Glitterbitch Visits: Billingsgate Market

Yesterday, The Duke Spirit told us if they had the morning in London, they'd spend it in Billingsgate Market making a feast for Neptune (insert cool new album plug here). Now, Glitterditch had promised them that whatever they said they'd do, she'd go and do it the very next day. As much as Olly Duke has promised they weren't being mean in making us get up at 6 in the morning, we found it hard to believe them.

"It's a crazy place and we like fish." Was their explanation. Hmmmmm. We want to believe them, but the idea of Luke and Leila frolic around the market is... actually pretty easy to picture. Maybe it is just a great place to go.

We're not going to moan again about the early morning start. We had a chat with Paul. He's the man in the picture with the really big crab. The biggest we've ever seen. He's been at the market since about three. We don't envy that at all.

Paul is lovely. Just like all of the guys who have stalls here, he's silly and happy and really happy to be there. He also appears to be genuinely happy to talk to Glitterbitch, but as we didn't see a single woman working there, it's not that surprising.

We found out some great stuff about the market and seafood. Apparently the biggest crab we've ever seen is actually quite small. We now know the difference between a male and female crab (it's all about the apron). We also still think buying and killing one with a knife like Gordon Ramsay does is something that is never going to happen at Glitterditch HQ.

Then Paul said something that shocked us. He hates seafood. He's hasn't eaten it since he was a kid. We find this so hard to believe. How does someone who hates seafood end up having a stall at Billingsgate? "I used to be a fisherman too. About four years ago. I can catch fish, kill it, prepare it. Even cook it. I just won't eat it."

We can understand how he feels. We never mentioned this to The Duke Spirit, but even the smell of fresh fish can make Glitterbitch feel quite unwell. We were planning on buying some for our tea tonight, but after the morning in the market, we're feeling very queasy. Which is a shame as the fish there is so fresh. Apparently, the lobsters and crabs that are still alive go into a tank for more swimming - they're not just killed or frozen. This makes us happy.

We'll be back to Billingsgate soon. The next time we have people round for dinner. We'll go and see Paul and maybe pluck up the courage to kill crabs. Our morning has been great fun and now we smell like we've been to the seaside.

Special thanks to Paul for our seafood lesson. You can find him in the middle of the market. Crabs are £3 per kilo, Lobster is £17 per kilo.

Billingsgate Market is on Trafalgar Way which is at the back of Canary Wharf Station. You're going the right way if you get to the rather fabulously named Cartier Circle.

Written by Sian on 7 Feb 2008 9:14 AM. Permalink