Category: Norwich Market Food

32 weeks of eating and drinking at Norwich market are over for James and I…… The most obvious comment I can make here is that there is a remarkable choice of food and drink at the market all from small scale operators with nearly all of them having this as their only trading location.

There are some great value options here, lots of different cuisines and no shortage of wonderful food and welcoming service. It has been hugely problematic to find a winner to all of this as there were so many brilliant options available. Nonetheless, we’ve managed to select five (well, six for the observant) of our favourite choices of this year.

The full list of stalls is here and I’d recommend people try somewhere new as I have often been surprised and delighted this year.

So, in reverse order to build excitement. This is the list that absolutely no-one really cares about, but James and I aren’t worried about that, we’ve had a lovely time meandering around the market. We still can’t navigate our way around with any ease though, frequently having to hunt for where stalls are.

And finally, I don’t take anything very seriously and also not this, but I’ve decided to just write about our five favourite places (well, actually six). We have had long debates about who should win, it’s all very exciting. And remember that I don’t get out much.

I’d also note that I’ve tried to be hugely positive about every stall and that was easy in just about every case. A couple of times things weren’t quite right and I’ve made reference to that, but every single location at the market deserves a visit and we know that sometimes people have an off-day or something goes wrong. We do know that these businesses are hugely important to their owners and I hope it comes across that we’ve always respected that above all else.

5TH PLACE

DEBS – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-10-and-debs/

That is perfect bacon for me, crispy and cooked just as I requested. But, the service here was friendly and engaging, it felt welcoming. For James, he had a burger and had a side quest that he hadn’t intended of seeing which stall was the best in that regard. He decided that Deb’s was the best burger he had of the year. That’s huge praise.

4TH PLACE

LUCYS FISH AND CHIPS – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-12-and-lucys-fish-and-chips/

Just look at that, truly beautiful! Friendly service, reasonable prices and delicious. I miss the butchers sausages that they used to use, but the quality remains high and I love the free scraps. There’s an eat-in area here, it’s somewhere that James and I have visited for years and it’s a simply wonderful stall.

3RD PLACE

CRUNCH – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-20-and-crunch/

There are some challenges with this stall as it’s shut more than is ideal and we had to try multiple times to order here. However, the food of battered chicken was excellent, tender meat with a crispy exterior and all at low prices. It’s excellent value for money and I hope they start opening a little more regularly.

JOINT 2ND PLACE

CHURROS FOR THE PEOPLE – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-17-and-churros-for-the-people/

Joint second? Yes, we just couldn’t decide. This stall offers an authentic Spanish experience and a chance to sit in and experience beer and food which is of a high quality. It’s not the cheapest, but the quality is high, the service is friendly and it feels like it’s something different.

JOINT 2ND PLACE

BODEGA – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-25-and-bodega/

This was our winner when we did this in 2023 and it was up there once again. Hugely friendly service, great food, a wonderful atmosphere and free stickers. Just brilliant and look at that pastrami.

WINNER

PAPA MOMBASSA – https://www.julianwhite.uk/food-from-every-stall-on-norwich-market-2025-edition-week-22-and-papa-mombassa/

I was disappointed that Cocina had left the market, but this is one hell of a replacement in their place. Wonderfully engaging service, a fun environment and food which had a depth of taste and flavour. This, we thought, was the best of the year when taking everything into account such as service, price, quality and atmosphere. Really very lovely!

And, we’ll be doing all of this again in 2027…..

There was a query why we hadn’t visited Rabbits Salad Bar at Norwich Market as part of our quest to eat at every food stall at the market. It has only just opened and so when checking on the status on another stall, we visited this today.

The interior was bright, clean and had a modern feel to it. The queueing system seemed logical and the signage was clear.

The menu board.

The counter. The service here was one of the best that we’ve had at the market, with the team member being engaging, personable and helpful.

This cost £5 as I didn’t add any protein to it, so the price feels reasonable. The salad felt freshly made and the ingredients tasted of a decent quality. I usually load food with black pepper, but there was a generous sprinkling on the salad and that’s visible in the photo. The dressing had a pleasant flavour and the jammy egg had some vibrancy to it.

Not that I should confess these things too often as it’ll destroy my reputation, but two of the things that I eat a lot when given the chance are Greek salad and Caesar salad. This was in line with what I expected, it wasn’t the taste sensation that I’ve had before (there’s more to be done with the sauce and croutons), but it was £5 and it’s not really fair to compare it to restaurants. I possibly should have had chicken to go with it, but the uplift of £5 for chicken thigh was just a little rich for me.

