Saturday 11 April 2009
Slow Food Market, South Bank, central London
From time-to-time this homage to food prepared with care and attention is set up next to the Southbank Centre. The market is a clutch of neatly-arranged stalls with white hoardings, bearing the Slow Food motif and the name of the retailer, each specialising in food from speciality breads to lavish cakes to sumptuous cheeses to fancy chocolates to fresh nettle juice to organic fruit and veg. The honey seller even brings a small bee hive. You will soon be hungry and fortunately some of the stalls offer hot take-away food. The carcass of a hog roasts on a spit, while the tantalising aroma of sea food paella wafts from enormous shallow pans. You can buy a plastic tray of the salty and rich paella with fat, juicy king prawns and calamari rings for £6. Nearby are tables under canvas where you can sit down and eat. Decent grub at prices slightly below those of Borough Market further down the Thames. 7/10