The shopping destination has been in operaton for around 1,000 years
The UK boasts some of the most renowned shopping destinations on the planet. Westfield draws millions of shoppers annually. Harrods is celebrated globally for its upmarket merchandise and rich heritage. Covent Garden and Camden Market remain enduring favourites amongst both tourists and locals.
With such an abundance of prestigious names, selecting the finest shopping destination is far from straightforward. However, according to TripAdvisor’s travellers’ favourite rankings, neither Westfield nor Harrods has claimed the coveted top position. Instead, one historic market has been crowned the UK’s top shopping destination.
Borough Market has secured a rating of 4.6 out of five from nearly 14,500 reviews on TripAdvisor. Harrods landed in fifth position in the rankings, while Westfield secured 12th place. The top three also featured Covent Garden and Camden Market.
Borough Market sits on the south bank of the Thames in Southwark, London. It has functioned as a market for approximately 1,000 years, with its roots traceable to at least 1014, when merchants congregated at the southern edge of London Bridge to trade grain, fish and livestock, reports the Express.
In 1756, Parliament moved to shut down the market due to congestion along Borough High Street. Local inhabitants intervened and raised £6,000 to relocate it to its present location, known as the Triangle.
Throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the market concentrated on wholesale fruit and vegetables. During the 1990s, it pivoted towards retail and artisanal producers, selling directly to customers. Today, more than 100 stalls, shops and eateries are crammed into its labyrinthine layout.
Guests can discover everything from fresh meat and fish to baked treats, cheeses and street food from across the globe. Three Crown Square is the biggest trading zone and is favoured by those hunting for premium produce. Borough Market Kitchen is renowned for ready-to-eat fare, with vendors offering international cuisine spanning from Ethiopian stews to gourmet grilled cheese.
The market’s Victorian glass and iron frameworks date back to the 1850s, while an Art Deco entrance was incorporated in the 1930s. Sections of the Royal Opera House’s Floral Hall were transferred to the location in 2004.
On its official website, Borough Market states: “At Borough Market, we don’t just sell good food and drink, we celebrate it. We enjoy how it tastes and the way it makes us feel, but we also appreciate its ability to connect us to the people who produced it and the places it was made.
“If all you come with is an appetite, you’ll be able to sate it in a thousand ways. But if you care about what you eat and where it comes from, our traders can feed your curiosity too. Here, in this historic setting, you’ll find an incredible range of food from all over Britain and the rest of the world – and every item has a story to tell.”
Visitors appear to be in full agreement. One reviewer wrote on TripAdvisor: “We really hadn’t done our research on food markets and happened to be going by and stopped for lunch. What an impressive place to be! It was so crowded, but the food and atmosphere were well worth the visit.”
A second enthused: “Borough Market delivers on every level, from its vibe to its food. Every time we go, we have a different type of food, and I’m yet to find one I don’t like. You absolutely must go and have the best sausage rolls known to man, but be prepared to queue.”
While a third gushed: “This market is simply extraordinary! A continuous explosion of colours, scents and irresistible flavours that overwhelm you as you enter. There are foods from all over the world, with spectacular stalls offering cheeses, truffles, cold cuts and specialities of all kinds.”