James forgot to take a photo of his kimchi which is sub-optimal, but he was impressed with that, although he’s not really one for the salad leaves that he found at the bottom of his bowl. But, that’s hardly the fault of a salad bar. And James is planning to draw his lunch later for me.

This is a really positive addition to the market, with the service being particularly friendly and engaging. There’s a lack of options like this at the market, so I’m sure that the stall will do well. And if I see that they’ve got a Greek salad available, then I’ll quite likely pop back and try that.

I had thought that our series of eating at Norwich Market food stalls had come to an end, but there are a couple of additions. I’ve been asked why Buka Street was missed off our visits. It wasn’t forgotten, but it was closed when we tried to visit it on multiple occasions.

As I was asked about it, we visited today just to check, but it’s still closed. They’ve also now deleted all of their Instagram posts and so I assume this stall is now permanently closed. I will though change this page if I see them open and I must admit to being disappointed not to have had a chance to try their food which did look rather lovely.

And the moment has arrived, the last visit of the plan that James and I had to visit every food stall at Norwich Market. This week was And Eat It, which we visited when we did this whole market thing in 2023. We visit the stalls in random order, it was rather chance that the two dessert type stands were at the end of our list.

There’s a tempting selection of cakes which are all clearly priced and well presented. It was all spotlessly clean as well, shiny glass and dry surfaces.

The selection of ‘brookies’, which are brownies in a cookie. The stall accepts cash and cards, with a small discount for purchasing three at a time. There’s been a small increase in price over the last two years, around 50p for each item, but that’s in line with all of the other stalls.

I don’t want to linger when referencing the service as the stall holder was talking to someone else they knew and so I did feel a little in the way. But, it is what it is, the stall has been going since 2011 so they’re clearly doing something right. And the stall holder smiled, made eye contact and served us promptly.

I went for the lemon meringue which was well presented and looked appetising. The base was a little drier than ideal, but there was a depth of flavour to the whole arrangement and the lemon punched through. And a little bit of meringue on just about any cold dessert is a good idea to add texture and taste. This cost £3.50 and I thought that it was reasonably priced.

James spent some time preparing his perfect photo composition and he was content with his fudge based sweet treat. We then had to have a long debate about who will be the winners of this whole round of market visits, but more on that soon.

As for this visit, I was trying to push for a little more engagement so I could have a final post of the year packed with positivity. But, the service was prompt, the stall had some tempting options and I enjoyed the sweet treat, so all was well.

This year, we decided to include the Little Red Roaster, which sells coffee, on our efforts to visit every food stall at Norwich Market. They’ve been trading since 2002 and I think their business is primarily selling speciality roasted coffee in bags or on a commercial basis, but they have this bustling little arrangement here selling hot drinks directly.

They sell bags of coffee beans and there’s an interesting selection of types including the Red Panda Guatemala which has flavours of dark brown sugars, being rich and toasty, alongside the Brazil Vargem Grande Estate which has flavours of chocolate, nuts and is sweeter.

The price list at the stall. James commented on how cheap it was, although I’m more used to having 8 coffees at JD Wetherspoon for £1.71 or a filter coffee from Pret for 99p. James is really quite decadent now though, I think he goes to some high-end coffee shops in the city, that’s probably how he knows all these people in suits. The prices do seem to be in keeping with quality products though and at least there’s some authenticity here.

The coffee machine arrangement. There was a friendly welcome from the stall holder and it all felt organised and the ordering process was clear. They accept cards or cash for drinks, with hot chocolate and tea available for those who don’t want coffee.

My £3.50 mocha. The drink was served at the appropriate hot temperature, there was some latte art (well mocha art) and it had a depth of taste and lingering flavours. I actually couldn’t taste any evidence of chocolate (although I think those black bits are chocolate, so it was in there), so I’m not sure that I would have known it was a mocha, but perhaps it was a little subtle for me.

James’s coffee and he really liked this, but he has an advanced palate for hot drinks (and chips) so that’s high praise. We coupled this visit with the Chocolate Bar Baker, which went really rather well together.

Overall, this is a handy place to get a hot drink at the market where there’s a quality to it. There are stalls, primarily the cafes, where coffee is available for 99p but that’s just in granules form with hot water added, so individuals can choose what suits them, such is the joy of the market.

This is week 29 of James and I eating at every food stall at Norwich Market, this time the turn of the Chocolate Bar Baker. James and I also discovered we’ve got a couple more stalls left than we thought, there really is an incredible depth to this market.

