My Market Weekender-Bender

When I’m feeling a bit down, useless or agitated, there’s nothing I like better than a proper market binge. After a busy month in September, I finally got my hands on the market scene last weekend. And there’s nothing I recommend more!

STOP ONE: BRIXTON FOOD FEST

The first stop came in perfect time for our grumbling tums, as Brixton Station Road Market turned into a multicultural haven for food. The festival had been running all week (Cocktail Wednesday was on earlier in the week, needless to say I was gutted to miss that one), but this very special international event had been opened by the Mayor of Lambeth, Mark Bennett.

You said it Brixton!

While the BF went straight for the pulled pork burger, I was delighted to find The Bounty of Mimir’s Well, a table of what seemed to be magical preserves and jams. Presented with the choice of trying the light kiwi jam or the dark kiwi jam, I was dared by Feaghall, the creative mind behind it all, to try the dark. Quite frankly the easiest dare I have ever accepted, the flavours and textures in this gorgeous thing are surely enough to swing a jam-hater’s mind. I would take this forfeit in spin the bottle any day!

The lovely people at The Bounty of Mimir's Well

STOP TWO: CRAFTY FOX

A couple streets down was one of my favourite markets of all time, Crafty Fox at the Dogstar Pub. What I love about this place is that I always discover something I never had before, and the creativity over the three floors really does force you to challenge your own imagination. In a nice, inviting way of course!

The usual foxy character welcomes us outside the Dogstar

Working from the top down, I was delighted to find Blonde Fox Vintage amongst the printing workshops. Very tempted by their Christmas jumpers, they had a sparkling offer of genuine vintage delights, which oozed temptation from every rail (vintage is to ILM as chocolate is to…ILM). Talking of temptation, down one flight of stairs were the fabulous Teas Knees who have been popping up at the market since it began. Resisting the generously sized cream teas, I chose a Sticky Toffee Cupcake for only £2.

Yes, I had it with a pint of Blue Moon. I was in a pub after all!

The next thing to almost flaw me was one of my most exciting discoveries of the day; Caleigh-Ill and their Russian Owl Dolls. Mesmerised by their dark, vibrant designs, I had to tear myself away from their stall. All their work is brilliant!

ILM BOUGHT:

Robin Ring by Kirstin Stride

For £10, this is the cutest thing I have ever seen. If Robins aren’t for you, designer Kirstin offers all kinds of little birds – and if you don’t like birds, she does other things too.

Bird Sticker by Birds in Hats

I love finding Birds in Hats at Crafty Fox as – well, there’s just nothing better than a bird in a hat. Designer Alice Tams was literally sitting by her stall designing one of her Christmas birds which was a great little insight into her process. I troubled her to by a £1 BIH sticker, which is now perching proudly on my laptop, under my I Love Markets sticker – TRUE STORY.



Virgo Constellation Card by Sabrina Kaici



I almost jumped up and down in excitement when I got to Sabrina's stall. As a bit of a moon, star and constellation freak myself, Sabrina showed me what her amazing moon print looked like under the tablecloth; the answer was it GLOWS IN THE DARK. Apologies for letting my inner geek out, but I was devastated to have already gone past my budget to purchase this. I instead opted for one of her lovely constellation cards, at a very affordable £2.50. She does all the constellations, so go see her if you have a friend’s birthday coming up (or get your own constellation… for yourself… like I did).

STOP THREE: VINTAGE KILO SALE

A quick sleep at the end of the day, and I was ready to get up on a sunny Sunday morning and make my way down to York Hall in Bethnal Green for October’s Vintage Kilo Sale. ILM readers will already know my emotions towards this worthy event, which charges you vintage by the weight, rather than the item (£15 a kilo). Enjoying the vintage shockers as much as I did the little gems of finds, I finally managed to get my Christmas jumper!

For £15 a kilo, I must have got this jumper for a couple of pounds!

