Catford Broadway Market - delicious food and super treats!

I've recently been posting about the goings on in the Nation of Catford, where I happen to live. It has long been a scruffy corner of London whose distance from any Underground line has led to it being perceived as undesirable.

That is all beginning to change. Regeneration is bringing much needed investment to the fabric of the community. Local initiatives are also changing the face of the community. One of these is by shaking up the Catford Broadway Market.

One trader who deserves to do well is Colonel Tom's Gumbo. Tom Warden, its founder, learnt how to make traditional southern Gumbo, which he serves with either rice or homemade cornbread. 

His Gumbo packs a mighty flavour punch, which I found intense and satisfying. Tom told me that his Gumbo intends to be rich, with a chilli kick in the finish. That afterglow is very pleasing indeed, and will be even more so as the temperature drops and we head into Winter. 

Pastaficio Mansi, of Ladywell, Lewisham, were in attendance, selling their artisanal handmade pastas. 

One of the recent Catford Broadway Supperclub hosts, I can attest to the loveliness of their delicate raviolis, generously filled with butternut squash. 

Another Supperclub host, Capo Caccia, are bringing their wares to Catford Broadway Market.

Pane Carasau, Mustela, Lardo, organic Pecorino, all great quality products from small producers in Sardinia.

There are lots of tempting baked goods for Catfordites and visitors to sample. 

I couldn't resist Sweetroot's take on baking, incorporating vegetables into their cakes, muffins and mini loaves. 

The sugar free Parsnip and Banana mini loaf was moist and delicious. It was hard to believe it doesn't have any sugar added, but clearly the parsnips and banana have given up their sweetness in a delectable and satisfying way. I may even have got one of my five-a-day and I did so by eating cake!

One very welcome trader is Elvira's Pantry, an artisanal Italian bakery selling Gluten, Yeast and Dairy free products. A great way for people with dietary requirements and food intolerances issues to enjoy a little bit of something sweet. 
 

The market isn't all about food, there are some fun and interesting stalls for other interests. This jewellery stall had some cool costume jewellery pieces for that urban bling look!
 

Amanda of local shop "Gorgeous Gifts and Accessories" has brought her special homemade natural skin care products to Catford Broadway. 

Her products smell divine and are made of herb and fruit extracts. A lovely treat for yourself or a gift for someone, perhaps?

Jozeen, another Catford local, runs "Light and Bubbly", making small batches of handmade candles, soaps and bath treats.

But back to the food!

Uli's jams, chutneys, scones and macarons are a popular and tempting stall.

The macarons stood out for me. The pistachio macaron was delicious and the rose was redolent with fragrance. A complete bargain.

 
 Jouvert are dishing up their West Indian delights.

Two Hungry Bees have brought a little bit of Saigon to Catford.

Their steamed buns are filled with sour, sweet, tangy spicy salad and meat.  

Or you could have one of their spring roll and salad boxes. 

The most recent Supperclub hosts - in the new Catford Canteen pop up restaurant, In A Pikkle are the final foodie traders at the Broadway market. Their food is Bajan, but made with an emphasis on keeping it healthy and light.

So in the middle of your Sunday, when trying to get the weekly shop done or popping out for Sunday lunch, why not come to Catford Broadway's Monthly Market? It's on the first Sunday of the month, and when the rebuilding works are finished, it is going to be a very pleasant little environment to stroll around and browse. 

Come and support your local market, people of the Nation of Catford!

Catford Broadway Supperclub - Mangia

As a proud resident of what I call the "Nation of Catford", I support local businesses and go to eat in local restaurants. Our corner of London, deep in the south east of the city, isn't well known or glitzy. But it has many pluses. It is full of lovely green spaces. We have a diverse population of people who've been here for generations or arrived from all over the world either this generation or the last. We have proud Victorian housing stock which would sell for millions in the more chi-chi neighbourhoods of north and west London. It is great that we have local Turkish, Vietnamese, Caribbean and Sri Lankan grocers in our neighbourhood, making diverse culinary traditions accessible, bringing that taste of home closer for local migrant communities.

I recently hosted a guest post about Catford Broadway Supperclub (you will find it here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/guest-post-catford-broadway-supperclub.html) and followed that up with a post about some new developments coming our way (which you can read here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/update-catford-broadway-market-and.html). It was therefore high time that I visited and wrote about the Supperclub itself. So here I am! 

