mar, 27th - more maltby....

day 414:

this cough has given me a husky throat.....and since i'm trying to save my voice for karaoke this week (anyone know the words to Turn Around by Bonnie Tyler?)....no really.....and i've already said enough about Maltby Street {see day 400}....here are some wordless pics from our latest visit on Saturday.

mar, 26th - bicycles....

day 413:

we managed to drag ourselves away from our sick beds and make the most of the weekend and....so was the rest of London....on their bikes. whether they had rented a Boris Bike (nicknamed after our London Mayor)....or shined the leather on their seat and handles.....bicycles were out in force this weekend.

we made it back to Maltby Street {see days 400, 401 and 403}...more about that later in the week...yes, we're addicted (i blame Louise and Nivaldo) and also into the parks. East London is definitely the peddle-heart of the retro bike with leather accents and wicker baskets....

beautiful stitching, supple leather, shiny chrome and clean wicker......bicycle spotting was definitely easy on the eye this weekend.

do you think that it's too soon to get Limi a tricycle?

mar, 16th - street style....

day 403:

Maltby Street {posted on day 401 and day 400} is brilliant for people watching.....love the aprons at Monmouth Coffee Company and those boots on the left....

do you ever see people and wish that you knew them.....you just know that you could be great friends? i do it all the time...i come home and tell A. that i bumped into a new best friend today....they just didn't realise it.

anyway, wish that i knew this couple......

seriously....i almost followed them home.

fabulous boots and rolled up khakis.

bought this jumpsuit for Limi in the Summer sales last year.....

and finally...the perfect pair of tights.

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

mar, 13th - maltby street: part I....

day 400:

our weekend mornings are often about finding a good coffee.......we could blame Limi and her early rising but in fact all she's done is added a couple of extra hours to our search. this Saturday, we could be found perched on a pavement in East London drinking a fine coffee by the Monmouth Coffee Company {first mentioned here}

after our last visit to East London {see day 385}, this lovely blogger recommended a trip to Maltby Street. and, what a secret gem. through word of mouth this collection of industrial railway arches, in Bermondsey, are drawing an eclectric crowd on Saturdays mornings. What is attracting people to this quiet corner of London? Fine, artisanal food......

a handful of some of London's finest food manufacturers have opened their warehouse/production spaces to the public. so, instead of fighting the crowds in Borough Market, you can stroll between arches, sampling and collecting ingredients for a fantastic dinner party. Monmouth led the way back in 2009, but now there is a growing collection to visit..... 

after you've had a coffee and pain au chocolat at Monmouth, head around the corner to Druid Street and stop at St John's bakery where you can pick up amazing whole loaves, or a donut for later....

you can backtrack to Booth's for fruit and vegetables......then carry on walking....

and more on Maltby Street part II...tomorrow.