STOP FOUR: VILLAGE GREEN MARKET

This pic of Signature Brew's stall does not do the length of their queue justice!

Closing off the weekend was a bus ride to Hackney Downs and joining the newly born Village Green Market, which is ran by our friends the Creative Network Partners. October meant OKTOBERFEST and a celebration of German food and drink. I was absolutely staggered to see the queue for Signature Brew, who were offering beautiful ales for a modest £4.50. Beautiful however must have been an understatement as the queue literally snaked around the market – suggesting to me that this was by far the most popular find of my market weekend. Although we didn’t make the queue, I fulfilled my need for beer by indulging in this delicious Lager and Lime Bunt Cake, which was only £1.50!

Delicious Lager and Lime Bunt Cake

Making my way through all the individual and pretty crafts and fashions, I found a pop-up shop housing beautiful products from a number of independent designers. The range also included our very own Juan is Dead.

Jorge Playing Poker, Ceramic Tile by Juan is Dead, £12

I rounded off the day with another quick shot of vintage (it’s like caffeine to me), by popping into Smoking Gun Vintage, which was another interior shop space incorporated into the Village Green. This really brought out my inner magpie as I was captivated by all the sparkle from all those decades ago; for a small space, the geniuses behind the shop squeezed a lot of treasures inside. The BF wouldn’t let me buy anymore vintage though… I don’t blame him. 

All that marketeering and I didn’t even get a hangover!


Hollye Murphy

5 Market Weekend Market-Musts!

1. Shop Handmade at Old Spitalfields Market

Brighton Belles Makers at Old Spitalfields

Crystal Peace and Love Ring

On Saturday there was a fantastic array of handmade products and it was a great pleasure to soak up the creative juices of the different stall holders on show. Brighton Belles brought colour and jazz in the form of different makers who came from Brighton for the day to trade. They’ll be back with their Vintage Wedding Fair on Oct 26. 

Dribble Bibs by Ginga-Baby at Old Spitlafields

ILM bought: Baby Dribble Bibs 3 for £12 (right) from Ginga-Baby and this unique Peace & Love crystal ring by 

Point 618 Designs.

The much-loved African Market also made an appearance on Saturday. Great for original handmade products. The next African Market is on Oct 26th.

 

2.  Flavour Town Bakery

Bringing their gourmet cupcakes to East London, trying and buying is a MUST! It's a sexual experience. In fact, we recommend Flavourtown Bakery so much, we bore ourselves. I have to confess to buying 18 cakes on Saturday. Sticky Toffee Pudding was to-die-for. You can buy 4 for £8 which is a bloody good deal. Join their Facebook page to claim their weekly freebie every weekend at Old Spitalfields Market. 

Truly scrumptious Flavourtown Bakery cupcakes every weekend at Old Spitalfeilds Market

3. Toilet Life Pop-Up Vintage Market

Public Life Vintage Market, Spitalfields E1

 We love novel market pop-ups and you don't get a more original setting that this! Yes - it used to be a public toilet! Now better known as Public Life, it's actually a cool little bar by night, but every Saturday you'll find it transformed into this vintage gem. Outside the Christ Church in Spitalfields. 

Public Life Vintage Pop-Up

Public Life Vintage outside Christ Church, Commercial Rd, E1

4. The Netil Market Experience

The Netil Market experience. Hackney, E5

If you haven't already heard of it, you should have! This market is set behind Broadway Market in Hackney, E8 and runs every Saturday. Netil Market only comes alive after midday and attracts an uber-cool Hackney crowd. Market stalls traders can be found alongside some permanent traders who have set-up shop in Shack Alley. You'll find a bit of vintage, jewellery, arts and crafts. Also very popular for a spot of lunch. View the traders. We'll get on to that next!

5. Get LUCKY!

Netil Market is where the legendary Lucky Chip found their fame and fortune. Yes, it was the most expensive market bite I've ever had (£25 for 2 people!), but YES it was worth it. Next-time around I'd recommend skipping the expensive coke in a bottle and stick to burger and fries at a tenner a head. You get waitress service too!

