mar, 14th - maltby street: part II....

day 401:

so....following on from yesterday {day 400}....further down the arches from St John's Bakery at 104 Druid Street is the tantalising shared arch of Kase Swiss (cheeses), Topolski (Polish cured meats and pickles) and fresh meats from the farm.....

with heavier bags, turn right and head through the tunnel back towards the Maltby Street side......opposite another towering block of Seventies architecture on your left, are Neal's Yard Dairy, Mons Cheesemongers and Fern Verrow.....first, is the painterly display of real fruits and vegetables at Fern Verrow....they are often joined by artisinal wine company, Aubert & Mascoli, who sell organic, natural and biodynamic wines.

next is Mons....with a small but perfectly formed selection of cheeses....

and at the end is Neal's Yard Dairy, which needs very little introduction.....they have a production and maturing set-up in a number of arches and open one front area to the public. these beautiful cheeses (there is no better word to describe these perfectly formed orbs) are arranged on trestles in front of a black backdrop....

their branch at Borough Market always has a snaking queue out the door on a Saturday....here i strolled straight up to the the trestles and had a leisurely chat with Harry Darby, the cheesemonger.

if you walk back to the tunnel, you will see a black metal gate with a small crowd gathered around drinking beer by The Kernel Brewery that is brewed in the arch. This is 1 Rope Walk which also offers cheeses and cured meets by The Ham and Cheese Co and Kappacasein.

walking through the mini crowd, you stroll past Lassco's worth-a-linger collection of reclaimed floorboards and radiators.....but don't linger too long or your imagination will suddenly be flooded by industrial spaces, rough floors, exposed pipes and distressed walls.

through the gate at the end, you will have come full circle. just one last stop at The Gergovie Wines warehouse......

or a last linger to people watch outside Monmouth....

although i love the buzz of Borough Market (before 11am...afterwards, it becomes like Oxford Street two days before Christmas)....this small area around Maltby Street which sources many of the well known stalls at the market, entranced me.....the hidden feel, the grittier surroundings and the common thread of people passionate about good food (and willing to travel for it)....makes this a very special place.

thanks Louise and Nivaldo......for the wonderful tip.....

ps. the arches are only open on a Saturday between 9am and 2pm