Borough Market Launches Series Of Inspiring Virtual Food Talks

Borough Market, London’s world-renowned historic food market, is launching a series of weekly lunchtime culinary talks with inspiring guest speakers from around the world, shared via Zoom. 

The ‘Borough Talks’ season kicks off at 1pm on Wednesday May 13th with bestselling author Melissa Hemsley, who will be discussing the global impact and sustainability of our food choices in light of Covid-19, as well as insights into recipes from her books Eat Happy and recently released Eat Green.  To register for the Zoom talk go to https://bit.ly/BTalksMelissa

The talks will be hosted by Borough Market Cookbook Club’s Angela Clutton, and the season will continue with:

  • Wednesday May 20th, 1pm

Borough Talks  A global city view on lockdown, food and community with Yasmin Fahr in New York, Rachel Roddy in Rome, and Regula Ysewijn in Antwerp

Leading food-writers from around the world discuss what the lockdown has been like in their cities, building a picture of how different countries are coping and what the longer term food impacts might be. The speakers will share how they’ve been getting their food and the meals they’ve been cooking up in quarantine, as well as the broader picture of their cities’ differing food pressure-points To register go to https://bit.ly/BTalksCityView

  • Wednesday May 27th, 1pm

Borough Talks  Falastin – the food and stories of Palestine with Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley

Sami Tamimi (co-founder of Ottolenghi) and co-collaborator Tara Wigley will be discussing their new book, Falastin, based on Sami’s childhood in Palestine and Tara’s journey into the universe of tahini, za’atar and shatta. Find out about the food, people and stories of Palestine that lie behind this ground-breaking and modern Middle Eastern cookbook.  To register go to https://bit.ly/BTalksFalastin

  • Wednesday June 3rd, 1pm

Borough Talks – Food and our mental health with Kimberley Wilson

Why are so many more of us baking our way through lockdown? Join psychologist Kimberley Wilson for a discussion about some of the mental health issues surrounding our relationship with food and how those might be heightened by the impact of Covid-19, lockdowns, ensuing family and financial pressures and potentially limited supplies. We’ll be talking about the relationships between stress and digestion; the links between food and depression; and how food can be used to ‘manage’ anxiety.  To register go to https://bit.ly/BTalksHealth 

The Borough Talks series follows the successful launch of the Borough Market Community Facebook Group in March where those at home looking for culinary inspiration can access hundreds of free online recipes – many using store cupboard staples, and swap tips.  Most recently the group held a virtual ‘family favourites’ Cookbook Club hosted by Angela Clutton, where participants from around the world cooked, discussed and shared their creations – from Chicken Tikka to Danish Fiskefrikadeller – via Zoom.

Nadra ShahHead of Communications & Marketing, Borough Market said: “Sourcing and cooking food has been a focus for all of us during lockdown.  We know that more people than ever are rediscovering cooking, sharing recipes and virtual meals with friends and family as a way of lifting their spirits and finding connection with others.  The new Borough Talks series aims to inspire our wider community and explore important issues and lessons learned from cities around the world – with food at the heart of the discussion.”

Borough Market remains open for business from Monday to Saturday, with social distancing measures in place.  The Market is focused on selling essential supplies of fresh produce and store cupboard ingredients for those working and living in the local community.  All restaurants and catered food remain closed.

Borough Market’s delivery and collection service, Borough Market Online, offers an alternative way for customers to access Market produce either by click and click on foot, or by the newly launched ‘car and collect’ service (customers collect orders without leaving their car) A doorstep drop delivery service has been extended for those within a 4.5 mile radius of the Market, allowing orders to be received without contact with couriers.