The September Catford Broadway Supperclub followed their recent tradition of Supperclubs; a pop up restaurant in the market space, run by great London supperclub hosts and local caterers. This Supperclub in particular was a joint effort between Capo Caccia and Pastificio Mansi.

Capo Caccia specialise in the food of Sardinia, with cured meats and cheese being their particular passions. Trading at markets in Northcote Road, Tufnell Park, Harringay, Chatsworth Road and Catford Broadway, Capo Caccia want to spread greater awareness of the high quality available from Sardinia. (If you want to know more about them, including their trading dates, do have a look here: http://www.capocaccia.co.uk/. Pastificio Mansi is an Italian home made pasta workshop based in Ladywell, South East London, just up the road from the Nation of Catford. 

This was due to be the last Catford Broadway Supperclub to be held on the Broadway itself. The weather is on the change, and it won't be practical to hold future Supperclubs in a marquee. As the weather gets colder and less reliable, the need for heating and total watertight conditions will only increase. As a result, the Supperclub will, in future be relocated to a nearby shop which will be called the "Catford Canteen". 

Thankfully, we had a pleasant and unseasonally warm evening for this final al fresco Supperclub. I arrived a little bit early and caught the Capo Caccia team preparing the Antipasti platter. 

Here was my place, all made up and ready for me!

We were welcomed with an Aperol spritz, made up of Aperol and prosecco, in the traditional way. It got us ready for the specialities to come, ready to take us on an Italian journey!

Our pre-starter was Pane Carasau with Pecorino cream dip. Pane Carasau is a traditional Sardinian bread, a flatbread made out of durum wheat (the same as used for pasta), which is double baked, making it crisp and crunchy. Made for shepherds to take on their long wanders across the countryside, it keeps for months. The Pane was light and crunchy, and breaking it gave a smile-inducing cracking sound. It went very well with the creamy, thick and highly indulgent dip. One fellow diner remarked that it was "a bit like Dairylea". I would disagree as there was a depth of flavour our more familiar foil trangles don't have; a bit like the umami flavours of Parmesan.

 

 

Here is the Pane Carasau, ready for its close-up.

The Antipasti platter arrived soon after, and it was a mouthwatering selection of Sardinian Mustela, Salami and Coppa with Pecorino cheese and rocket. 

In Sardinia, Mustela is pork fillet flavoured with herbs, and aged. Some varieties are soaked in white wine or vinegar. Capo Caccia's is from the southern flatlands and aged for 2-3 months. The Coppa is made from the neck of the pig, marinaded in the local Malvasia wine, treated with salt, pepper and spice and aged for 4-6 months. The Pecorino is made with sheeps milk and aged for 60-90 days. The salami was studded with cracked black pepper, bringing a kick of heat and flavour to the splendidly aged meat. 

It was then time to hand over to Pastificio Mansi. Their first offering was pumpkin ravioli in sage, butter sauce and shaved Parmesan. The hand made raviolis were delectable little parcels, the pasta being a world away from the supermarket chiller packs we have got so used to. 

Generously filled with pumpkin, the sage and butter complemented it well. Rich buttery flavours tinged with medicinal sage contrasted and highlighted the sweet mushiness of the vibrantly orange pumpkin.

 

Squid ink and bottarga lasagna served with zucchini and king prawns was next. Bottarga is grated grey mullet roe. The lasagna itself was not black pasta, as I had expected. However, I have to confess that I was disappointed by this dish. It didn't skimp on the prawns, and was clearly made with care and skill. However, it was cold! And even though I am a confirmed pasta-demon, cold lasagna isn't something I enjoy. It's a shame, since it wasn't Pastaficio Mansi's fault they were having to bring dishes from the outside kitchen all the way to the Supperclub diner's marquee. If it had been hot, I would have been able to assess it fairly and squarely. Perhaps I will withhold judgment as a result.

