Shopping

This dazzling food market offers a vast array of artisanal munchables and difficult-to-find ingredients. The market is a delight for all the senses, and is best enjoyed with a big shopping bag and empty stomach when the crowds are at low ebb. If the all-pervasive and irresistible aroma of sizzling meat doesn’t stop you in your tracks, make your way to Shellseekers for fried scallops and bacon. Otherwise join the queue at Brindisa for its legendary chorizo roll, or line up at Kappasein for a pricey (but pretty tasty) toasted cheese sandwich or raclette (£5).

For sit-down options, try breakfast at Roast, lunch at Tapas Brindisa or oysters and a pint of prawns at Wright Brothers. If you’re after something sweet, make your way to Real France in the recently opened extension to Borough called Jubilee Market for crème caramel pots – they’re good value at £1 each. Avoid the crowds and go first thing on Saturday mornings, from 8am or 9am, or from midday on Thursday or Friday. Feature continues

Borough’s top stalls
Sweet
Tucked just behind The Globe pub in the Green Market on Fridays and Saturdays (and near Monmouth on Thursdays), Sweet is a London-based French patisserie. We like their cannelés (three for £1), which are tiny egg-yolk-rich cakes and a speciality of the Bordeaux region. They’re baked in copper moulds, so they’re almost black on the outside, but they have an incredibly tender custard-like centre. For more caramelised, custardy goodness, keep an eye out for their exceptionally good Portuguese custard tarts (pasteis de nata, £1.80 each).
Open Thur, Fri, Sat.

KäseSwiss
In Jubilee Market, head over to KäseSwiss (located in the centre) for traditional farmhouse cheeses sourced directly from the Swiss Alps. They’re all made on a small scale, like the rather intense L’Etivaz (£27.40 per kg), which is only available during the autumn and winter months. The Gruyère Alpage (£27.40 per kg), however, is made during the summer when the cows are taken to fresh pastures high up in the mountains. Look out for the bags of fondue vite (a cheese, wine and kirsch mixture) in December.
Open Fri, Sat.

Topolski
Just next door to KäseSwiss is Topolski, which offers a choice selection of highly specialised (and much sought after) smoked pork sausages and hams from Poland. The juniper sausage (£2.10 per 100g) is one of the most popular, but the finger sausages with black pepper (£2.10 per 100g) make a great market snack. The beetroot and horseradish relish (£3.50 a jar) is a traditional pantry essential, with people travelling from all over London to stock up.
Open Fri, Sat.

Trader tips
Don’t miss…
Pork pies with chopped apple piled on top from Sillfield Farm, packets of Padrón peppers (£3.50) and tortas de aceite (handmade sweet olive oil biscuits with a hint of aniseed) from Brindisa (£3.75), coconut drops from Burnt Sugar (£2), elusive Mexican ingredients from the Cool Chile Company.

Things to avoid
Overpriced fruit and vegetables from the bigger fresh-produce suppliers.

Borough Market, Stoney St, SE1 (www.boroughmarket.org.uk). London Bridge tube/rail. 11am-5pm Thur; noon-6pm Fri; 8am-5pm Sat.