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.

INTRODUCING: London’s Street Food Vendor of The Year, Fins & Trotters!

When the fight is on and it’s time to separate the winners from the losers, there’s only one thing for it: take it to the streets. If you can’t win at street level, before a hard-working crowd-turned-judge-and-jury, you’ll never know what you’re truly made of. 

Against a backdrop of food markets and festivals, where organisers and vendors vie for the appetites of hungry Londoners in an epic clash for supremacy, a victor has finally emerged from the scrum: Fins and Trotters Kitchen Restaurant. 

Voted Street Food Vendor of the Year at the 2013 London Lifestyle Awards, the mobile stall is a regular fixture at Shepherds Markets’ sites across the Capital, dishing up traditional Fish and Chips. The humble stall was up against renowned traders from some of the UK’s best-loved street food gatherings, making the win, decided by public vote, an exceptional honour. 

Of course, the accolade comes as no surprise to those who have already sampled a portion of Fins and Trotters’ crispy-battered cod and chips. The dish is, quite simply, “a winner”. The fresh fish fillets are purchased each morning, and coated in an old-fashioned, seasoned batter to be deep-fried to just the right crispness! Paired with a generous portion of thick-cut chips, servings sell out fast! 

Head to the Piccadilly Food Market, Jermyn Street Side, every Monday between 11am and 3pm, and the St Katharine Docks Good Food Market, every Friday from 11am to 3pm to sample Fins and Trotters’ award-winning, delicious Fish and Chips – officially London’s best street food dish! 

Christmas shoppers will also find the stall at the More London Christmas Market on Thursday 12th December, from 11am to 6pm, at More London, More London Riverside, London, SE1 2DB.

Weekly Locations:

The Piccadilly Food Market (11am – 3pm)
St James Church Courtyard (Fins and Trotters is located at Jermyn Street side)
197 Piccadilly
London
W1J 911 

St Katharine Docks Good Food Market (11am – 3pm)
Marble Quay
St Katharines Way
London
E1W 1UH

NEWS: Something Extra Special at the More London Christmas Market

Christmas shoppers are in for a treat this week: Shepherds Markets and More London Riverside are hosting a special Christmas Market with food, fun and Yuletide magic. Here’s the full skinny from the Shepherds Markets team:

Shake out your tinsel and dust off your baubles; Christmas is finally upon us and we’ve got everything you need to make the festive season extra special! From December 11^th to15^th, you can head to More London Riverside where our More London Christmas Market will showcase the finest artisan food gifts and hand-crafted presents.

With 20 different stalls each day, we’re bringing you more of everything you love at Christmas: more food, more entertainment and more unique presents! If you want to surprise your family and friends with exclusive gifts they won’t find on the high street, the More London Christmas Market is your one-stop shop!

Fancy something inspiring for the kids? Make their faces light up with a handmade toy none of their friends will have – just one of many items available from our talented craftsmen. Need something luxurious for mum? How about a heaven-scented body cream or a beautiful pashmina (to keep her warm and on-trend this winter)? Hoping to transform turkey leftovers into appetising dishes? Try the delicious organic chutneys and sauces available from our amazing food traders.

We know that shopping for friends who seem to have everything can be a nightmare but why not invest in an original painting or print from one of our art traders’ stunning collections? Alternatively, pull together a bespoke gift set or hamper with the aromatic oils, vinegar, speciality teas, honey and preserves on sale – a present for all the family! There will also be a range of Christmas stockings and cards to buy, as well as traditional Christmas cakes and puddings, helping you to create the perfect celebration at home.

You can tuck into hot and cold dishes from around the world while you browse our food and craft stalls, or sip a cup of warming mulled wine with a crumbly mince pie or roasted chestnuts. Local carol singers will be on hand to perform all your festive favourites and even Santa has been persuaded to fly in for a visit!

Entry is free, so there’s nothing “Bah! Humbug!” about this Christmas, only the true spirit of the season: supporting London’s most talented food and craft start-ups to bring you the finest gifts for family and friends. We can’t wait to see you at the More London Christmas Market and look forward to helping you make loved ones feel extra special.

Visit the More London Christmas Market at More London, More London Riverside, London SE1 2DB, 11am – 6pm, from Wednesday 11th to Sunday 15th December 2013.

RECOMMENDED: Pasta & Sauces by Seriously Italian

One of the best lunches I’ve had in recent months was not in a Michelin-starred restaurant or within the welcoming decor of a much-lauded new café, it was devoured outdoors, quayside at St Katharine’s Dock.

This wonderful meal took the form of three flavoursome pasta dishes from Seriously Italian‘s market stall. A regular fixture at The Good Food Market at Marble Quay (close to The Tower of London), the stall is run by a married couple from Italy and offers a selection of mouth-watering lunch dishes.

Cooked on site, each carefully prepared dish features the couple’s handmade, award-winning, fresh pasta and homemade sauces (also available to buy should you wish to recreate similar meals at home).

Giovanni cooks parpadelle in green pesto

It was a pleasure to meet one half of the Seriously Italian duo, Giovanni, during my visit to The Good Food Market last Friday. His passion for cooking was evident and his approach towards his produce was inspiring: Seriously Italian is the only UK outlet producing pasta made from 100% British durum wheat. Even the gnocchi is made with British potatoes!

The Seriously Italian stall at The Good Food Market

Being artisan chefs, the provenance of their ingredients is key, sourcing the finest quality stoneground flour, organic certified produce and fresh vegetables to create not only hot dishes, but also packets of ready-to-cook pasta and jars of accompanying sauces.

The stall offers three hot dishes each week, and I was lucky enough to sample all three available options during my visit, beginning with a combination of two types of plump, Organic Gnocchi – beetroot, and a spinach and ricotta.

Tossed in a richly flavoured vegetarian red pesto, which looked deceptively like meat ragu, the gnocchi were perfectly cooked, with soft, fluffy centres melting against a mild heat of chilli in the sauce.

Organic Parpadelle with Courgettes, Speck and Homemade Green Pesto was bolder and equally enjoyable. The vibrant sauce looked fresh and inviting and just one bite confirmed its superior quality. Fragrant with basil, the flavour was nicely balanced by bites of salty ham and al dente pasta.

Organic Gnocchi and Parpadelle

Whilst my first two pasta dishes were outstanding, it has to be said that Seriously Italian‘s Lasagne – made with pumpkin, sage and almonds – was nothing short of INCREDIBLE.

Lasagne by Seriously Italian

The creaminess of the bechamel was worthy of a standing ovation for perfection, even without the addition of delicious sage-spiced pumpkin and fresh pasta.

Sadly, I didn’t take a photo of my box of assorted pastas – I was too busy shovelling enthusiastic forkfuls into my mouth! Whilst I chewed and sighed with pleasure (it was a bit When Harry Met Sally but I really couldn’t help myself), I wasn’t surprised to learn from Giovanni that Seriously Italian‘s pasta was honoured with a Great Taste Award earlier this year. Well deserved, believe me!

Unable to wait an entire seven days until The Good Food Market‘s return to Marble Quay the following week, Giovanni kindly gave me a jar of his homemade Pistachio Pesto to continue my Italian adventure at home – an outstanding concoction which transformed an otherwise bland bowl of Sainsbury’s penne into a gourmet meal.

Overall verdict? Seriously Italian could easily be renamed ‘Seriously Good’! It’s a five star lunch in a five star location – a beautiful marina, brought to life with authentic Italian food, hospitality and warmth.

Visit Seriously Italian at The Good Food Market, every Friday from 11.30am (Marble Quay, St Katharine’s Dock, London, E1W 1UH)