The Eel loves

Maltby Street

The railway arches of Bermondsey have become an unlikely food destination in south-east London. Home to independent food and drink producers and retailers, this alternative to Borough Market draws a crowd of its own on Saturday mornings. Anna Sbuttoni went to have a look.

Photos: Adela Nistora

Retailer: Monmouth Coffee Co.
34-36 Maltby Street, SE1 3PA

Start with a coffee, but remember that everyone else may well have the same idea – a testament to its popularity. The three arches, complete with roasting site, house coffee bought fairly and sustainably from single farms, estates or co-operatives. www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk

Retailer: Mons Cheesemongers
59 Stanworth Street, SE1 3NY, and as part of Maltby Street Open Warehouse Saturdays, 9am-2pm

The size of the cheeses here are way beyond what you’d see in a supermarket. Traditionally made and imported from France and Switzerland, they are ripened in cellars at St Haon le Chatel, where natural insulation is ideal for cheese ripening. Have a taste, then pick and mix what you fancy.

Retailer: Jacob’s Ladder
104 Druid Street, SE1 2HQ

This stall buys biodynamic lamb, beef and pork from farms including Hophurst, Perry Court and Montague, in Sussex and Kent. Butcher Phil Rickett says biodynamic farming is "an extension of organic" and a "totally sustainable way of farming". Sausages and burgers are made on site. www.jacobsladderfarms.co.uk

Café: Bea’s of Bloomsbury
Arch 76, Druid Street, SE1 2HQ

Take your sweet tooth to this edgy take on a tea room. Try a meringue, smothered in natural fruit juices. In fact, none of these treats, made in an open plan kitchen on Theobalds Road, contain artificial colours or flavours, and they change on a seasonal basis. And when most of the neighbours close up at 2pm, come here for the ‘Maltby Street Lockin’, where you can bring your market booty, and refuel with some Austrian goulash or smoked bacon sarnies. www.beasofbloomsbury.com

Bar/retailer: 40 Maltby Street
40 Maltby Street, SE1 3PA

This industrial conversion-come-bar, in the Gergovie Wines warehouse, sells bottles produced by a handful of wine-makers who reject chemical fertilisers and pesticides. These wines have personality. Sip a glass or two at the bar, or take home a bottle. www.40maltbystreet.com

Producer: Fern Verrow
55 Stanworth Street, SE1 3NY

This arch is home to weird and wonderful fruit and vegetables. Staples like Desiree potatoes nestle next to more unusual varieties such as Arran Victory, Cara and British Queen. Stock changes with the seasons, with an emphasis on taste over appearance. Squash - patty pan, blue ballet and stella blue - is centre stage for now. The business is a certified biodynamic and organic smallholding, four miles east of the Black Mountains on the Welsh-Herefordshire border. www.fernverrow.com

Retailer: Neal’s Yard Dairy
60 Stanworth Street, SE1 2HH

Distinctive cheeses from around 70 cheesemakers on farms across Britain and Ireland. Each has a story, so don’t be afraid to ask about where each one comes from. The cheddars, for example, are selected by visiting the West Country every eight weeks and tasting through young cheese to select the batches that will be matured. www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk

Producer: The London Honey Company
55-58 Tanner Place, open studio on last Saturday of the month, 9am-2pm (every Saturday before Christmas)

One taste and you’ll never go back to the mass-produced stuff. Urban beekeeper Steve Benbow produces honey for Londoners from the heart of the capital, where bees can thrive, far from the treatments used by commercial farmers and with plenty of green space to forage. www.thelondonhoneycompany.co.uk

Growing space: Melior Street Community Garden
Melior Street, Southwark, SE1 3QP

Need to escape the streets? This pocket plaza park and community growing space was created from a derelict area by Team London Bridge, in partnership with Southwark Council. The space, maintained by charity St Mungo’s, is a member of the Capital Growth scheme, which aims to create 2,012 growing spaces in London by the end of 2012. www.teamlondonbridge.co.uk

Producer: Kappacasein Dairy
1 Voyager Arches London SE16 4RP

See article on p15

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