Picnics
Al fresco Picnics
Borough Market has everything you could possibly need to create your perfect picnic. But will you be tempted towards French, Italian or English produce? Sarah Riches just went for the lot When the sun shines, nothing beats a picnic in a London park. Who needs fancy Michelin starred restaurants on a summer afternoon? But forget soggy sandwiches – stock up at Borough Market and fill your hamper with French, Italian and English classics.
French
You can’t go wrong with a French picnic. Grab a baguette, some cheese and a bottle of red and you’re off. But if you want to impress, then a floppy baguette from your local supermarket just won’t do. Head to Flour Power instead, where Richard Reid recommends the organic baguette or a loaf of Hoxton rye levain. I rip off a hunk. Its cracked, powdery crust is deceptive – I’m surprised by how moist and tangy the sourdough is. But I’m not French, so bread alone doesn’t appeal. I visit Mons, a fromagerie, where I sample raw cows’ milk cheese from the Rhone-Alpes. Victoria StewartLiberty encourages me to try St Marcellin, which she says is ‘rich, creamy and perfect on a baguette’. The knife sinks through its chalky mould into a ripe, buttery middle. I smear a generous helping onto some bread – it smells slightly salty and has a mild, nutty flavour. Next, I try Tomme Crayeuse, Victoria’s favourite. ‘It’s light, creamy and quite sweet,’ she says. ‘It goes well with tomatoes, a light cider or white wine.’
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Muriel Chatel knows a thing or two about wine. She is from the Dordogne and her family is in the wine business, so it felt natural for her to enter the trade herself as the owner of Borough Wines. But where would she go for a picnic, and what would she take? ‘I love the classical concerts on Hampstead Heath,’ she says. ‘I’d definitely take Sancerre from the Loire. I’d chill it lightly if it was a hot day. It’s versatile – it goes well with goats’ cheese, melon and ham.’ I take a sip. It’s light yet full bodied, not quite a rose because of its spicy kick. I cave in and buy two bottles. With my eco-friendly reusable bag stuffed with ingredients and my baguette tucked under my arm, I feel quite the Parisian. The French tarts in
‘The French tarts in Patisserie Lila catch my eye. Who said picnics have to be healthy?’ Patisserie Lila on Bedale Street catch my eye. Who said picnics had to be healthy? Not me – I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty as I select éclairs, mille feuilles and vanilla slices. As I take my first bite of a vanilla slice my teeth sink into its soft icing and crack through flakes of pastry. Cool vanilla custard oozes out the sides, but my tongue is quick and I catch it. Still, by the time I’ve finished I’m a sticky, gooey mess. Perhaps I’m not quite as glamorous as my French counterparts after all.
Italian
A picnic in Pisa may not be on the cards, but with fresh Italian produce you could at least pretend. Phil Crouch has sold buffalo mozzarella and ham from his stall, the Parma Ham Company, since May 2006. The cheese
is made from buffalo milk produced in Capaccio village to the south of Naples. Fat mozzarella balls bob on the surface of a tub brimming with milky water. I take a sliver – it’s velvet smooth, slippy in my fingers, firm and bouncy. It’s slightly sour and creamy, and slides easily down my throat. The mozzarella complements the stall’s other core product, explains Phil, as he cuts paper-thin slices of air-dried Italian prosciutto crudo. The ham is produced by Ponte Romano and comes from the Parma region in northern Italy. It’s been matured for up to three years which gives it the sweet, nutty flavour. I buy three slices (about 30g) for £1.40. Phil sells picnic boxes on Thursdays and Fridays – which are great if you’re really, really lazy and want someone else to prepare your picnic for you. I take four. The contents of each disposable box vary depending on your preference, but each are supplemented with products from Gastronomica, such as salad dressings and cuts of meat. All the meat at the Gastronomica stalls is from Italy, explains Louise Adolphsen. ‘The salami picante from Piemonte in northern Italy is good for hot weather. It goes best with bread and red wine, and has a good aftertaste.’ She offers me a slice. Despite its strong, spicy overtones the chilli and peppers are not overpowering. Next I try a slice of mortadella from Bologna. It’s the same pale pink as cherry blossom petals – soft and mild. But the occasional peppercorn gives it a boost. ‘Children love this,’ says Louise. ‘And it’s a good substitute for ham – it doesn’t fall apart as easily.’ To avoid my Italian picnic turning into a meat supreme, I head to Borough Olives for its sundried tomatoes marinated in garlic, capers, oregano and sunflower oil. That counts as one of my five a day, right? The stall sells a mixture of Italian, Greek and Spanish products.
