Explore London's Largest And Oldest Food Market With A Superstar Chef And Guide, Plus Where To Stay

Forbes

25-05-2025

This traditional food market is a popular tourist attraction in London.
Located in the center of London, Borough Market, with 1,000 years of history, is London's oldest and most famous food market. Currently in the same location that it has been since 1756, the market, which is well known for its produce and street food, is an independent institution ran by a charitable trust, protecting not only its legacy, but also, how it evolves in the future.
Open six days a week, Borough Market has three key areas: Three Crown Square, for larger stalls; Green Market, for petite artisan traders; and Borough Market Kitchen, for street food to fill your belly. And, if you don't find what you're hankering for, there are plenty of restaurants, pubs, and boutiques that surround the market on all sides. Visitors can get an exclusive guided tour through the market on select dates, a unique experience and one you're not soon to forget.
And how does a food expert and chef get the exclusive opportunity to lead tours in London's most celebrated and historic food market? To start, it might help to write several cookbooks and know film director, Stanley Kubrick.
Exploring the market with a professional chef, guide, and author provides valuable context to what you're seeing and tasting.
Food expert, Celia Brooks is a professional chef and author and she founded the very first tasting tour of Borough Market over two decades ago. 'I fell into food by accident,' says Brooks. 'I first came to London seeking a career as a theatre director. After working for a couple of years, I discovered cooking for the first time and how creative it was. I got hired as a private chef, before I really knew what I was doing, by artist Christiane Kubrick, the wife of film director Stanley Kubrick. They took me under their wing and allowed me to develop my skills in their kitchen, cooking for family and people working in film, including a few big stars.'
It wasn't long before Brooks began writing cookbooks and showing the world how to make her recipes on television. Then the food tours came.
'I founded my food tour company, Gastrotours, in 2001 and created the first ever Borough Market tasting tour in 2003,' says Brooks. 'Later I was granted a license by Borough Market as the only person allowed to run food tours there, so that has been my main focus for the last 20-odd years. There is now only one other tour operator licensed to run tours there besides myself. It's an incredible gig.'
Spend an afternoon here—you won't regret it.
Brooks' Anglophilia began at an early age because her family lived in England for a year while her father, an academic, was on sabbatical. 'I visited London when I was 14 years old and spent time wandering around the city on my own at that very impressionable age,' says Brooks. 'One day in Portobello Market, I had an epiphany and realized London was the coolest place on Earth and it was where I belonged. So, I made it my mission to move here. I dropped myself off after college and got on with it.'
Brooks has lived in London for 36 years...and counting.
The Kubricks' lent Brooks money so she could self-publish her first cookbook, Vegetarian Foodscape, in 1998. 'That got my foot in the door and my first internationally published book, New Vegetarian, came out in 2001, published by Ryland, Peters & Small,' Brooks says. 'It became a bestseller. I've written a total of nine books, published in ten different languages. My most recent book, SuperVeg - The Joy and Power of the 25 Healthiest Vegetables on the Planet, is my homage to my favorite veggies. This is my true passion and specialist subject.'
Borough Market in London is a top thing to do in the city.
And what does Brooks love best about taking visitors through the market? 'Borough Market is like an onion—it has so many layers and it's my job to unravel them and reveal its thrilling secrets,' says Brooks. I love watching people's faces light up when they taste these incredible products.'
Sharing the market's history is also important. 'There is a fascinating story about the history of Borough Market and it's so much fun blowing people's minds with the stories about its past and present,' says Brooks. 'Borough Market has such an exciting vibe, and I do my best to maximize that for people. People come away from the experience of my tours with such joy and with their expectations exceeded—that's a wonderful feeling for me.'
Borough Market is Brooks' favorite playground and classroom. 'The range of foods is staggering and so widely varied, and the quality is exceptional,' Brooks says. 'Everyone in the London food world knows that Borough Market is the place to go for the very best ingredients. Plus, the people working there—the producers and the traders and traders' staff—they're all so passionate about what they do. They're warm, vibrant individuals who are not just there to sell you something—they love to engage and talk about the origins of their products and how to use them.'
Exploring the market with a professional chef, guide, and author provides valuable context to what you're seeing and tasting.
Fresh tomato varieties on display for sale in Borough Market, London.
And what are the top three best stalls to visit while at Borough Market, according to Brooks?
Pâté Moi: Flip Dunning has been selling her incredible vegetarian mushroom pâté at Borough Market for over 20 years. It's wonderful slathered on bread but is also a versatile cooking ingredient and turns into an incredible sauce when melted into cooked pasta. I love that Flip sells just that one product with pride and joy.
Trethowan Brothers: These guys make proper English cheeses in Somerset, including one of the very best cheddars called Pitchfork, using raw cow's milk. They also sell other fine English artisan cheese such as Stichelton, a raw milk blue cheese—that one is probably my favorite cheese of all time. I love the stories behind the making of these wonderful traditional products. These cheeses have ancient origins but nearly disappeared from existence in the war-torn 20th century but happily they have made a comeback thanks to producers like these and markets like Borough.
Oliveology: Marianna imports the finest Greek products, including honey, olive oil, cheeses, wines, nuts and pulses. I will only buy my dried oregano from here—it's the best! They have the most delicious unpasteurized olives that retain the maximum flavor and nutrition. It's fun to have people taste these unusual olives for the first time - I've seen many an olive-hater get converted.
The sign for one of the entrances to Borough Market, near London Bridge. It is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London.
Private tours can be booked by contacting Brooks directly at [e-mail]. In addition to private tours, Brooks runs public tours on Friday mornings for up to 12 people, which anybody can join. Advance booking is required, and these do sell out quite quickly. Visit her website for more information: www.celiabrooks.com.
For a truly special experience, enjoy tea service at the hotel.
For a historic hotel, which originally opened in 1922 by King George V and Queen Mary, within walking distance to much of what London has to offer, look no further than London Marriott Hotel County Hall. Renovated in 2024, this luxury hotel is dreamily situated on London's South Bank. Lucky lodgers enjoy stunning views of not only the River Thames, but also, London Eye, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament.
With top notch dining experiences at Gillray's Steakhouse, gin tastings at Gillray's Bar (choose from over 100 gins), and a Big Ben-inspired afternoon tea at The Library, you will find it easy to whittle away the day here in style. The concierge team can curate an itinerary to meet your needs throughout your stay including food tours with Celia Brooks.
For onsite entertainment, London County Hall is the magical setting for Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution play, a must-do activity for while you're staying at London Marriott Hotel County Hall. You won't believe your eyes and ears after seeing this well crafted and staged production.
'I'm happy to recommend the hotel as it's not too far away and the walk from there is probably the best walk in London for sightseeing!' says Brooks.