbia Road. Just be careful where you put that mistletoe on your way home. In addition to the regular Sunday market, there's a special late night Christmas market on Wednesdays (5th, 12th and 19th December) between 5pm and 9pm with over 40 shops selling everything from bespoke perfume at Angela Flanders to vintage fashion - try Marcos & Trump or Abe for designer wedding dresses. Address: Columbia Road, Hackney, E2 7RG Phone: 020 7377 8963 Timing: Sun 8:00 - 14:00 Nearest Station: Old Street Tube Columbia Road Market - Information  Covent Garden Christmas Food Market
Covent Garden Piazza, WC2E 8RF Wednesday 12th - Sunday 23rd December 2007 The celebrated piazza of central London's former fruit and vegetable market returns, for twelve days this Christmas, to its original purpose. The Covent Garden Christmas Food Market runs from the 12th until the 23rd of December in the East and West Piazzas following the success of late night Thursday markets held here this summer. The food has a festive focus with meats for the roast, organic seasonal vegetables and fruits, smoked fish, oysters and, for afters, plum and figgy puddings, mince pies, finishing off with chocolates and Stilton. Why not? It's Christmas after all. The covered market will be beautifully lit and buzzing with a series of aerial acrobatics, some suspended from giant balloons high up in the sky and performance art by Australian troupe Strange Fruit. There's also an environmentally commendable Christmas decoration swap shop (Thursday 6th to Sunday 23rd December) as well as more traditional activities like children's storytelling and carols from the St Paul's Choir (select dates). See www.christmas-deluxe.com for details. Venue: Covent Garden Piazza Date: Wednesday 12th - Sunday 23rd December 2007 Time: Mon to Sat 16:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-18:00 Pricing: Free Nearest Station: Covent Garden Tube Covent Garden Christmas Food Market - Information  Leadenhall Market
Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0DR Mondays to Fridays 7:00-16:00 Leadenhall Market is a restored Victorian covered market that sells traditional game, poultry, fish and meat. Although there has been a forum (market place) on where Leadenhall Market stands today since the first century AD, the current wrought iron and glass building was designed in 1881 by Sir Horace Jones (architect of Billingsgate and Smithfield markets). Close to the Lloyd's of London building and the Bank of England, it's a popular place for city workers on lunch break so the best time to visit is early lunchtime as it gets very busy by 1pm. It's open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 16:00 and is found in Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street. Leadenhall is not only a scenic market place which makes for a lovely stroll around, it also sells some of the finest food in London. HS Linwood & Son, for example, has been serving the catch of the day since the 1980s and on Fridays a cluster of additional food stalls take over the centre of the covered market. Address: Whittington Avenue, off Gracechurch Street, EC3V 0DR Timing: Mon to Fri 7:00-16:00 Nearest Station: Monument Tube Leadenhall Market - Information  Marylebone Farmers' Market
Cramer Street Car Park, off Marylebone High Street, W1U 3BN Sundays 10:00-14:00 Marylebone village is one of those areas of central London that really does have a village feel. And this weekly Marylebone Farmers' Market, opened on 22nd June 2003, helps to compound that feeling as you stroll around its stalls displaying freshly picked produce. Currently the largest farmers' market under the London Farmers' Markets umbrella, there are 30 stalls to peruse. Pick up a hamper of Christmas preserves from Sadie Jennings, of Kush Cuisine www.kushcuisine.com (on the 2nd and 9th December), containing apple and cranberry jam, strawberry, fig and orange jam and five-fruit and whisky marmalade. Also look out for Farm 2 Kitchen's traditional 'Festive Tudor' pie, fit for a king and made using locally-sourced ingredients. Christmas trees, wreaths and fragrant cones are also on sale as well as expert chilli growers, Edible Ornamentals, who can help turn up the temperature on a cold winter's morning. Once you've had your fill at the market you can slip down a side street and visit Marylebone's shops, cafes and restaurants; on Moxon Street La Fromagerie and the Ginger Pig (who also have an excellent charcuterie in Borough Market) are not to be missed. Walk towards Bond Street and you'll come across the Wallace Collection which is certainly worth a stop-off. Or go via the pretty, pedestrianised St Christopher's Place passage and you can be on Oxford Street in five minutes with Selfridges nearby. Address: Cramer Street Car Park, off Marylebone High Street, W1U 3BN Phone: 020 7704 9659 Timing: Sundays 10:00-14:00 Nearest Station: Marble Arch Tube Marylebone Farmers Market - Information  Pimlico Road Farmers' Market
