Tag: Norwich Market

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.

This is week 22 of James and I eating at every food stall at Norwich Market, with this one being a new venue so we haven’t visited it before. Actually, as a side note, we actually checked the market today for other new openings or venues we’ve missed and we have eight more stalls left to visit this year. There are a couple in there that I really like, with none that I’m sceptical about, so the run-in to this year’s awards ceremony is getting rather exciting. I guess that I should get out more….

The food options are regular and large, which makes matters easier in the menu selection process. I decided that this lunchtime I wouldn’t be greedy, which isn’t a decision that I always make as I can go for gluttony given half a chance, but today I just went for regular.

There was a friendly welcome and lots of engagement with customers, with a feeling of real enthusiasm about their whole operation. The service was efficient and the venue takes both cash and cards.

Firstly, I think I made the correct decision in just opting for the regular choice, as it was a generous portion and we saw how much food was in the large bowls that some other customers ordered. I very much like the variety of tastes and textures here, there’s plenty going on with the guacamole adding smoothness, the cheese adding flavour and the nachos adding texture. There’s mojito slaw on the top and rice underneath, with the beef pork mix having a richness to it with plenty of large pieces of meat. This did surprise and delight me, high quality, freshly prepared and reasonably priced.

There is a small seating area at the end of the stall, although we just propped ourselves up against the side as the seats were taken when we arrived. Everything was clean and organised, with the surfaces being dry and not sticky.

James had the same as me, although he didn’t really have much choice at this stall. I think it’s fair to say that he was also happy with the tastes, textures, flavours and the portion size, when he noted:

“The palate, the interplay of textures, the nuanced flavours, and the generosity of the portion pleased me”.

He’s getting positively lyrical now. We spent much of the walk back bumping into people that James knew, he’ll be signing autographs if this trend continues, he’s becoming the new Spudman….

Anyway, this is a contender for one of the top three spots I think, a combination of a great welcome, friendly service, decent value for money and high quality food. All really rather lovely.

This is week 21 of James and I eating at every food stall at Norwich Market, and this is when I visited here in 2023 when this expedition last happened. I went for one of my favourite dishes of black pepper chicken last time and this was one of the highest rated visits of the year, particularly with the enthusiastic and engaging service, so I was optimistic about today’s visit.

The second of the menu boards and there’s been a £1 price increase on food across the board from when we visited two years ago, which seems moderate and in keeping with the other stalls at the market. If I’m being honest, I caused some confusion here as I was loitering when trying to take a photo of the menu boards for this post and then I planned to choose what I wanted to order, but I suspect the team member thought that I was confused. I mean, I’m always confused, but it did cause the ordering process to be a little erratic in terms of my order being taken before James. But, the welcome was authentic and I liked that they were trying to ensure every customer was happy and not entirely confused. They have an unusual system here that they don’t charge until the food is served, so they have to trust the customer not to walk off in the interim, but despite initial impressions it really did seem organised. The stall also accepts cash and cards, although the cheaply priced £1 drinks I mentioned last time are now £1.50.

The team member had mentioned that there would be a ten minute wait and it was actually sixteen, but I think that’s sufficiently in the realms of a reasonable estimate and so I’ll take that. The stall was actually also genuinely busy, it wasn’t as though they were faffing about without reason and it’s positive of course that any stall is busy.

I’ll admit, I had high hopes for this one as it’s my go-to dish at Thai restaurants, usually a fragrant, fiery little number that packs a punch and leaves me feeling like I’ve made a wise and adventurous culinary life choice. Unfortunately, this version didn’t quite deliver on that promise. The sauce, while enthusiastic in quantity, seemed to have taken a vow of silence when it came to flavour and although it was described as the spiciest item on the menu, that felt like more of a motivational slogan than something that was actually delivered. But, having noted that, tastes vary and there were certainly some redeeming features. The chicken was tender and respectably moist, the rice was well-cooked, and the crispy onions did a lot of the heavy lifting as they brought texture, crunch and some extra flavour. The lettuce felt like it was in the wrong dish and I would have liked at least some more green to the colour of the curry and I don’t mean more lettuce. It wasn’t horrendous by any means, it’s just it didn’t reach my expectations of when I had eaten here before although maybe I just missed the MSG which they don’t use here.

