Guess What, Drinking in London - Again

It is so nice to be home in London again. We got right back into the saddle with a GORGEOUS Saturday morning trip to Borough Market for lunch and some cheese/bread/meat/veggie shopping. It was mind-numbingly crowded, as expected for one of the hottest days of the year in London. It was in the mid 80's and heat records were broken all over the UK. Mind you - that means a whole lot of very white people in shorts and summer tank dresses, I think my retinas are scarred.

Once Borough became too annoyingly crowded for words, Dave led us on a holy pilgrimage down the street to Bermondsey to look for the brewery for a beer he discovered, called Kernel. We were greatly rewarded in our quest; we discovered the Druid and Maltby Street markets. The markets are housed in what I assume are old warehouses underneath elevated railroad tracks. It is everything urban and industrial juxtaposed with small and agricultural - and an example of urban renewal at it's finest - I loved it. It is sad that I don't even think you could do something like that in the US. We have horribly draconian zoning regulations, fanatical food safety rules, and a large conglomerate-dominated agricultural system. But then you've all seen Food Inc. (and if you haven't, shame on you) so who am I to lecture.

In addition to the brewery, there are loads and loads of small producers selling veggies and cheeses. There were also butchers and bakers, everything one needs! I should have taken more photos, it was food porn for sure. Here is one of the smaller cheese shops with some GIANT wheels of cheese. I almost cried of sheer cheese happiness. Whoever said the Brits don't have good food hasn't been there lately!

Yum and yum.

After walking around we got thirsty (it was really hot after all), so we had to get two Kernel Pale Ales. They were perfect, not too hoppy or fizzy - just nice on a hot day. You drank your beers in this really cool, uhm - courtyard....... Well is was really an alley with all sorts of dangerous implements and rusty nails lying around. This would have never flown in the US, someone would have sued and shut the place down long ago. The antique store next door to the brewery put out stools and chairs so you could sit and drink your beer, great marketing move on the part of the antique store. We will be going back!

Dave enjoying his beer in the "courtyard".


Looking fancy Dave.


To make everything perfect, you could get a charcuterie plate to go with your beer. I think I am getting emotional, you know how I love charcuterie.

Well, off for a run before the rain starts again.....day after tomorrow - boo!