Covent Garden Real Food Market

Whilst I usually curse working in Covent Garden (because it’s not Soho) come the summer months there are a few reasons to be happier about it. Last year there was the Covent Garden Night Market and this year sees the piazza playing host to the Real Food Market every Thursday until September. Yay!

I took a wander yesterday afternoon, it was particularly quiet at work but the market starts at 12 so it’s perfectly doable in your lunch break and there are many suitable stall offering up delectable lunch time treats.

I partook only in a sweet nibble from Crumbs and Dollies. They had a beautiful selection of cupcakes on display, vanilla, lemon, chocolate or flavour of the month cherry and almond. I plumped for a mini version of the latter and it was delicious. Some of the best (purple) icing I’ve had, with little pink hearts to decorate.


Check out the blog on their website here, where they post pictures of special occasion cakes they’ve made. I love the ladybird ones!

I love love love food markets, I’d go to Borough Market every weekend if I could resist the urge to spend a small fortune on each visit.

Among the other vendors at The Real Food Market are Neal's Yard Dairy whose cheeses usually reside just around the corner and always look so appealing.


Whilst I was there the stall attracting the largest crowd by far was the Arabica Food and Spice Company who had many yum looking middle eastern type dips and salads with loads of flatbread and generously filled pots to sample. They looked really pretty, the most visually striking being the beetroot hummus, the vibrant purpley pink one in the pic below.


There’s also a celebration of all things garlic from The Garlic Farm, delicious looking pies galore from Pie Minister, or if you’d prefer there’s a wealth of freshly made sandwiches on offer, mushroom, sausage, bacon, and really very much to appeal come lunchtime, or dinner for that matter as the later the month the longer the market is open in the evenings. It’s also a handy stop off on route home for cooking inspiration with seasonal fresh produce available at every turn. Stop off at Shellseeker for some fish or meat from the neighbouring stand. I was particularly taken with the globe artichokes on the fruit and veg stall.

I’ll definitely be back, I plan to have lunch at the Real Food Market every Thursday until summer’s out. Also, interestingly, there's a UK Bloggers Association stall, I didn't see that but will be sure to seek them out in the coming months.