James went for the crispy chilli chicken with noodles, which he was relatively positive about, although he did regret not going for a smaller portion as he thought that the flavours weren’t enough to excite and delight him. We both felt found the ordering process very slightly more stressful (we’re used to Lucy’s chips if I’m being honest) than was entirely ideal and he had to rush back after lunch because he stops so many times talking to people he knows that we now have to add in twenty minutes in each direction to get to the market. There wasn’t anywhere to stand at the stall and as there were seagulls floating about nearby, we found a quiet part of the market which felt safe.

All told, the stall was busy when we arrived which suggests it’s a popular affair and I felt that they dealt with that queue in a professional and personable manner. The main chef of the arrangement is very engaging, warm and conversational, so he positively added to the whole visit. It was all OK, but I didn’t feel like we got the quality that I had experienced before, but I’m happy to go again on our next run of market stall visits and try something different. Or just that delicious black pepper chicken that I had last time and then perhaps I might get a free spring roll like before.

Firstly, it is insanely and intolerably hot today in Norwich (not that I complained of course), so James and I did really well in managing to visit another market stall in our quest to visit them all this year. This is a new outlet to the market, so we didn’t visit it when we did all of this food stall visiting in 2023. As it was so hot, apologies for the lack of photographs, but there’s a limit to my bravery. We have actually tried to come here before, but once it was closed and the other time every single item was marked as being out of stock, which seemed sub-optimal. There were a couple of items out of stock today, although you have to look closely to see the stickers.

I don’t normally buy drinks from the market, as James and I aren’t that decadent, but I desperately needed some refreshment so I acquired this whilst I waited for the food. The service at the stall was efficient and polite, not much engagement outside of the ordering process, but it felt welcoming. They accept cards and cash here, with the prices being towards the lower end for the market.

We found a bit of grass to sit on in the shade, which more suited me as I like being firmly in the cold, although James is quite middle class and was hoping for seating. He didn’t complain though, he had chicken. And, as James mentioned, this meal tasted like the chicken balls in Chinese takeaways, which to me and him is a very good thing indeed. I suppose there could have been just a few more fries, but I was happy with the number and they were freshly cooked. The chicken was served as a generous portion and the mayo and ketchup is supplied free of charge. Everything was at the appropriate hot temperature and I thought that there was an effort made with presentation bearing in mind it’s chicken and chips. I thought for £5 this was definitely comparable to other similar venues, with the can of drink being £1.50 which was also not unreasonable.

By sitting on the grass, James, ever the influencer, was able to carefully position his food so that it was beautifully photographed. He went for the spicy dirty fries, which I avoided as I didn’t fancy the cheese sauce, although it was really just grated cheese on top. The sauce was more tangy than spicy, but I was pleased with my rather more unadulterated affair.

For the value offered, we both thought that this was one of the better visits so far this year despite the solar adversity. The service was polite, there wasn’t much of a wait, it was keenly priced, the food had a depth of flavour and the portion size was reasonable. We’d likely both go back here, if we didn’t fancy Lucy’s chips, so what higher praise could we give it?

James and I are eating at every food stall at Norwich Market again this year and this week we visited a Taste of Punjab, which Nathan and I visited in March 2023.

The stall and there were a few customers around when we arrived and it remained consistently busy. We were greeted by a friendly team member who smiled, made eye contact and was focused enough to take orders and remember what everyone had ordered when their food was cooked. Indeed, not only that, she was also cooking the food, a combination of things and level of multi-tasking that would have confused me.

The price increases here are the highest that I’ve seen so far, with nearly everything having increased by £2 or £2.50. Something like the Baby Dosa has increased from £4.50 to £6.50, which has taken this from being a keenly priced stall to one of the more expensive. Although now I’m sounding like I’m taking some sort of bold leap into “I remember when this was all fields” territory.

I’m not personally a fan of these as it makes anyone paying by card feel like they’re not supporting local businesses as much with signage worded like this. But, each to their own. To be helpful, I paid by cash, but noted that no other customer did. They can obviously put what they want, but a “cash preferred” sign would seem a little more welcoming than a suggestion that you don’t support local businesses by paying by card.

I had tarka dall when I visited before and thought it could have had a greater depth of flavour and I noted that next time I might have chicken biryani. Well, that moment came and that’s what I went for. They dished what James had ordered first and there wasn’t much information on mine, but it was served seven minutes later and I was surprised that a microwave was used with the rice. Anyway, the biryani was freshly made and it was decent. It was at the appropriate hot temperature, there was a generous amount of chicken, the rice had a firm texture, the chicken was tender and the lime was a useful citrus addition. The portion size was decent for the money, it was a filling meal and although the prices have risen, this is still not unreasonably priced.

