Markets are popping up all over the place; every weekend come rain or shine Londoners take to the streets to spend their hard earned cash on artisan bread, exotic cups of coffee and homemade cakes. Why are these alternative shopping streets becoming so popular? Perhaps it’s the original, one-off produce, it feels special buying from a stallholder with a story, certainly beats screaming at those Tescos self-service machines.

Maltby Street Market is fifteen minutes walk from the famous and crowded Borough Market and is busy with locals rather than hordes of tourists looking for photo opportunities. The result is a much more relaxed and natural environment to explore. The market takes place every Saturday and Sunday beneath the railway arches near Tower Bridge. Artisan food and drink producers line the narrow road to sell their often beautiful handcrafted products. Most of it is for consuming onsite, while wandering, but you can also take away lovely gifts like bottles of delicious olive oil or spicy chorizo jam.

The stallholders will happily chat about their wares, explaining the background and origin of the ingredients. It all looks and smells delicious but I have a few favourites to recommend. Start with a strong flat white from Craft Coffee or if you are after something a little stronger Little Bird Gin serves up wonderful cocktails with their London made gin. For food Monty’s Deli ‘Jewish soul food’ is renowned, try the flavoursome pastrami or salt beef sandwiches, pricey but huge and very yummy. Bad Brownie Company will satisfy a sweet craving, and for a beautiful bunch of flowers stop by and see Jemima in the Woods.

Whatever you do at Maltby Street Market you definitely won’t leave empty handed or feeling hungry.