English
It wouldn’t be an English picnic without a pork pie. Pick up one from Ian Hartland, the owner of Mrs King’s Pies. Ian’s family business has been trading since 1853, so he knows a bit about pork pies. According to Ian, his pies do exactly what it says on the tin. ‘I like pork pies because they taste nice. Pork pies aren’t fine food, you can eat them with anything. But they go well with beer – any beer! We’ve got to get away from this marrying food business.’ The stall also offers various meat-and-two-veg pasties as well as game pie filled with venison, pheasant, rabbit and pigeon – even a small one could be shared by two. And where would Ian, from Nottinghamshire, have his picnic? ‘I’d have my picnic in Sherwood Forest, watching out for Robin Hood.’ If you haven’t had your fill of pies, stock up at Pieminister. All the ingredients are locally sourced around Bristol, where they’re hand made. Choose Mr Porky Pie, filled with British pork, Somerset cider, sage and apples, or vegetarian Smoky Jo’s, packed with creamy mushrooms, cheese and baby onions. ‘My favourite is the Moo,’ says
Satti Jhutti, who works on the stall every Saturday. ‘It’s traditional. It’s got beef, ale and thyme – it’s a nice British pie. It can be eaten hot or cold – you needn’t heat it first. It goes well with cherry tomatoes.’ Ah, cherry tomatoes. And so I head to Secretts, just across the road from Monmouth Coffee. The stall sells produce from the family farm in Surrey. The tomatoes include the tart Tiger Stripe, a dark maroon variety with green stripes and a firm flesh, and the sweeter Yellow Pear Drops. ‘My favourite is the
‘The tart Tiger Stripe tomato is dark maroon in colour, with green stripes and firm flesh’ Purple King,’ says Rachael Bulmer, who works on the stall. ‘I call them chocolate tomatoes, because of their lovely chocolate colour. They’re soft, delicate and you needn’t bother dressing them.’ For an al fresco afternoon tea I buy scones from Degustibus and a pot of Guernsey clotted cream from the Wild Beef stall. WI jokes aside, England Preserves provide all the jam you need
to complete your quintessential English picnic. Eileen Gannon recommends Strawberry Days, but I prefer Gooseberry and Elderflower. Each jar is £2.50 for 325g, which is rather heavy for a picnic, so you’d need to decant some first into a smaller pot. Next on my list is something to wash all this down. If you want to be awfully British, head to Utobeer for Victorian lemonade, dandelion and burdock or ginger beer. Cast your mind back to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and the midnight feasts of St Clare’s, except now you can get the grown up, alcoholic version – Ginger Toms. Alternatively, try the apple juice at New Forest Cider. It’s naturally cloudy, pure and unfiltered, and made from a combination of Bramley and Cox classics. But if you prefer something stronger, take the advice of Barry Topp, the owner of the stall, and indulge in draft from the barrel. You can buy five pints for £10, which comes in a handy beer jug. I need a bigger eco-friendly reusable bag. I wasn’t expecting to buy this much – I thought I could resist, but I should have known better. After all, this is Borough Market.
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Borough Market has everything you could possibly need to create your perfect picnic. But will you be tempted towards French, Italian or English produce? Sarah Riches just went for the lot When the sun shines, nothing beats a picnic in a London park. Who needs fancy Michelin starred restaurants on a summer afternoon? But forget soggy sandwiches – stock up at Borough Market and fill your hamper with French, Italian and English classics.
French
You can’t go wrong with a French picnic. Grab a baguette, some cheese and a bottle of red and you’re off. But if you want to impress, then a floppy baguette from your local supermarket just won’t do. Head to Flour Power instead, where Richard Reid recommends the organic baguette or a loaf of Hoxton rye levain. I rip off a hunk. Its cracked, powdery crust is deceptive – I’m surprised by how moist and tangy the sourdough is. But I’m not French, so bread alone doesn’t appeal. I visit Mons, a fromagerie, where I sample raw cows’ milk cheese from the Rhone-Alpes. Victoria StewartLiberty encourages me to try St Marcellin, which she says is ‘rich, creamy and perfect on a baguette’. The knife sinks through its chalky mould into a ripe, buttery middle. I smear a generous helping onto some bread – it smells slightly salty and has a mild, nutty flavour. Next, I try Tomme Crayeuse, Victoria’s favourite. ‘It’s light, creamy and quite sweet,’ she says. ‘It goes well with tomatoes, a light cider or white wine.’
16 6
Muriel Chatel knows a thing or two about wine. She is from the Dordogne and her family is in the wine business, so it felt natural for her to enter the trade herself as the owner of Borough Wines. But where would she go for a picnic, and what would she take? ‘I love the classical concerts on Hampstead Heath,’ she says. ‘I’d definitely take Sancerre from the Loire. I’d chill it lightly if it was a hot day. It’s versatile – it goes well with goats’ cheese, melon and ham.’ I take a sip. It’s light yet full bodied, not quite a rose because of its spicy kick. I cave in and buy two bottles. With my eco-friendly reusable bag stuffed with ingredients and my baguette tucked under my arm, I feel quite the Parisian. The French tarts in
‘The French tarts in Patisserie Lila catch my eye. Who said picnics have to be healthy?’ Patisserie Lila on Bedale Street catch my eye. Who said picnics had to be healthy? Not me – I don’t feel the slightest bit guilty as I select éclairs, mille feuilles and vanilla slices. As I take my first bite of a vanilla slice my teeth sink into its soft icing and crack through flakes of pastry. Cool vanilla custard oozes out the sides, but my tongue is quick and I catch it. Still, by the time I’ve finished I’m a sticky, gooey mess. Perhaps I’m not quite as glamorous as my French counterparts after all.
