Borough Market food and coffee made a good excuse for a rainy Saturday walk in London. I started with a cup from Monmouth Coffee, followed by a Kappacasein cheese toastie and fresh oysters. Finally, I escaped the lunchtime crowds for a pint at the Globe Tavern.
This film premiered on 4 November 2018, which is the archive date for this article. However, the opening narration places the visit in September. It captures the market at the start of autumn, with umbrellas out and plenty of people looking for something to eat.
Watch my Borough Market food and coffee walk
Starting with Monmouth Coffee
My first stop was Monmouth Coffee. The queue stretched outside the shop, but I found that it moved quickly. Inside, the warm wood and busy seating area gave the place the rustic feel I associated with this corner of the market.
In the film, I describe the staff as helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to choosing beans. There was plenty to consider for coffee at home. On this visit, though, I wanted a cup to take with me.
I usually prefer to walk with my coffee here. Borough Market gives you so much to look at that a takeaway cup feels like the natural starting point. With coffee in hand, I headed back towards the stalls to decide what to eat.
Looking around the market stalls
The covered spaces were busy, with traders preparing food and visitors moving between the counters. I had not arrived with a fixed menu in mind. Part of the pleasure was seeing what caught my eye as I walked around.
In the opening, I talk about food markets as places to notice the change of season. September marks the shift towards autumn, even when the trees still look green. On this particular Saturday, the rain made something warm especially appealing.
There were plenty of possible stops. Rather than try to fit everything into one visit, I returned to an old favourite and left room for another taste afterwards.
A Kappacasein toasted cheese sandwich
Kappacasein was the next stop. I picked up a toasted cheese sandwich and stood outside with it while the market carried on around me. The bread was browned, with the warm filling tucked inside.
The blend of cheeses gave it a flavour that I found difficult to sum up in a few words. What mattered was that it was delicious, and just right for a cold, rainy day. I ate as I continued looking around the market.
In the film, I also mention the raclette served with potatoes. However, the toastie was my choice that day. It was a familiar favourite rather than something I was trying for the first time.
Fresh oysters from Essex
After the sandwich, I kept walking through the market and paused near the seafood stalls. Shells, lemons and signs filled the counter, while customers gathered to watch their orders being prepared.
The oysters were from Essex, as recorded in my original account of the visit. The camera follows the preparation at the counter before I try them. This gives a closer look at the food itself, as well as the activity around the stall.
I enjoyed the oysters and could see why the seafood counters were drawing a crowd. They made a different second stop after the hot cheese sandwich, and another reason to take time over a walk through the market.
A pint at the Globe Tavern
By Saturday lunchtime, the crowds had grown and the rain was getting heavier. I knew where I wanted to go next: the Globe Tavern, close to the market and the railway. A pint there brought the food walk to a comfortable close.
The pub also has a familiar screen connection. In the film, I point out its association with the flat in Bridget Jones’s Diary. For this visit, it was simply a welcome place to step away from the weather.
The final walk back towards the station gave me time to look back over the morning. Monmouth Coffee, the Kappacasein toastie and the oysters had each earned their place in the day. Together, they made a satisfying route through Borough Market.
