Living without Supermarkets

Blog readers will know that I am giving up shopping in supermarkets for Lent. Just three days into the challenge I am shopping at local stores, finding local producers and shopping at markets. Today I visited Borough Market in London. The market is situated underneath the railway at London Bridge station, right next to Southwark Cathedral. You can see the windows of the houses in the background of this photo. This was used for the location filming of one of the Harry Potter films, it was the setting for 'Diagonalley' - next time you watch the film look for it. Wonderful, fresh produce can be bought here and it is getting a well deserved reputation as a 'foodie heaven'. You will usually see a camera crew somewhere round the market.

Fishmongers and butchers sell the best quality produce and such variety you will see nowhere else. Today I bought half a pigs head and some pigs trotters! My Mum grew up not far from here during the Second World War, and she was thrilled when I presented her with her favourite comfort food. Pigs head and trotters are used to make 'brawn'.

Lots of city types come to Borough Market to buy lunch. Perhaps a toasted 'Raclette' cheese sandwich from Switzerland, Spanish chorizo sausage in a ciabatta roll, and ostrich burger - yes ostrich burger!, Lebanese felafal with tabbouleh salad, or perhaps just a good old fashioned English pie and mash. You won't go hungry at Borough Market and there are plenty of free samples to keep the wolf from the door as well!

So, am I missing those tasteless tomatoes from Sainsburys? Those pale, pathetic chickens from Tesco?

Er... no.