If you think I am all about fashion then you clearly don’t follow my Instagram stories on the weekends, and why is that may I ask!?. I am a big foodie and I am always on the hunt for new restaurants and places to try out more tasty, mouth-watering delicacies (aren’t we all though?). So you can only imagine my excitement when I was invited to my first ever foodie “event”, a Cheese & Craft Beer market at one of London’s newer neighbourhoods, the East Village. Having an Italian best friend has definitely broaden my taste buds and knowledge on cheese, but I was hungry for more (quite literally) so I took her with me to pay a visit to the market on Saturday.
What is the East Village?
What once used to be the London 2012 athlete’s village, now is a thriving neighbourhood of more than 6,000 residents and 25 independent shops, bars, restaurants and services. East Village sits right on the doorstep of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and gives easy access to central London locations like St Pancras and West End in 7 mins and 20 mins respectively. But being a homebody is absolutely fine too! Within walking distance from the neighbourhood is Stratford and the Westfield shopping centre as well as 560 acres of parkland, waterways, and nature trails connected by paths for jogging, cycling and walking. In addition to that, East Village has many events happening each month. Whether that is art workshops, dance classes or a chill movie night under the stars.. there is always something going on in E20.
The Cheese & Beer Market ran from 11-4pm so I made sure to head there early in the morning to not miss any of the action. All of the traders on site were offering free tastings of their products so it would take me a while to taste them all. But having all the time and will in the world I knew that this wasn’t going to pose a problem! I am a big fan of unique and quirky flavours so it doesn’t come at a surprise to me that a few of my favourites were the Drunk Cheese (Ubriano cheese soaked in wine) and the Hiver Beer (beer fermented with raw honey). Both a must-try if you are asking me!
The “Basato” cheese from Drunk cheese is for the ones who enjoy strong flavours.
“Hiver” – Honey IPA and Honey Blonde
Throughout the day there were also many interactive talks taking place in the market. The first one was led by Ned Palmer, a cheesemonger of 10 years, who talked about the history of the world according to cheese. It was so fun learning different facts about cheese (did you know that cheese was made as a way to help people digest dairy?) and getting to sample a few as I discovered more about their history. Other talks included the “Magic of Cheese and Beer” and “Drinking Local; A spotlight on East London Breweries”. The first one was undoubtedly a crowd pleaser as it not only taught you how to pair beer with cheese but people also got to try the combinations. Life skills right here guys!
All the talking and beer tasting got me even more hungry so I decided to try one of the souvlakis from the market before heading home. Just as tasty as in my Greek hometown, I couldn’t think of a better and more heartwarming meal to end such a fun day on the East Village.
East Village will be running a “Sensory Supper Club” series for Autumn. Make sure to keep updated on What’s On here.
Disclaimer; This post is sponsored by East Village, however, all opinions are my own.