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Week 24 of James and I eating at every food venue at Norwich Market was Reggies, one of the long-standing cafes which has been trading for over sixty years. We visited in 2023 when I had a BLT roll which cost £3.50.

The menu board which they probably need to rewrite now after all these price increases as it’s not the clearest. The price rises have been moderate here over the last couple of years and the stall remains one of the lower priced food and drink options at the market. The prices for tea and coffee are very decent, although I’m not sure you’ll be getting a skinny latte or similar here.

The service was friendly and prompt, with the stall taking cards and cash. There’s quite a broad menu and there seemed to be something of a loyal customer base here.

There were some items like sausage rolls in the hot hold, but they were able to cook foods such as burgers, chicken nuggets and sausages. There are a couple of seats for customers to sit down, but there’s plenty of space to just lean at the counter without getting in the way of the other customers.

I went for the BLT sandwich which was £4, so reasonably priced. I noticed that my payment was taken by Ruby’s, so I assume that they also operate that food stall, which is another cafe on the market. The food was served promptly and everything felt efficiently managed.

I don’t like fat on bacon unless it has been burnt off, so I had to dismember the sandwich to quite a degree to satisfy my own personal and I accept specialist taste. The bacon itself was of a decent quality, the bread was fresh and the tomato had some flavour to it. It was all perfectly pleasant, although I do like the stalls who pro-actively check if the customer wants crispy bacon or not.

James went for a cheeseburger which he thought was satisfactory and I thought he was pleased when he said it was greasy, as that used to be something he admired in a burger. He reminded me that it was not the good kind of juicy grease, but more the flat oily type that lingers longer than expected. Still, he didn’t look particularly distressed, so I’m counting that as a win.

Overall, this is one of the staples of Norwich market and I suspect it will be for a long time to come. I thought that the welcome was friendly, the ordering process was efficient and the food was of a decent quality, so all to the good. For the perfect visit, I wouldn’t have minded them checking how I wanted the bacon cooked (I know I could ask, but for consistency on these rigorous visits I just let them go through their usual ordering processes) but I don’t have any real complaints. Well, other than how many middle-class people said hello to James on the market yet again, it’s like lunching with a YouTuber.

We’re nearing the dramatic finale of our noble mission of eating at every food stall at Norwich market now and this week was Banger Stop. James and I had forgotten about our visit in 2023, when I commented that the stall was “reassuringly reliable” which still seems appropriate after this visit.

The service was efficient, friendly and engaging with only a short wait. The prices have gone up around 70p per hot dog since we did this before, but the value for money remains high. The stall accepts card and cash with extra sauces being free of charge and cans of drink are £1.50. It’s always positive to see a five star food hygiene rating proudly on display as well.

I went for the chilli dog without cheese and huge credit that they pro-actively took 30p off the price even though I hadn’t expected them to do that. The roll was soft and fresh, the sausage was of a generous size, the fried onions added flavour, the lettuce added colour and the crispy onions added texture. The sausage itself tasted of a decent quality, perhaps it could have been slightly meatier, but I very much enjoyed it. The whole arrangement was filling and it was helpful that it came with a piece of kitchen roll as this was quite messy to eat.

James opted for the cheese-topped option, which involved a blowtorch and very nearly some unexpected singeing. He reassured me that told he survived unscathed, although I can’t help but feel it would have added some drama to the review if I could write “the hot dog was hot, but James was hotter”. James had expected more of a chilli con carne sauce, but was happy with what he got and he once again managed to avoid spilling any of it. As usual, we spent most of the time at the market with James acknowledging his many middle class friends in the city. I am wondering whether he’s joined the masons to know this many people, but I didn’t say anything.

This was really all rather lovely and the whole experience combined to be one of the best visits so far this year. The prices were relatively low, the service was personable, the food was of a decent quality and I left feeling satiated. And James wasn’t set on fire, which I suppose is for the best. One thing I thought would be interesting, as the menu is small, is for a hot dog of the month with some innovative toppings just to keep surprising and delighting the customers.