A first foray to Maltby Street Market

Tucked alongside some once-derelict railway arches in the small London suburb of Bermondsey, is a quaint food market offering respite for weekend partygoers and relief for the hungover.

You won’t find many tourists at the Maltby Street Market – even the locals are largely unaware of the amazing plethora of food that’s lurking down this formerly grim and disused alley.

It’s definitely not the biggest food market in London – its appeal is more in the unknown. Small lesser-known food producers, distilleries and coffee joints all eagerly wait for the secret to get out and the population of weekend perusers to miraculously explode.

Around 30 market stalls line the street, wedged in by a handful of coffee boutiques, restaurants and secondhand furniture stores adorning the adjacent railway arches and warehouse-style buildings nearby.

You’ll find delicious doughnuts, peanut butter milkshakes, delightful gin cocktails served in vintage glasses, to-die-for waffles adorned with the most outrageous toppings, and the waft of perfectly barbecued meat. There’s everything from traditional Mexican fair, to brownies, breads and pastry.

Next time you’re in the Southbank area, avoid the tourist traps and explore a little further along to Maltby Street.

Maltby Street Market is open Saturdays from 9am-4pm and Sundays from 11am-4pm.