We love Greenwich Market

When Hubby and I first moved to London, I knew that the city was famous for its local markets, but I didn’t really think much about them.

From what I had heard, they were mostly places where you could buy things like cheap luggage, last season’s fashions (in sizes that were too small for me) and cheap fruit and vegetables. You know, like the market on EastEnders, but without all the drama (hopefully!). The fact that our local market – in Lewisham – sold a similar range reinforced this idea in my head.

Then, one weekend an old work friend from Scotland sent me a text. Hubby and I had been living in London for a few months and she’d been in London for over a year (and had lived here when she was younger too). We’d been meaning to meet up for a while and she suggested Greenwich Market.

It seemed like an odd suggestion – what would we do at a market other than look at ‘handmade crafts’ from China and eat fresh carrots? But, she knew London better than me, so I agreed. Besides, it was easy to get to and my newish-to-London self was happy with that. Plus, I didn’t yet have a smartphone to guide me around when I got lost (how did I do anything without my smartphone?).

So the day came and I plopped myself on a bus, then a DLR train to Greenwich. I met my friend at the train station, she gave me a quick tour and I quickly fell in love with the town. The trendy London atmosphere, the architecture at the Old Naval College, the burned-out hull of the yet-to-be-rebuilt Cutty Sark, the grassy expanses of Greenwich Park and the charming observatory perched high on the hill.

Then we went into the market.

The market was full of stalls selling some lovely crafts and handmade goods – toys, clothing, jewellery, soaps, candles, photographs, paintings – and it wasn’t the tat that I’d seen at other markets.

And then there was the food. It was like an exhibition of world food and it all smelled delicious.

Oh – did I mention the cakes? *swoon*

That first day, I opted for an African curry. I can’t remember which country it was supposed to be from, but it was something I’d never had before and it tasted amazing. I got home that afternoon raving about the market and told hubby we were going back the next week. Even with his picky taste buds, I was sure there’d be something he’d like.

And I was right. He loved it too and Saturday lunch at Greenwich Market quickly became a bit of a habit.

Now that we live farther away, we don’t make it to Greenwich Market as often (it’s probably better for our waistlines anyway). But, we do go on occasion for a treat.

It has changed a lot since those first visits – there are new vendors, it seems much busier and even the layout of the stalls is bit different.

But it still has a scrummy array of food to choose from and a lively ambience that even the baby enjoys.

On our latest trip, I spotted a new-to-us food vendor selling empanadas. They were so good and I gobbled mine down before I remembered to take a picture. I did manage to get a photo of the stall selling them though.

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Hubby opted for a roast beef sandwich.

Our favourite thing about these sandwiches is the cheese that they put on top. They have this wondrous device that blasts a flame at a block of cheese.

When the right amount has melted, they swivel the block of cheese around and with a big spatula, scrape the molten cheese off and onto your sandwich. It’s fun to watch, makes a fantastic sound and tastes fantastic.

Once we finished eating, we had a wander around and I snapped some photos of the other foods on offer.

We looked at the crafts and other goods too, but most of those vendors don’t like you taking photos. It’s a shame, because there are some wonderful things that I’d love to talk about here, but most of the sellers are worried about their ideas being stolen. I guess I can understand that, but I’m not sure that it’s really the best business choice.

While I can accept the reasons for the arts and crafts vendors to not want photos shown, there was a cupcake seller who shouted at me for taking photos of her cupcakes. She was very rude about it, especially considering there were no signs up about photos being prohibited. And, to be honest, there was nothing special about the way the cupcakes looked anyway. Just a swirl of frosting. I might have understood if they had really nice sugar work or something.

I went back and told hubby about the nasty cupcake lady and pointed out her stall. That’s when I realised that she was selling vegan cupcakes that were also gluten- and sugar-free.

“No wonder she’s so mean,” I said to Hubby. “She makes cupcakes with no happiness inside.”

To cheer me up, we decided to get churros. They make them on the spot, using a big machine that looks like an industrial Play-doh Fun Factory. Then they fry them, roll them in cinnamon and sugar and fill them with your choice of dulce de leche or chocolate.

Chocolate for hubs, caramelly goodness for me.

I quickly forgot about the mean cupcake lady and Pumpkin got a little taste of my churro before I gave her a fresh carrot. (mean mummy) 🙂

Have you ever been to a London market? What’s your favourite? While I love Greenwich, I’m always happy to try something new – so suggestions in the comments please. 🙂

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Greenwich Market is open most days, but the items on sale vary depending on the day of the week. To find out more, visit its website.