One of the two display cabinets of baked goods. I would add at this point that I don’t really have a sweet tooth, but I was tempted by a few different items here.

The second cabinet and that cheesecake arrangement does look rather lovely.

They also have chocolate covered strawberries for those who aren’t sure whether they want to be healthy or not.

And cake shakes are available for those wanting liquid refreshment. The service here was warm and friendly, with the stall taking both cards and cash. I got a feeling of passion about the product from the stallholder, as if she was just proud of what she sold.

I went for the cherry crumble slice which was £3.50. It wasn’t as sickly as I feared, the cake was moist and rich with the cherry running through it, with generous amounts of chocolate on the exterior. And there was literally the cherry on the cake.

James, who is more decadent and artistic than I am, went for a £4.50 Mars Bar Chocolate Millionaires Tart. He was suitably impressed and, only slightly distracted by someone being arrested by the police nearby, noted the high quality of the product (the tart, not the police). We only had six people in suits saying hello to James today, so a quiet day for him in the city.

Overall, I enjoyed this visit as the prices were reasonable for the quality of the product. It felt like an authentic small trader with a passion for their product and not a local multiple treating the market as just another venue. Definitely recommended and it’s something a little different for the market.

James and I are visiting every food stall at Norwich market this year and we’re very nearly there, with this visit being to the cafe B’s T’s. I think we have an admission here, this unit was trading when we did this same project in 2023 but we don’t appear to have visited. So, this is one of four cafes on Norwich market and they’re the traditional stalls which sell hot drinks, burgers, rolls, hot dogs, breakfasts and the like. There seems to be a constant demand for these stalls as they’ve all been busy when we’ve visited them this year.

The menu board, but I don’t have a comparison from two years ago since we forgot to go there. It’s evident from the stickers on the menu that there have been some price increases though. There was a friendly welcome and the ordering system seemed easy to understand, with the stall taking both cards and cash.

In my helpful way, I asked for a burnt bacon and sausage roll, which the staff member engaged with in a positive manner. Although she clarified that I really just wanted well done, she continued to reference the term burnt. I like this sort of engagement as it makes it easier for customers to return and be remembered by the stall holders. Anyway, it wasn’t greasy and the bacon was satisfactorily cooked and it meant that I had only a minimal need to remove excessive fat. The staff member did forget to add on the sweet chilli sauce that she meant to, although I had some ketchup in sachets with me anyway (it’s essential when travelling….). The sausage was meaty and juicy, although it was under the bacon and so a little hard to see in the photo. The roll was also soft and fresh, so another point there.

James had a cheeseburger and I can’t remember half of what he said about it, but he said it didn’t beat the best one he’s had in the market this year, but it was better than the last couple that’s he had. So, let’s go with he thought that it was above average. I’ll pay more attention to what he’s saying next time but a polite pigeon distracted me during the food testing phase of our visit.

Overall, I liked this stall and the service, it felt informal and friendly. The roll cost £4 which seemed reasonable for the market, although the market stalls are perhaps going to struggle a little with the onslaught of meal deals from national chains at the moment which are mostly priced at £5 to £6. I would repeat though for those looking at the photo and thinking the bacon has been overcooked, that was to my request and now they usually do it….

We’re approaching the end of visiting every food stall at Norwich market and this week’s expedition was to Tasty House, which we visited before when we did this before in 2023. I very much liked the food on this previous visit and everything felt organised and well managed, so my expectations were high. After we waded through the throngs of middle-class people that James knew, first impressions this time were positive as we reminded that the menu is actually rather exciting.

The menu options with most of the dishes already being pre-cooked, although a couple are made fresh to order. There was also a daily special of ribs available as well, so the menu options felt extensive, with a choice of sticky rice, jasmine rice or noodles with each main course. There’s one vegan and vegetarian option, which is listed top of the menu, but all of the others are meat based.

The counter and the stall accepts card and cash. The service was friendly and helpful, although there wasn’t much engagement beyond the minimum needs but there’s a lot to be said for efficiency. We had a wait of around thirty seconds to be served as the customer in front was asking quite a lot of questions, but James pretended not to be annoyed and obviously I’m always calm.

I like the variety of free condiments that can be added to the food, although there’s a sister stand opposite the shop which sells all these raw ingredients. There was quite a lot of general litter on the counters such as abandoned water bottles, coffee cups and other detritus, so that didn’t feel entirely optimal. There’s a small seating area at the end of the stall, but we had our food standing near to the condiments.

