My visit to KERB Camden Market in October 2016 began with an errand for the workshop. I needed frankincense and myrrh before the Christmas season, but a trip to Camden also meant coffee, a wander through the markets and something good for lunch. The newly changed street food area gave me another reason to look around.
From the Roberts London archive: this film was published on 9 October 2016. It records the traders, food and streets I encountered then. Prices and transport arrangements mentioned in the video belong to that visit.
A first look at KERB Camden Market
I arrived by Tube and walked towards the lock. On a previous visit, I had known the food area as the Global Kitchen. This time I wanted to see what had changed under KERB, and where its part of the sprawling market began and ended.
The difference I noticed straight away was space. There seemed to be fewer stalls packed together, with more places to sit and eat. I made an initial circuit, then left the serious lunch decision until after coffee and shopping. Later, a look from the first floor helped me get a better view over the area beside the lock.
Camden can feel like several markets threaded together. Even with signs around, it was not always obvious when I had crossed from one section into another. That slightly confusing layout was part of the pleasure of wandering through it.
Coffee at Lantana
The café I was looking for had been called Ruby Dock on an earlier visit. It had since taken the Lantana name, which I knew from its other cafés. I bought a takeaway coffee and tried it outside. The service felt chaotic that day, but the coffee was good.
There was also an outdoor grill, although I did not try the food. This was simply a coffee stop before heading deeper into the market. The shorter Lantana Camden Market film and article cover that part of the visit.
Finding frankincense and myrrh
My shopping list was unusual for a street food outing. A few years earlier, someone had given me an incense burner with frankincense and myrrh. I tried it in the workshop, where the usual background scent was light machine oil, and visitors loved it. To me, the fragrance had become part of Christmas.
October was early for decorations, but it was already time to think about Christmas commissions. I had learned to close the order book before the last-minute rush, so the preparations began well ahead of December.
Finding the shop was the challenge. It was no longer where I remembered it, and the busy passages made progress slow. After asking for directions, I found the Camden Frankincense store one turning further along. I left with 100 grams of Omani frankincense and 100 grams of myrrh. Errand done, it was time for lunch.
Arepazo Bros: lunch beside the canal
Back at KERB Camden Market, choosing just one stall was difficult. The queue helped make up my mind: I went for Arepazo Bros and its Venezuelan arepas. This was my first try of Venezuelan street food.
My arepa came with shredded beef, cheese, chicken, guacamole, a tomato and onion salad with herbs, and black beans. I took it to a seat beside the canal. The cornbread was fresh and crisp on the outside, and the filling made a substantial lunch.
Eating it while filming was another matter. With the water immediately below me, I was trying to keep both lunch and camera under control. Once I had sorted out the plate, I could concentrate on the food. The fresh-tasting guacamole and salad worked well with the meat, and I was pleased with the choice.
There is a closer account of the meal in my Arepazo Bros Camden Market article.
Chin Chin ice cream in the next yard
It was a warm autumn day, so I followed lunch with ice cream. Chin Chin Labs was in a shop in the next yard, separate from the KERB stalls. Inside, mixers and tanks of liquid nitrogen made the place look more like a laboratory than a conventional ice cream shop.
I chose vanilla with hazelnut crunch. The ice cream was frozen to order, and the cookie sandwiches also looked popular. I took my cup out into the street and carried on walking. My Chin Chin Labs article gives this stop its own space.
A changing Camden, then back to the Tube
On the way out, I talked about the changes taking place around Camden. Better food and more room to sit were welcome, but I hoped the markets would keep their character as development continued. The crowded passages, independent stalls and unexpected discoveries were a large part of what made the place interesting.
I reached Camden Town station before the restrictions I had mentioned at the start of the film took effect that day. The trip ends with the stairs, the platform and a narrowly missed train. It had been a successful afternoon: coffee, Christmas supplies, a generous lunch and ice cream, all within one Camden wander.
