Mrs King’s pork pies at Borough Market were my first stop for a London picnic in 2016. I was heading for Green Park on the day of the Queen’s official birthday celebrations, hoping to catch the gun salute. Lunch seemed a sensible plan whether or not I managed to see the ceremony.

This archive film, first published on 23 August 2016, follows that smaller adventure: buying a pie, hiring a bicycle and carrying lunch across London. It finishes under the trees in Green Park, where the pie attracts attention from another hopeful diner.

Shopping for a British picnic

I like Mediterranean tapas and Middle Eastern mezze, but on this occasion I wanted familiar British picnic food. Pork pies, Cornish pasties, Scotch eggs and cucumber sandwiches all came to mind as I walked towards the market. A good picnic begins with the food you actually want to eat.

My one firm opinion on cucumber sandwiches was to make them fresh. In the film I suggest bringing the cucumber, bread and butter separately, then putting the sandwiches together in the park. The alternative was the prospect of a soggy sandwich before lunch had even begun.

However, this was a picnic for one. There was no need to turn a simple lunch into an expedition with more food than I could carry. A pie from the market would give me something substantial to build it around.

Mrs King’s pork pies at Borough Market

At the counter, rows of golden pies sat beside other savouries. The Mrs King’s name and blue labels made it easy to spot the pie I had come for. There were different sizes to consider, and the exchange over what counted as a large or medium pie became part of the visit.

I left with a modestly sized Melton Mowbray pork pie. There were tempting alternatives on the counter, but this was the classic I wanted for lunch. The purchase took only a short part of the film; getting it to the park supplied the next chapter.

That is one of the pleasures of shopping for a picnic in London. A food stop can become the starting point for a journey through several different parts of the city. Here, the market bustle gave way to a river crossing, busy roads and finally a patch of green.

Cycling from Borough Market towards Green Park

With the pie packed away, I went to find a hire bike. I called it a Boris bike before correcting myself to the Santander cycle hire scheme. From the London Bridge area I headed west, pausing on Blackfriars Bridge to catch my breath and look along the Thames.

The river views were a reward for the pedalling. In the footage I point out the London Eye and talk about the cycle route, although I am unsure whether all the work on it has finished. It is a snapshot of cycling through London that summer, rather than a route guide for today.

Near The Mall, the birthday celebrations made their presence felt through crowds, police and road closures. I found a docking station by St James’s Square and returned the bicycle. Before leaving, I checked that it was properly docked, then continued towards the park on foot.

Unwrapping the pie in Green Park

Under the trees, it was finally time to eat. I held up the wrapped Mrs King’s pork pie, removed the label and took a bite. The pastry case had done its job: the pie still looked intact after being carried around in my bag.

The appeal was straightforward. There was pastry on the outside and a generous-looking pork filling within, all in a compact parcel I could eat at the picnic. I described it as built for travel, and this particular journey had given it a fair test.

Meanwhile, a nearby dog had taken a keen interest in lunch. Her owner came over, and we established that she should stick to her own food. She left without a share of the pie, despite clearly having other ideas. It is a small interruption that gives the film much of its character.

A small food story from a London summer

This visit was as much about the journey as the purchase. Mrs King’s pork pies supplied the reason to begin at Borough Market; the bicycle and the picnic connected that stop to the rest of the day.

For another sweet stop from the same summer’s archive, there is my hand-dipped Magnum on Regent Street. Both films follow the simple pleasure of choosing something to eat and finding a little time to enjoy it in London.

The photographs and film below record the 2016 visit. Stall displays, prices, cycle-hire arrangements and the wider event belong to that time.

Watch the original film

Follow the market visit, cycle ride and Green Park picnic in the original Roberts London video.