Broadway Market

Today I woke up to a glorious day. Absolutely beautiful, the sun shining and warmth, spring smells and fresh air. It was too luscious to stay inside, so I met up with my friend Rose and we walked along Regents Canal to Broadway Market.

Just south of London Fields in Hackney, Broadway Market is a smaller, more intimate counterpart to Southwark's Borough Market. The stands are much more limited in number, but the food quality looked just as high and there was the welcome addition of antiques, vintage clothes, and handmade products like paper and jewelry.

Since the market stalls are all set up on a street (like a proper London street market, rather than Borough's clusters under a permanent roof), the shops along the street are also part of the market and really fantastic. There is a traditional English eel purveyor, a yarn shop, several butchers and groceries, clothing and antique stores, a tea room, and a few pubs.

Since it was so nice out today, the atmosphere on the street was lively and happy. The market was crowded and more than one stand had a line for its wares. I got a berry smoothie, and Rose got an interesting smoothie blend of ginger, beetroot, citrus, and spinach (it was tasty, but heavy on the ginger). Rose went on to get a bratwurst and a brownie for dessert, while I regretted eating a full English breakfast only an hour earlier.

Overall, I loved Broadway Market. It was a wonderful outpost in East London, and I only wish I lived closer so I could go there do my weekly shop!