The Luck Chip Burger at Netil Market, Hackney

Portobello Rocks!

Portobello definitely rocks! More pop-up dates announced!

The legendary Portobello Market is synonymous with fashion and all things bang-on trend, so there was no better place to hold our West-side I Love Markets pop-up. It's reputation ensures a continuous flow of both tourists and locals, so all was set for a great day at Portobello Rocks! 
 
Some may of feared the rain as it came down hard on Friday, but Saturday thankfully stayed dry and stall holders were protected by the Westway and hassle-free gazebos, so no worries there. Market visitors were immediately intrigued by the bunting and balloons and the stall holders were fabulous, so let the shopping commence!  

Portobello Rocks, I Love Markets Pop-Up, Portobello Green

Katie Ingham from I Love Markets couldn't resist setting up a stall for the day!

Tie Doctor & Golden Grass draw in shoppers

The prize for one of the most aesthetically pleasing stalls has to be awarded to Haus Of Artisans.  Featuring products from three different artists. The passion and love for their products truly came across and they have been firmly placed on my Christmas Wish List to Santa!

https://www.ilovemarkets.co.uk/london/directory/shop/haus-of-artisans

The Tie Doctor was there giving out some crucial neck wear advice to all the Potobello fashionistas. Sporting his own product and even selling out of his £8 Stylish black bow. He has hitting the right note.

Self confessed vintage lovers ourselves the ILM team were very happy to see such an eclectic mix of Vintage making an appearance. 

Harper & Eye High-Fashion Vintage

Harper & Eye are definitely one to check out if you are a vintage lover, selling an awesome array of hand picked designer and high street apparel to suit any budget.

LFF Boutique also brought some statement customised vintage pieces along side her own branded womenswear and statement jewellery. Diana Vickers was recently spotted sporting her 'Boys Boys Boys' tee which you can get on the ILM Shop! 

Loud Prints from LFF Boutique

LFF Boutique on-trend fashion

Love Vintage

Love Vintage brought an aladdins cave of vintage treasures. Offering everything from gloves, handmade cards, prints, jewellery and accessories. She also put a smile on shoppers face with the vintage styled poster proclaiming "Your husband just called, he said buy whatever you want". We can dream...

Wunderbar Vintage was another big-hit, with masses of stylish picks from many different eras and the best collection of shoes we have ever seen! Katie from I Love Markets bought the embroidered oriental gown for £15 featured below, oh an also a great pair of sunglasses!

Wunderbar Vintage

 

Retro Great also brought some vintage wonders and mixed it up nicely with some unique retro styled handmade jewellery. 

The Golden Grass Company had one of the busiest stalls of the day with people fascinated by how these sophisticated, hand made, golden wonders start at around £10!

People couldn't keep their hands-off Golden Grass!

Acro Iris who normally trade in Camden traveled to Portotbello to showcase a large range of handmade products from leather flip flops to handmade charm bracelets. The bright colourful stall brought a ray of sunshine on a mainly cloudy day!

Mixy Fandino

Another trader bringing the sunshine was of course Mixy Fandino. The beautiful handcrafted jewellery comes from the Colombian Andes. It is made from sustainable materials in an array of bright South American colouring, Mixy is always sure to stand out from the crowd.

Jerpurity

Jerpurity with an extensive array of jewellery and accessories made using different African prints.

East End Prints brought a large selection of both framed and unframed prints. The animals prints seemed popular with the people of Portobello and if you missed out check out there extensive range on ILM.

Innabox brought the smiles with their cute collection of unique cards and phone cases.

Open The Gate take African prints and street culture to create their products. Their hood seemed a popular option and Sandrine was keen to get the public trying them on! If you missed them lucky for you the stylish hoodie is available on ILM! 

