I’m ashamed to admit it but, despite living in student halls a full year in Borough, it was only three years later that I learned of the existence of Borough Market. My only defence (and it’s a poor one at that) is that, technically, it is much closer to London Bridge than Borough.
A friend sent me an email petition to save Borough Market from the Thameslink Programme which threatens to demolish part of the site and some of the listed buildings in the area.
A travesty! I thought. And then, Uh? A market in Borough? Who knew?
And so, on a balmy Saturday afternoon I decided to check it out, before it was too late.

Nestled under the cavernous arches of the railway that leads into London Bridge station, Borough Market is a vast, sprawling hotchpotch of food stalls. It is one of the largest food markets in the world and has an impressively long history. I entered through the art-deco Borough High Street entrance, which was added to the site in 1932. Plunging headlong into the swarm of tourists and regulars, I realised that, while I must have had tunnel-vision during my student days (or perhaps it was beer-goggles clouding my vision), the rest of London and his dog knew all about this Mecca for foodies. The crowds inevitably grew denser as I approached the stalls selling freshly cooked venison burgers and sausages, chorizo sandwiches and kebabs. The smells emanating from those stalls were unbearably tantalising and it wasn’t long before I procured a venison burger for myself…and a thick wedge of banana cake…and where did that bloke get the cider from…? All in the name of research, you understand.

After sampling the market’s bounty, I saw that there were also fruit and veg stalls, flowers, bread, pies, fish, freshly squeezed juices, herbs, olives, sweets, cheese, nuts and so many different types of food; it was a little overwhelming. To think that I could have been shopping here in my student days instead of the convenient but not so epicurean Costcutters! Having already added my name to the online petition to save the market, I decided to check the progress of the impending works but, happily, I found a press release on Borough Market’s website claiming that future plans will not affect the site and they are very much ‘business as usual’. However, the Save the Borough Market Area Campaign believe that, should the planned work go ahead, the area around the market will be irreparably changed and so they continue their online petition in the hope of saving this old and precious part of London.

Whether the area will be detrimentally affected remains to be seen, but one thing I know for sure: I haven’t eaten my last venison burger, and I never did find where that bloke bought his cider.