Listen up everybody. I LOVE FOOD. I LOVE TO EAT!!!!!! So, of course, one thing I started looking at when planning to go back to London was all the food I should eat at the markets we were going to visit. Unfortunately…I have gluten intolerance. And the Brits LOVE frying food (seriously, why is everything beige here?). This has made my food journey a little difficult, but I persist! Plus, gluten free guides to any market in the city are easy to find.
On the first day will the whole group, we went to Seven Dials Market. Based on the other markets we went to, this more just seemed like a food mall to me. The only gluten free option I could’ve gotten was pad thai, but I also happen to have a shellfish allergy (far more dangerous than the gluten thing) and couldn’t eat there because of the cross contamination with their prawn pad thai. So, I went with the least gluten I could find and got some yummy bun thing.
The first real market we visited was Spitalfields, where I got some DELICIOUS butter chicken and garlic naan. YES NAAN IS BREAD AND IT HAS GLUTEN! LEAVE ME ALONE! As long as my intolerance just causes tummy problems occasionally, I will eat my naan with my butter chicken. That’s the only food I got in Spitalfields, but it has stuck in my mind because of how much I love Indian food.
The next market we visited was Camden Market, where I split some Masala fries from the famous funky chips with Tucker. THESE WERE SO GOOD. And worth the hype! If I had ever gone back, I would’ve gotten a small for myself and made it my only meal there. I saw on a gluten free guide that there was poke in Camden market, which is my favorite food. About an hour after the chips my blood sugar started to drop and everyone had to trail a very grumpy me till I found the poke. Spoiler: poke made by British people is mid. It had to do for the time being though, lest I bite someones head off.
The last market we visited that I got food from was Borough Market. We went there twice. The first time I got some cheesy potatoes that were so good and super filling. The second time I got this sandwich recommended by Shawn, which was honestly pretty good. As a lover of pepperoncinis, I wish I could’ve tasted them more. The highlight of this Borough Market visit for me, though, was the notorious chocolate covered strawberries. I really didn’t care if anyone said they’re overpriced or not worth it. Y’all just don’t care about chocolate covered strawberries like me. Could I recreate this at home? Yes. Will I? Yes. Does that mean buying them wasn’t worth it? NO! Chocolate covered strawberries are always worth it.
I’ve had a lot of other food here, from fish and chips (both gluten free and non gluten free), Dishoom (best meal I ate in London btw), and my beloved sticky toffee pudding (never gluten free). The markets definitely offer a unique experience to go along with your meal that you can’t get in a restaurant. One thing will always be certain for me, though. My tummy is gonna hurt.
Theatre in London U of A 