Orange Square, corner of Pimlico Road and Ebury Street, SW1W 8LP Saturdays 9:00-13:00 On an average Saturday you'll find a small gathering of around 25 stalls in this pedestrianised space outside La Poule au Pot. There's an intimate, friendly atmosphere at Pimlico Road Farmers' Market , which is helped by the farmers and stall owners (largely from nearby Kent, Surrey and Sussex) offering free samples and snippets of advice. For Christmas, you can stock up on organic meats and goodies like celeriac, parsnips and carrots, all fresh from the growers. Freshly baked mince pies come from Flourish Bakery, based in Tottenham, while London's own Flour Power Bakery presents traditional stollen bread from their outlet in Surrey Quays. Christmas hampers are a great way to stock up the larder over the festive feasting period and the ones you'll find here, by Popina, come crammed with organic delicacies like chocolate chestnut tarts and pear, stilton and walnut tarts. This part of Pimlico is especially picturesque, with the market in place on a crisp Saturday morning - and with Daylesford Organic across the road - you really are spoilt for choice when it comes to some of the best free-range and preservative-free food. Address: Orange Square, corner of Pimlico Road and Ebury Street, SW1W 8LP Phone: 020 7704 9659 Timing: Saturdays 9:00-13:00 Nearest Station: Sloane Square Tube Pimlico Road Farmer's Market - Information  Slow Food UK Market
Southbank Centre Square, outside the Royal Festival Hall, SE1 8XX Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd December 2007 Where your food comes from is fast becoming a factor when it comes to choosing what you eat. So London's first slow food market is a welcome addition to the capital's Christmas shopping options. Slow Food UK, the organisers behind the market on Southbank Centre Square, outside the Royal Festival Hall, are all about locally-produced food, grown in a sustainable way without compromising on taste. So you can buy your meat, sprouts and spuds knowing that they've been produced with minimal harm to the environment. With more than 20 stalls offering fresh and preserved foods, as well as sustainably-produced craft products you'll have plenty to put on the plate come Christmas. And, because the market runs almost up to Christmas Day, you can rest assured that you're getting produce at its freshest. Venue: Southbank Centre Square, outside the Royal Festival Hall Address: Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX Phone: 0871 663 2501 Date: Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd December 2007 Time: 11:00-20:00 Pricing: Free Nearest Station: Southwark Tube Slow Food UK Market - Information  Smithfield Market
West Smithfield, EC1A 9PQ Mondays to Fridays 4:00-12:00 For tenants of Smithfield Market getting up in the dark is nothing out of the ordinary; with the market opening at 4am these hard-working folk start when London's clubbers are just going home. As one of the oldest and most attractive markets in London, Smithfield is a must-see. Steeped in history, there's been a lively trade in livestock on this ground since the 10th century when horses, swine and oxen were sold in the 'smooth field' on Fridays. It's this smoothness which is said to be where Smithfield gets its name. Today, meat, poultry, cheese, pies, and other delicatessen goods are available for wholesale here so the crowd it attracts largely consists of butchers, restaurateurs and caterers. The central avenues allow customers to walk through the market but to get a closer look clean, protective gear must be worn. The market buildings which still stand and operate today were designed by City Architect Sir Horace Jones in 1866. Rail was taking off at that time and the East and West Buildings were built above new lines connecting London to every other part of the country, enabling meat to be delivered directly to the market. A recent £70 million refurbishment has created a thoroughly modern, temperature-controlled environment inside a magnificent Grade II listed Victorian building. A visit to the market is all about soaking up the atmosphere - and dropping into gastro pub Smiths opposite for pint with the papers. Address: West Smithfield, EC1A 9PQ Phone: 020 7236 8734 Timing: Trading hours: Mondays to Fridays 4:00-12:00 Pricing: Free Nearest Station: Farringdon Rail / Tube Smithfield Market - Information  Stoke Newington Farmers' Market
William Patten Primary School, Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0NX Saturdays 10:00-14:30 All the produce at Stoke Newington Farmers' Market is organic, biodynamic or wild - and it was the first farmers' market in the UK to do so. It's a truly local market as all produce is sold by the people who grew, reared or produced it themselves and who come from within 100 miles of Hackney. The market was set up in May 2003 by Growing Communities, a social enterprise run by local people in Hackney, to enable residents in the borough to buy locally-produced food, managed in a way that benefits the environment. Participating farms include Stocks Farm in Essex, Ripple Farm and Perrycourt Farm, both in Kent. Such farms bring their in-season, organic produce into town every Saturday including greenhouse salad leaves, aubergines and peppers, organically farmed trout, lamb and chicken. The great benefit of buying direct from the people who produced your food is that you not only get the freshest of food stuffs but you also leave with a satisfied smile, knowing that you've made a small but significant victory over the supermarket giants. Address: William Patten Primary School, Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0NX Phone: 020 7502 7588 Timing: Saturdays 10:00-14:30 Nearest Station: Manor House Tube Stoke Newington Farmers Market - Information
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