I went for the large panang chicken curry with jasmine rice which came to £9.50, an increase of £1.50 from when we last visited. This arrangement seemed a little odd as they were quite stingy on the portion of rice, but very generous with the amount of chicken. However, this meant that the meal seemed a little unbalanced as I had plenty of chicken curry, but nowhere near as much rice as would have been ideal. Given rice is a cheap ingredient, it’s usually the other way around. The curry was though aromatic, rich in flavour, the chicken was tender and moist with the vegetables taking on the flavour of the sauce. I can’t say that the lettuce does much here, but the quality of the arrangement was high and the curry was at the appropriate hot temperature.

James’s food and he went for the Korean BBQ beef, the regular £8 size, but they forgot to ask him if he wanted noodles or rice, but he was satisfied with the sticky rice that he was automatically given. I’m not sure that there was much kimchi which was mentioned in the menu description, but James said that the food was agreeable although the beef a little dry.

I left feeling satisfied with the lunchtime snack, it was filling and had a depth of flavour to it. Ideally they could have packed the large bowl out with a little more rice, but I have no complaints about the quality of the curry itself. The service was friendly, there was a minimal waiting time and I’d merrily recommend this stall to others once again.

This is week 27 of eating at every food stall at Norwich Market and the randomly drawn location this time was Ruby’s, which Nathan and I visited in 2023. I had a burger back then which I thought was decent, with Nathan having the BLT, so I had high expectations for this repeat visit.

The menu boards and there have been price rises of around £1 on everything since we visited in 2023, which is a larger percentage increase but these prices are still towards the lower end of the market pricing. I have to note that the prices for hot drinks are very low, just 70p for a tea and 80p for a coffee.

Not the fault of the stallholders, but there are bloody pigeons everywhere. Could be worse, there could be more seagulls. Note the signage on the left for quality, delicious beef burgers.

The burger which was nicely presented in a fresh roll and with salad which added taste and texture. I’m afraid to note that the burger itself was, if I’m being honest, sub-optimal, devoid of taste, seasoning and flavour. The burger was hot, properly cooked and all of that, just completely lacking in taste. By the end I was thinking they could have just ditched the burger and instead doubled the salad, which is a somewhat extraordinary thing for me to say given my life-long resistance to lettuce.

James had the cheeseburger and was also disappointed, replacing an experience he had at Reggies a few weeks ago.

Overall, the service here was friendly, the roll was fresh, the prices were reasonable and so that was all positive, although this wasn’t the burger taste sensation that I had hoped for. Either the burger quality has gone down, or perhaps I’ve been so surprised and delighted at the quality of the food stalls at the market that my expectations have increased.

This week’s visit, in between James signing autographs as we walked to the market, of eating at every food stall at Norwich Market was to Bodega, which was the ‘winner’ of when we did this in 2023. We’re struggling to fit lunch in now at all with James needing to stop to talk to all these middle-class people we pass, it’s gotten so bad I’ve had to start wearing a shirt with a collar to blend in with this whole world of wealth that I hadn’t known about. Anyway, I digress. This seems to be one of the most talked about food stalls on the market and the standards have remained high for years, so we were looking forwards to this visit.

The menu and there are many tempting options. I’m aware that I should have tried something different, but pastrami and pickles are one of my favourite things, so I went for the same again and was pleased that James showed a little more culinary bravery. As a price comparison, the Bring Back the Katz is now £9 and was £7.50 a couple of years ago, so it’s not an enormous price increase. The service was polite, efficient and welcoming, so this continued to feel like an inviting place to visit. I also liked that they had stickers, it suits my inner child and that’s going on the laptop later alongside the selection of craft beer stickers. They accept card and cash and there’s a small seating area located opposite the stall.

This looks, and indeed was, delicious. There was a large quantity of the ingredients, the pastrami was tender, the pickles added texture, the sauce was light with a slight punchiness and the bread was soft and fresh. To be honest, half a sandwich was plenty, although being greedy I wasn’t displeased to have to eat another half. All very nice and although it’s a little expensive for a sandwich, there’s a lot going on here for the money.

James went for the Coq Joke and was suitably impressed by the quality of the chicken and the size of the portion, although I think he found it just a little sickly with the sweet sauce. But, there’s still value for money there, with the ingredients being decent. James also took a Good Girls sticker, I’m not sure where he’s planning to stick it.

Once again, I couldn’t really fault this visit. The service was friendly, the ordering process was well managed, the quality was high and the portion size was generous. This is definitely one of the market’s consistently excellent stalls and long may it continue…. Only a handful of visits left now and we’ve started to discuss who the winner will be, my two loyal blog readers must be beyond themselves with excitement.