Camden Market

If I tell you that the famous Camden Market in London, UK started with a mere 16 stalls and on Saturdays only. Well, that was in March 1974 and a lot has changed since.

It is now home to over 1000 stalls ranging from bread to expensive antiques. Unlike the high street, the traders are predominantly self employed small sole traders or family businesses. A lot of them uphold deep certain values of their own that they bring to their offering. For instance, you can have fully organic food shops, vegan, gluten free to traditional way of working with leather.

Some of the things I like about the market..

1. Coffee

Starting your day with a delicious latte made with some nicely roasted coffee beans and creamy textured frothy milk from inside the market itself. Facing the bridge with the clock just behind you is where you an find on your left the entrance to one of the food section of the market. On your left would be some succulent cakes, pastries and bakes and steps away on your right would be some of the coffee shops.

2. The people

It is a known stereotypes that people in the big cities like London and Paris tend to be lonely and not so friendly. There may be a degree of truth in it. However as someone from Mauritius and who enjoys knowing people and learning their history, I can't help myself talking to strangers. What I have noticed is that when spoken to, those who initially one would have thought not so friendly suddenly exuberates an energy of wanting to talk and share their feelings.

(ok.. it doesn't happen all the time.)

In Camden, the traders are really amazing and friendly. Talk to them.. compliment their work and be curious and ask for more information. You may learn a lot

     

3. The food

Of course, the food.. the delicious cuisines from all over the world. You can get food from many types of diet in Camden market. Some examples (please comment with other stuff you found )

1. Vegan / Vegetarian
2. Organic
3. Gluten Free
4. Lactose Free
5. No heat or very hot
6. Asian
7. Low calorie
8. Heavy and hearty

I haven't counted nor have an estimate to how many food stalls and shops there were but I walked for ages in massive crowds of people through the narrow paths where the food is. Clearly, there are more people around food than you could see in other parts of the market and that can only suggest the attraction for it. The prices are very reasonable if not comparatively much cheaper in terms of quality and quantity than chains and some restaurants out there.