I never liked farmer’s markets. I thought they were for old people. Or couples with kids, the type that needed to get out of the house on a weekend. To me they seemed tame and overpriced – definitely not my vibe.
Fast forward to this year and, having got a boyfriend, suddenly all I want is to go to a market. That’s how Tim and I found ourselves enroute to Herne Hill one sunny Sunday. We walked up from Brixton tube station, both of us hungover and hungry. On arriving I was instantly overwhelmed, there were people everywhere. Young, old, dogs – there was even a lone sheep in the crowd. We tried edging towards the coffee stand and bumped into friends enroute. They looked as bewildered as us, two of them had dogs that were straining at their leads with all the food smells. We half chatted, half tried to order coffee. As the conversation continued I started to experience a strange fuzzy feeling .
“Guys, I need food.” I said.
We muttered hurried goodbyes and broke away. Shuffling down the the central aisle, I took in the stalls laden with meats, cheeses, cakes and whatever else you could want. Then I saw it. The vegan Caribbean stand. Brightly coloured bowls lined with giant, green leaves and filled with vegetables were displayed along the stall’s front. Behind it a lady was throwing what looked like pancakes on a hot griddle. This was it. I quickly parted with £16 for two wraps filled with an array of vegetables. We waited for them in a disorderly queue, elbowing back any hipsters who tried to push to the front. Finally they were ready. The second I had them in my hands I took an enormous bite out of one. It was glorious, the flavours were so fresh and light that it was hard not to devour the whole thing at once. Then I realised I was meant to be sharing my wrap with Tim. hate sharing. Grudgingly I offered him a bite of mine and winced as I watched him take one. As we finished the last few mouthfuls I noticed the fuzzy feeling in my head beginning to fade away.
Now revived, we turned back towards the market. I noticed jewellery and crafts stalls, things I’d been blinded to in my earlier hunger haze. I made towards the jewellery stand but then got distracted by cake. Much like the vegan one, the cake stall was a haze of colour. We stared in wonder for about ten seconds before buying three giant slices of baked goods which we took round to a mate’s house nearby. Fifteen minutes later, over steaming cups of tea, we sampled the goods. The spinach one, although the most alarming looking, turned out to be the best. Bright green, not too sweet with a mascarpone icing decorated pomegranate seeds. Delicious.
Romance factor – could have been higher if we’d been less hungover and hadn’t ended up at a mate’s house. But still a good time was had.
The damage:
Coffee: £5
Wraps: £16
Cakes: £12
TOTAL: £33
Romance factor: could have been higher but for the presence of friends.
Dirt Cheap Dater 