We finished with Hazelnut gelato, mature salted Ricotta topped with organic Sardinian honey. The gelato was produced by Gelateria 3BIS of Borough Market, a traditional Italian gelato producer with a branch in Rimini. Made with organic milk, the hazelnut gelato was creamy, and tasted richly of real hazelnuts, not flavouring. The dried ricotta and honey was pleasant, but the ricotta was a little too salty to go with the ice cream. I felt that if it had been served as a half-way house dessert on its own, it would have been thoroughly enjoyable. Dried ricotta is a world away from the somewhat bland tubs of creamy stuff available in UK supermarkets. However, served with the ice cream, the overall effect was a little jarring. The two items just didn't go together for me. So I ate the ricotta first, and then tucked into the ice cream!

The Catford Broadway Supperclub is a great initiative; it brings together local food producers and caterers to the attention of potential customers. And it brings together local people in celebration of good food. I met many food lovers who live less than a stone's throw away from me who in ordinary life I would have walked past and never have spoken to. I also met local food blogger and supperclub host Hungry Larder, who I've been in touch with on twitter for a long while, but never met in real life - the real 'social network'!

Meeting and getting to know people over a meal and drinks is the oldest and most effective way of interacting. These Supperclubs are an opportunity to bring the community together, and to take pride and enjoyment for their locale home. Him Indoors and I had a very enjoyable evening, chatting to other like minded people, and will definitely be joining the action at the new Catford Canteen!

Snigdha and Him Indoors dined as guests of Catford Broadway Supperclub.

Update: Catford Broadway Market and Supperclub

After hosting a Guest Post all about Catford's new foodie hotspot, Catford Broadway Market and Supperclub here at Snig's Kitchen, I received a request for more details about the other great goings on which are coming to the Nation of Catford.

You can read that original post here: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/guest-post-catford-broadway-supperclub.html

You see, Catford is a great place to live, but in the past it has felt a little unloved and neglected. It is only recently that it is being regenerated in part by the local council, by businesses coming to the area and by locals. Working together, I can already see the changes and improvements in my local area, which is great, because I love this culturally diverse and vibrant place!

When I first moved here, it had a feel of a place where people didn't stop. People moved here, lived for a while, and then moved on to somewhere else. It would be that "somewhere else" where they would put down their roots; Forest Hill, Dulwich, Blackheath. But those areas are increasingly out of reach, and I think people realising they are here to stay means they are beginning to view the area as "home" and subsequently treating it as such.

Regeneration work outside Town Hall

Resurfacing work, Catford Broadway

So, my anonymous source has brought me the following "intel" about what will be happening in the local area:

1. A Catford Cinema Club
We lost our cinema some years ago when the company running it decided it was no longer profitable. The site was then bought by a church group who have used it as a place of worship and for other activities. This has left the Borough of Lewisham without a cinema.

A Catford Cinema Club is planned, which will be launched and take place at the Catford Broadway Theatre, part of the Town Hall complex. The Theatre itself is a very lovely Art Deco building, which was extensively restored. I have actually been to see a show inside the main theatre, and it is a great environment for staging shows. I am sure it will be great for films too!

2. A Catford Food Bank
There is currently a local food bank in Forest Hill, which I have personally donated food to. However, it is not conveniently located for people in Catford who need assistance. It is sad that more and more people are finding the cost of food so difficult to cope with. 

The Catford Food Bank will be launched this Autumn at the Monthly Catford Broadway Market as a way for local people to help their fellow Catfordians.

3. The Catford Ambassador Group
Improvement in a local area are always easier to achieve with an organised and pro-active group of people within the community. Lewisham Council who run Catford Broadway Market cannot themselves run an Ambassador Group, but are keen to help local people to do so. As a result, there will be a meeting of anyone interested in being an Ambassador on 1st September at the next Catford Broadway Market. Views on future regeneration will be taken there.

The next Catford Broadway Supperclub will be run by Capo Caccia (http://www.capocaccia.co.uk/), who I have been told will be serving the following: a platter selection with mustela and salami and coppa plus pecorino selection, pumpkin ravioli in sage, butter sauce and shaved Parmesan, squid ink lasagna with zucchini & king prawns, ending with gelato and dried ricotta. Places can be booked via www.grubclub.co.uk

I have had a comment from a reader who said that the most recent Market was a disappointment. The organisers of the Catford Broadway Monthly Market do their best to obtain a good range of traders, but as with all things, Summer and early Autumn are often quieter than other periods of the year as people tend to take holidays then. This would explain why the August Market may have been disappointing for that particular reader, and of course, the school holidays will still be ongoing for the September date. It is hoped that more traders will be available from October onwards and that things will pick up as we get towards Christmas.

