Take two global
chefs, London’s best food spots, a dash of inspiration and you have a recipe
for culinary success.
Ahead of Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve’s exclusive
London residency at High Timber this month, we took the respective chefs Wilfred
Mtshali and Mircel McSween, along
with Sabi Sabi director Jacques Smit and popular food blogger Jeanne from Cook
Sister, on a Sunday tour of London’s best foodie markets. Being able to see the
two chefs share their passion for food, as well as Chef Mircel’s knowledge of
the London foodie scene, made for a truly memorable day featuring unbeatable
culinary delights and a continuation of this international gourmet partnership.
The tour began at
11am at the ever-popular Borough Market, rich with history, serving the people
of Southwark for 1000 years. The two chefs couldn’t resist the pull of the
vegetable suppliers and seasonal produce, which lead into a chat about the
popularity of veganism and vegetarianism in both the London and South African restaurant
scene, with a wealth of vegan pop-ups opening.
From there the
group moved onto Maltby Street Market, tucked under the railway arches in
Southwark. Here we tasted the most delicious cheese toasties, proving that
sometimes all you need is something simple but done really well. This was
swiftly followed by gourmet scotch eggs and a large selection of craft beers and
IPAs, brewed just steps away. This craft drinks industry is also a growing
trend in South Africa. South African produce also featured highly here with one
seller even trying to sell our resident experts, Jacques and Wilfred biltong.
With a brisk walk
to burn off the cheese, Brick Lane’s Indoor Food Market was next. Offering an
aromatic hit on all the senses, the stalls here were selling an array of colourful
treats from across the globe. We sampled creamy Portuguese pastel de nata, to
fluffy madeleines and hot mulled apple juice.
After a quick tube
journey, Camden Market was the next up. Here we explored the new KERB market
and its range of stands offering everything from authentic New York-deli style
bagels to melt-in-your-mouth pasta cooked in a molten wheel of cheese. This was
followed by a trip to the unique on-site gin distillery - all of this walking
was thirsty work!
This tour was a
fantastic way to kick off a hugely successful three-day residency for Chef
Wilfrid at High Timber, and we left inspired, impressed by London’s
gastro-culture and drawing parallels with South Africa’s up-and-coming gourmet
scene.