Italian
A picnic in Pisa may not be on the cards, but with fresh Italian produce you could at least pretend. Phil Crouch has sold buffalo mozzarella and ham from his stall, the Parma Ham Company, since May 2006. The cheese
is made from buffalo milk produced in Capaccio village to the south of Naples. Fat mozzarella balls bob on the surface of a tub brimming with milky water. I take a sliver – it’s velvet smooth, slippy in my fingers, firm and bouncy. It’s slightly sour and creamy, and slides easily down my throat. The mozzarella complements the stall’s other core product, explains Phil, as he cuts paper-thin slices of air-dried Italian prosciutto crudo. The ham is produced by Ponte Romano and comes from the Parma region in northern Italy. It’s been matured for up to three years which gives it the sweet, nutty flavour. I buy three slices (about 30g) for £1.40. Phil sells picnic boxes on Thursdays and Fridays – which are great if you’re really, really lazy and want someone else to prepare your picnic for you. I take four. The contents of each disposable box vary depending on your preference, but each are supplemented with products from Gastronomica, such as salad dressings and cuts of meat. All the meat at the Gastronomica stalls is from Italy, explains Louise Adolphsen. ‘The salami picante from Piemonte in northern Italy is good for hot weather. It goes best with bread and red wine, and has a good aftertaste.’ She offers me a slice. Despite its strong, spicy overtones the chilli and peppers are not overpowering. Next I try a slice of mortadella from Bologna. It’s the same pale pink as cherry blossom petals – soft and mild. But the occasional peppercorn gives it a boost. ‘Children love this,’ says Louise. ‘And it’s a good substitute for ham – it doesn’t fall apart as easily.’ To avoid my Italian picnic turning into a meat supreme, I head to Borough Olives for its sundried tomatoes marinated in garlic, capers, oregano and sunflower oil. That counts as one of my five a day, right? The stall sells a mixture of Italian, Greek and Spanish products.
English
It wouldn’t be an English picnic without a pork pie. Pick up one from Ian Hartland, the owner of Mrs King’s Pies. Ian’s family business has been trading since 1853, so he knows a bit about pork pies. According to Ian, his pies do exactly what it says on the tin. ‘I like pork pies because they taste nice. Pork pies aren’t fine food, you can eat them with anything. But they go well with beer – any beer! We’ve got to get away from this marrying food business.’ The stall also offers various meat-and-two-veg pasties as well as game pie filled with venison, pheasant, rabbit and pigeon – even a small one could be shared by two. And where would Ian, from Nottinghamshire, have his picnic? ‘I’d have my picnic in Sherwood Forest, watching out for Robin Hood.’ If you haven’t had your fill of pies, stock up at Pieminister. All the ingredients are locally sourced around Bristol, where they’re hand made. Choose Mr Porky Pie, filled with British pork, Somerset cider, sage and apples, or vegetarian Smoky Jo’s, packed with creamy mushrooms, cheese and baby onions. ‘My favourite is the Moo,’ says
Satti Jhutti, who works on the stall every Saturday. ‘It’s traditional. It’s got beef, ale and thyme – it’s a nice British pie. It can be eaten hot or cold – you needn’t heat it first. It goes well with cherry tomatoes.’ Ah, cherry tomatoes. And so I head to Secretts, just across the road from Monmouth Coffee. The stall sells produce from the family farm in Surrey. The tomatoes include the tart Tiger Stripe, a dark maroon variety with green stripes and a firm flesh, and the sweeter Yellow Pear Drops. ‘My favourite is the
‘The tart Tiger Stripe tomato is dark maroon in colour, with green stripes and firm flesh’ Purple King,’ says Rachael Bulmer, who works on the stall. ‘I call them chocolate tomatoes, because of their lovely chocolate colour. They’re soft, delicate and you needn’t bother dressing them.’ For an al fresco afternoon tea I buy scones from Degustibus and a pot of Guernsey clotted cream from the Wild Beef stall. WI jokes aside, England Preserves provide all the jam you need
to complete your quintessential English picnic. Eileen Gannon recommends Strawberry Days, but I prefer Gooseberry and Elderflower. Each jar is £2.50 for 325g, which is rather heavy for a picnic, so you’d need to decant some first into a smaller pot. Next on my list is something to wash all this down. If you want to be awfully British, head to Utobeer for Victorian lemonade, dandelion and burdock or ginger beer. Cast your mind back to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and the midnight feasts of St Clare’s, except now you can get the grown up, alcoholic version – Ginger Toms. Alternatively, try the apple juice at New Forest Cider. It’s naturally cloudy, pure and unfiltered, and made from a combination of Bramley and Cox classics. But if you prefer something stronger, take the advice of Barry Topp, the owner of the stall, and indulge in draft from the barrel. You can buy five pints for £10, which comes in a handy beer jug. I need a bigger eco-friendly reusable bag. I wasn’t expecting to buy this much – I thought I could resist, but I should have known better. After all, this is Borough Market.
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