If you're a Catfordite or Rushey Greener, it would be great to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment or get in touch on twitter! I am @snigskitchen!

 

Guest Post - Catford Broadway Supperclub and monthly market

Many of you will already know that I am a South Londoner. I have made no secret of this fact.
 
However, to be more exact, I am a person from a place called Catford. This is a place I lovingly call "the Nation of Catford", since we are a highly individual and characteristic part of the fabric of South London. Culturally diverse, and full of people of every age and social background, I regard us a somewhat exotic and special corner of the London Borough of Lewisham. We are most famous for our large and decorative black and white cat, which adorns our shopping centre. We used to be famous for our greyhound track, which met its demise with the decline of the sport over the last 5 to 10 years. 

South London has long had an image problem amongst London folk, and unfairly so. As a result, it is my pleasure to host this post by someone on the team responsible for reinvigorating Catford Town Centre who is a proud Catford resident for the last 10 years. 

My guest blogger works for the London Borough of Lewisham and has been instrumental in creating and running both the Catford Broadway Monthly Market and the Catford Broadway Supperclub. It's an exciting and fresh approach to bringing together a community and resurrecting local pride.    

Lewisham Council has ambitious plans for Catford that will completely change the face of the town centre. Plans include new shop fronts, repaving and pedestrianisation of Catford Broadway which have already begun.

One of the first Council initiatives was the Catford Broadway Monthly Market. Held on the first Sunday of the month from 10am–4pm, it balances the artisan and authentic, with traditional Trinidadian canteen sitting comfortably alongside vegan cupcakes, Sardinian charcuterie and handmade pasta.

Celebrating its first birthday last month, it’s fast becoming a ‘gastro hotspot’. Traders for the next market include ‘Colonel Tom’s Gumbo’, ‘Two Hungry Bees’ Vietnamese street food and ‘Ulrike’s Bakery’ offering the best salted caramel macaroons you’ll ever taste.  There are also non-food stalls including ‘Sylvia’s Vintage Gems’ and handmade dolls of all hues by ‘Verona C’.

The Catford Broadway Supper Club was built on the success of the market after seeing all the culinary talent in the market.  Initially ‘a summer experience’ the club has been so successful that it has been extended for the rest of the year and will be moving to an inside location in the autumn.

The Catford Broadway Supper Club kicked off in May with Forest Hill’s Mama Wangs Kitchen’s ‘Terracotta Nights’, a menu inspired by Chinese street food from Xi’an. Then in June there was Catford’s very own DB Foods - presenting 'The Ubuntu' Experience’  - taking diners through South Africa’s rich culinary history.

The third event in July was a pizza and beer night from Sydenham’s ‘Van Dough’ and the ‘Brockley Brewing Company’. The next event, all the way from Croydon, is ‘Yummy Choo Eats’ offering home-cooked food from the tropical Indian Ocean island of Mauritius.

Catford is one of the only places in south east London that doesn't have a society or improvement group so the supper club brings local people together.  It also introduces non-locals to Catford – in fact, some travelled from as far afield as Brighton, Haringey and Petts Wood.

The most rewarding part of the project so far has been to prove that it can be done. Catford isn’t the ‘hippest’ part of the borough - we don’t have the ‘Ginger Line’ and not everyone sports an ironic moustache or skinny jeans. But we’ve proved that interesting things can still happen.  There are plans for a cinema club, a food bank and we’d like to see a pan-Catford group of local ambassadors raising civic pride and getting things done.

If it can happen in Forest Hill, Sydenham, Ladywell and Hither Green it can happen here!

Catford Broadway Monthly Market  - First Sunday of the month
Catford Broadway Supper Club  - Third Thursday of the book.  Book in advance at  www.grubclub.co.uk
The next Catford Broadway Monthly Market is Sunday 1 September

Join us on Twitter https://twitter.com/CatfordBroadway

Join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Catford-Broadway-Market/143688855771066

Snigdha would like to thank her guest blogger for this informative and entertaining guest post, and thank the London Borough of Lewisham for the pictures used here. Snigdha has not received any sponsorship, gift or incentive for hosting this post.