Trina's Delicacies was there to keep hungry sweet toothed market goers happy, and traders for that matter. She even managed to get her stall filmed in a sketch for an Italian comedian who were filming there.  Her brownie vanilla cupcake was amazing!

Portobello Rocks was a great success and  we are pleased to announce new dates for October, Novemer and December! Stalls are priced at an affordable  £45. Book your place fast to avoid disappointment! Sign up to I Love Markets and never miss another event again!

 

My Food Filled Visit to The Urban Food Fest

Last Saturday I paid a little visit to the lovely people at The Urban Food Fest. If you have never heard of it, it is London's newest street food night market and number 1 on Time Out London's Hot List. It features some of the best street food traders, a fully stocked bar, plentiful seating area with live music and entertainment also thrown into the mix.

It’s given me the hunger and I will defiantly be visiting again, this time on an empty stomach! Here are some of the lovely street food traders that kept all the eager, hungry and maybe slightly tipsy foodies happy. 

The next Urban Food Fest is taking place on September the 7th. Check out our events calender for the full low-down of market action. This is a taster of what to expect!

 

The Crumbery

The Crumbery makes and creates  handcrafted Pastries, Macaroons, Cakes and Confectionery.  Some conventional… some not so conventional. Unfortunately by the time I arrived most of what the Crumberry crew called conventional had been snapped up (rightly so).  I ended up faced with a Wasabi and Passion fruit macaroon. Now, I do not enjoy and therefore consume either of the ingredients, but after a few convincing words from there master-chef Vincent, which mainly consisted of “pretend it’s not passion fruit and wasabi.” I decided to go for it and you know what, it wasn't half bad! 

Golden Sunshine

This family run business keeps to its traditional roots mainly selling rice and jerk chicken. Luckily they still had some remaining for me to try! The jerk sauce came with an amazing kick. I was being polite and just took a small portion, and yes… I live to regret the politeness. True home style cooking turned street food! 

Comptoir Gourmand

Comptoir Gourmand is a fast-growing traditional French patisserie company. They supply around 25 cafes around London, in addition to having 3 cafes of their own. Yet despite this they still have stalls in markets all over London including Borough Market, Spitalfields Market and Venn Street. When I popped to their stall the choice was impossible. After a lengthy decision, breaking the ‘oh no it’s still sunny in September diet’ and holding up the queue, I opted for a Vanilla Slice.  A decision I will never regret. Now I just need to visit and see them at the market for more tasty treats.

Streetzza

First thing to say about Streetzza is WOW! This monster/horse box/wood-oven was rolling out non-stop amazing pizza all night long. There was nothing but queues of hungry people constantly all waiting to taste the delights that a wood oven in a horsebox can make! 

Portena

Portena, Portena, Portena… my favorite of the whole evening. I was lucky enough to arrive in time to a fresh batch of chicken and beef empanadas. To be entirely honest in my naivety, I wasn't entirely sure what I was eating. But I sure am glad I did. It was the most prefect, flavorsome easy to eat street food. My boyfriend insisted to go back and buy more! Also, to make my day even better the lovely chef told me they trade at Borough Market, YEY! As the I Love Markets are situated just down the road. 

Busan Korean

The Busan BBQ is an AmeriKorean food trader. They specialise in marrying American street food classica with Kaorean marinades to make awesome favour combinations. When speaking with them about their food and how it was made, these flavorsome feats sound enitrely unique to Busan. I'm still dreaming of trying their spiced pork belly burger now, i will be hunting them down at the next Urban Food Festival in hope of trying one!  

Mooshie Food

Mooshie is a new concept of Gourmet Street Food which showcases various types of Wild Mushrooms. If you are a mushroom and burger lover, Mooshie food is your dream. However not so much mine! Personally I am not a fan of mushrooms, however the Urban Food Fest people obviously were as they were fresh out when I arrived and their chef was on the run trying to sort out a delivery of more stock! Obviously an unusual and popular choice!