Food For Health Award Winners at The Good Food Market, St Katharine Dock

As winter gets colder, wetter and altogether gloomier, nothing warms the heart more than delicious food. The time for chilled sandwiches and salads is definitely over … rain showers and chilly winds disrupted October and November is proving to be just as dismal.

If the thought of devouring greasy junk food or a bland ready meal for lunch makes your appetite plummet, take a short stroll from Tower Hill Station to St Katharine Docks. Every Friday, tourists, local residents and nearby office workers converge upon Marble Quay to sample and buy award-winning, gourmet dishes at street food prices from The Good Food Market.

It’s the only market hosting traders in receipt of a coveted Tower Hamlets Food For Health award. Usually reserved for restaurants and cafés, the accolades can only be earned by adopting the rigorous standards required for healthy catering and overall nutrition. Prepared to strict hygiene laws and with an emphasis on wellbeing, the market’s dishes defy the boring image of healthy food in the UK – from Rummanco’s outstanding Jamaican Patties, Jerk Chicken and Curried Goat to the most tantalising, hearty Ethiopian stews from Redtent Enterprises.

Try tucking into a delicious Palestinian Falafel Wrap from ChikP, crammed with tasty, vegan falafels with moist, fluffy centres. Alternatively, Adi Best Burgers make all their juicy patties with farm assured, British beef and Fins & Trotters – winner of the London Lifestyle Awards 2013 Street Food Vendor of the Year – serves up traditional Fish and Chips.

Visit Panka’s stall for a taste of original Peruvian cuisine, or explore traditional Portugese fare instead, from Taste of Portugal. You can also opt for meat or vegetarian Paella – studded with mouth-watering, fresh ingredients – from Mediterranean Paella, or spicier Asian dishes from Fab’s Thai Cuisine.

If you’re in a rush and in need of a quick bite, Chango creates moreish Argentine Empanadas with assorted fillings – easy to hold and devour without cutlery – or pick up a filled crêpe from Crepes N More. There are also Argentine Steak Sandwiches from Criollo Grill; Duck Confit’s self-titled speciality served in French bread; and a Famous Chorizo Sandwich, with roasted red peppers and rocket, from Gourmet Chorizo.

Almost all hot food traders at The Good Food Market have earned a Food For Health award, with exceptions being newcomers who have yet to be assessed. The organisers of the weekly event, Shepherds Markets, take food provenance and nutrition seriously, so each trader is carefully vetted before approval to join the weekly line-up. Quality and taste are critical requirements, so it’s unsurprising that one of the latest additions is the Seriously Italian team, whose handmade pasta – produced with 100% British durum wheat – was honoured with a Great Taste Award earlier this year.

With such an array of hot food that’s healthy, satisfying and flavoursome, gone are the days of struggling through a pre-packed sandwich or a bowl of lukewarm soup – just visit The Good Food Market every Friday to indulge in an award-winning, decadent lunch instead!

The Good Food Market takes place every Friday, from 11:30am until 3:30pm at Marble Quay, London, E1W 1UH.