Newcastle upon Tyne - Grainger Market

Before I visited Newcastle upon Tyne I asked friends who knew the city where I should visit. There was one place that everyone was agreed on - Grainger Market! 

This market has been in Newcastle since 1835, the old weigh house is still there:

where originally deliveries of fish meat and other produce were checked. It's now a visitor centre.

I wish there were more traditional markets like this one. I'm sure we'd be healthier. There are five stalls (Bryan Muers & Son, Hector Hall, Hutchinson’s, Hutton & Oliver and T E Liddell) selling cheap fruit and vegetables: 

Because there are so many stalls

all close to each other

there's real competition

so you get top quality and bargain prices

(especially when they're about to close - when I visited they were virtually giving away large packs of mushrooms). 

Meat eaters are also well catered for with four butchers A & J Quality Meats, Finlay’s Quality Butchers, Oliver & Eden and Richard Campbell:

with more competition, and friendly service.

This stall was offering all their packs of meat at £1.99 each:

and 3 packs for £5, or 7 packs for £10 - which makes some deals I've seen in supermarkets look not quite so good....

If you like sausage, you'll love Sausology: 

Here the Northumberland Sausage Company promote and sell proper sausages, and have some interesting varieties. They also sell everything you need to make your own sausages at home and even let you design your own sausages which they can make for you!

Like many good food shops, you can try before you buy.

Grainger Market is also a good place to get fresh fish:

again with three stalls (Chirton Fisheries, Lindsay Brothers and Lin’s Seafood) in competition with each other, and in direct contact with fisherman.

This stall:

was selling beautiful fresh mackerel for less than £2 per pound:

and you can also buy local crab, and cockles, mussels and winkles etc.

Where else can you buy cheap flowers, whilst getting your shoes repaired?

There's Matthew's cheese shop:

selling local and continental cheese

It's also one of the few places these days where home bakers can buy fresh yeast!

Talking of bread, this stall was selling yesterday's bread at bargain prices:

 where else can you get a loaf of bread for 50p that's worth eating?

If you've got a sweet tooth, you'll like the Pudding Parlour:

If all that shopping has worn you out, there's a good choice of tea at Curious Leaves: 

Although coffee drinkers like myself may prefer Pumphrey's Coffee.

I bought some of their coffee to try at home, and enjoyed it. I would like to visit their roasting rooms in Blaydon upon Tyne, the next time I'm that way. 

Not all the shops sold food.  For instance there's Bags of Bags, selling exactly that:

You'll like Long Play if you like vinyl records:

It's two founders were both café managers, so you can also get a good cup of coffee here. Next time I'm in Newcastle I'll try and visit their original Quayside café and shop.

The Yesterday Society, sell vintage boutique clothes:

at affordable prices.

I have to say I was rather surprised to see this sign, at Robinson’s Pet Store:

offering Bottom Sniffer beer for your dog!!!!

La Casa delicatessen specialises in Spanish gourmet foods:

Every corner of the shop is packed with interesting food an drink.

I was given some delicious Serrano ham to try:

Pet Lamb patisserie was founded in the Summer of 2009, by two friends Katie Deacon & Kay Winder.  They started selling in markets and at shows and have now opened a shop in the market: 

They say their cakes are made with only the finest, free range ingredients.

They specialise in cupcakes, like these raspberry and nutella or vanilla cupcakes.

Also on sale were these peanut M & M blondies, raspberry almond brownies and peanut butter and jelly brownies:

and pretty iced cakes

I especially like mmm glug:

It's amazing what you can find in this shop. For instance there's local organically-grown and milled Gilchesters Flour and if you fancy making perfect pasta or the perfect pizza they sell authentic Italian '00' flour.

There are other store cupboard essentials:

including a vast array of chillies, herbs, and spices:

They also have an interesting range of jams, marmalades, honey, pickles and chutneys, balsamics and dressings, olives and antipasti and much more besides.

In case you're wondering, the Glug part sells over 700 beers and ales from the north east, the UK, Europe, the USA and beyond, as well as wines, ciders and a growing range of artisan spirits.

I've not even covered all the stalls in this wonderful market, I recommend you go and visit yourself!

Grainger Market

131 Grainger Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE1 5AE

Web: www.graingermarket.org.uk