Early September last year proved to be a period of rest and recuperation after the hectic month of August. Long working hours, physiotherapy and rehabilitation on some ongoing injury problems, weddings and (of course) restaurants meant I was just about burnt out by the end of the month.
The other half and I took a couple of days off to dash down to Brighton for a seaside jaunt when we had the time, which took us right up to her birthday. Part of the reason I believe her and I get on so well is mutual interests. When I asked her what she fancied doing for her birthday, she said she wanted to go to Smithfield Market, London's legendary historical wholesale meat market.
We stayed up very late and left the house in the early hours of Friday morning. We arrived on a fairly cold day at the hauntingly traditional and remarkably preserved market around 4am. People were already leaving with sacks full of meat. At first this was slightly surprising, but then I remembered that this is the sort of place where restaurants, cafés, traders and all sorts will come to actually acquire their daily stocks. It's wonderful.
One of the instantly appealing features of Smithfield Market is its undeniable authenticity. This is a real food market. Proper wholesale butchers selling all cuts of meat: whole carcasses, offal, speciality meats and to top it off, a whole load of cakes, pastries, sauces and other ingredients which add to the possibilities when you step through the plastic drapes.
We agreed a budget of £100 to pick up whatever we felt would keep us going for the next few months. We went, we spent and we left carrying a huge box of goodies which were carved, cut, wrapped and stored with relentless ruthlessness: our freezer was packed with meat.
The range of customers is striking. I assumed at 5 o'clock on a Friday morning that we would mostly be faced with traders and restaurateurs buzzing about, elbowing their way to the front of queues and leaving with minimal fuss. Instead, there is a real mixture of casual cooks such as us, tourists and folks who are just curious as to what all this bright-lit noise is about in EC1. It's wonderfully inclusive and not half as intimidating as I suspected it might be.
The butchers are friendly and helpful, the stalls are buzzing and accessible. The buildings are beautiful and grandiose. The produce is generally very good. For £100 we took home a huge piece of lamb rump, a large roast beef joint, some fillet steak, chorizo, pancetta, a huge pack of smoked bacon, venison and duck fillets, two dozen duck eggs, black pudding and two pigeons. Beautiful, indulgent, good value foodstuffs.
I suggest you get on down to Smithfield whenever you need a mass re-stocking of your fridge and freezer. It might require a little time off work, but think about this: how much good quality meat and dairy produce could you get for £100 in a supermarket? Well worth it on every count. And check out their website before you go: it's essential for first-time visitors.
Smithfield Market
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