Welcome to Market Life
So, there we were, with an issue of Market Life just about finished and ready to go, when the world completely changed. At first, we dropped everything. Printing a food magazine made no sense at all.  Now though, like so much of what Borough Market does to share knowledge and bring people together—including the rich programme of online events and meeting places outlined overleaf—we have decided to move it to the digital sphere. Almost everything on these pages was created before the lockdown began, so if anything appears not quite of these times, that’s why. But most of it still feels relevant. This is a magazine about food, about people, about ideas—and this pandemic has rendered none of those themes redundant. While no one could make the case that it should top of the list of our current concerns, there is still a significance in contemplating the food we eat, considering where it came from and how it was made, and relishing the uplift to the spirits a good homecooked meal can offer. It is also vital that we make the effort to connect with each other, however we can. And it is important that we start to think about the kind of world we want to see emerge from the rubble once all this is over, and what that means for the production and consumption of food.

Usually, one of Market Life’s central missions would be to encourage anyone and everyone to come to Borough Market. This issue is obviously a little different. If you live or work nearby, our traders are still here every day except Sunday, offering fresh produce and essential ingredients in a controlled outdoor environment (and to do so, the efforts they are investing and the personal sacrifices they are making are to be applauded). But if you don’t live or work nearby, it is vitally important that you don’t visit until restrictions have been lifted. Instead, we would urge you to visit Borough Market Online or explore the traders’ own online delivery services: any support you can give them will be vitally important in keeping them going, as well as making your own lockdown considerably more bearable.

We hope you stay healthy and happy. We hope you enjoy the cheerful diversion and gentle education that reading a good magazine can offer. We hope you enjoy baking Juliet Sear’s magnificent cakes (make sure you share the pictures with us if you do). We hope that Carolyn Steel’s interview inspires you to think about what kind of city London should be. And we hope to see you here again before too long.

Market Life
Issue 49/2020

WINNER
Guild of Food Writers Awards 2019 and 2018
Food Magazine or Section of the Year
LSC Publishing

Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards 2019
Food Writer of the Year
Claire Finney

Independent Publishing Awards 2017, 2018 and 2019
Customer Magazine of the Year