Grainger Market is rapidly becoming hip. Seriously. Until
recently I hadn’t set foot into Grainger Market for probably fifteen years –
and even then it was only to get obscure sewing supplies. For those of you that
think that it’s full of market traders selling limp lettuce and cheap tat, you
are in for a lovely surprise. Not that you can’t get limp lettuce and cheap tat
– those are still available for you fans of good old-fashioned British market
disappointment. The fact that you still can just adds to the charm.
I probably go at least once a week these days. Usually
without an agenda, but always with my floral backpack (courtesy of one of the
accessory shops) stuffed full of shopping bags and my phone so that I can look
up recipes if I see some interesting/particularly delicious looking ingredient.
glug… and mmm… (their punctuation, not
mine) is the perfect place to be inspired. It’s full of hard-to-find
ingredients, beer and wine and knowledgeable food talk. And I've just learned that they have fresh corn tortillas on Fridays. Now if I could find some proper donuts (Krisy Kreme doesn't count) and somewhere to get a plate of biscuits and gravy, all of my culinary requirements would be met without having to get on an airplane.
There are is a corner of the market where all of the fish is
sold and as my New Year’s resolution is to eat less meat and more fish, it’s
one of my more predictable stops. One of the long-established fishmongers, Lindsay Brothers, also has little restaurant and
an oyster bar. However, I’m sort of wary of oysters since I once accidentally
ordered a plate of twelve of them in France immediately after admonishing the
then-small children that they had to eat whatever the waiter put down in front
of them. I finished dinner feeling as though I’d survived a near-drowning.
The other day I bought a few locally caught sea bass fillets which I cooked with fresh ginger,chilies and spring onions. The veg was cheap. The fish was not. But what the hey – I saved all
that money on the fruit and veg! Three punnets of raspberries for a pound! I
feel healthier already and I’ve got a warm glow from doing my small part to
keep North Shields a functioning fishing port.
It’s not all about ingredients – there are loads of places
to eat – either to sit in or take out. My personal favourites are Fez, the little Turkish place that has five stars (five stars!) on Tripadvisor and Pet Lamb which has the most delicious cupcakes (and that’s coming from someone who
makes delicious cupcakes). The Chinese dumpling place, Nan Bei, is also good. It’s hard
to believe that you can make a business just off of a single foodstuff but it’s
always busy. Pumphreys is the perfect place to meet someone before a mooch
around the market. It also it keeps my coffee money local and out of the hands
of the evil corporate coffee purveyors.
It’s great to see the market evolving – though it’s not
quite as good as it could be. It needs something to create a bigger buzz,
something to attract a bigger crowd. Maybe longer opening hours, with places to
sit and have a drink while contemplating the vital decisions about what you’re
going to cook when you get home would help. And while the choice of fruit and
veg and meat is wide, there doesn’t seem to be anyone selling organic or free
range options.
So if you find yourself in town thinking about going to
Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose or wherever, head over to Grainger Market instead. I promise you that it will more interesting than your routine shop. And maybe I’ll run into you - I’ve got to go back this week and get more Red Storm,
which is a grown up version of Red Leicester that the lady at the cheese stall
recommended and is now one of my favourite hard cheeses. Also, I cannot
possible walk past the pizza by the slice place one more time before trying it.
Or the sausage place. Okay, it might
have to be a two-trip week, with a couple of visits to the gym slotted somewhere in between.