Unlike my overhead food shot, James, ever the connoisseur, snapped a photo on a jaunty angle that he is best known for. Well, that, and seemingly knowing most of the middle class population of Norwich as we’re walking to lunch and he keeps getting recognised. James wasn’t unhappy with his lunchtime meal, but I don’t think that he was surprised and delighted with the food, it was served promptly, looked appetising and it was a large portion, but he thought it verged just a little on the bland side and lacked the depth of flavour he craved. He moaned about the price, but he did get a lot of chicken, but he’s right that this sort of cost is now pushing it towards being a treat rather than a routine lunch.

We decided to eat at the stall as they had a section of the counter that seemed appropriate to do so, although if it was busy we would have been in the way of the queue. They seemed to have some regular customers including a lady that took a lamb biryani away for her evening meal, so they seem to be doing well. I rather liked the whole arrangement and thought that the food had a depth of flavour and range of textures, with the portion size being sufficient. The prices are just a little punchy now, but they’re still reasonable and I’d come back here as there are still a number of dishes I’d like to try.

This is week 18 of James and I eating at every food stall at Norwich market and this is the former site of Cocina Mia which was honoured with third spot when we did this in 2023. It only closed a few weeks ago and there’s some hype about its replacement, City Taco. On this week’s ‘how many middle class people did we bump into that James knows?’ the tally was 5, including one actually at the food stand which I think is a first. At this rate, James will be hosting his own artisan networking brunch and LinkedIn masterclass by mid-July.

The menu is limited in size, but I think that’s very often a good thing. I’m not sure that there’s much here for vegetarians and I’m not sure if there are plans to expand the menu offering in the future, but everything looked tempting to me.

The service was excellent, engagement about the menu, general conversation and clear enthusiasm about the food. I think it’s really positive when there’s that excitement from the team members, it all bodes well. I did mention to James that it reminded me of the tacos that I’ve had in southern California, but reading on the stall’s social media, that’s understandable as the owner spent several years living there.

I couldn’t decide between them so I went for one carnitas taco and one beef taco, so a total of £6. James went for the same, but he’s often creatively inspired by me even if he doesn’t admit it. The pork one is on the left, the beef one on the right. The sauce in the pot is the consomme and the team member mentioned we could either use it as a dip or down it, which transpired to be a good suggestion as I tried it both ways. Both tacos had a depth of flavour to them, they were well presented and at the appropriate temperature. I enjoyed them both, but the delicate nature of the beef and dipped in the consomme was my favourite of the two.

James remembered to take a photo this time, which will save him having to draw the whole arrangement. He said something about enjoying them, being pleased about not spilling them down himself and also thinking they were a little small but still decent value. To avoid any bird attacks, we had our food whilst standing at the stall, as the neighbouring dining area shared by Toby’s Beers and formerly Cocina Mia now seems to be closed.

Although it’s a shame to have lost Cocina Mia, this seems a really quite decent replacement. The service was some of the best we’ve had yet and the food had a depth of taste and flavour. The pricing was reasonable as the food was surprisingly filling, with everything seemingly well managed. I look forwards to returning here and trying the burrito to get the full taste experience.

This is week 17 of James and I attempting to eat at every food stall at Norwich market. I visited this last time in 2023, on that occasion with Nathan, and it was a very positive experience where we thought we’d both likely visit again. I hadn’t noticed when taking the photo, but James is standing there looking studious whilst reading the menu. As usual, it took us several minutes to fend our way through all the people in Norwich who know him, nearly all of whom seem to be middle class or above. However, I don’t judge.

The menu which had plenty of choice. The prices seem reasonable for the market, there’s an inevitable cost to this sort of produce and making it fresh, but they’re not charging exorbitant prices. There’s a choice of eating in or taking away, fortunately there were seats and so we were able to dine in to get the full experience. The service was friendly and prompt, with the stall accepting cards and cash. The surfaces in the stall were clean and I noticed that they were cleaned again numerous times when we were there. The area was also a seagull free zone, which is a win for everyone. There’s talk of doing up the market, but I’d personally just like to see a few more of the food stalls have their own seating area, it adds to the experience.

The specials board (and those meatballs sound delicious), although when someone next to us tried to order they’d run out of a few things by that point. Although that is perhaps the excitement of specials, their very temporary nature. The selection available here really is quite impressive given the limited size of these stalls and the small food preparation area, but the whole process seemed efficient. Customers were always welcomed promptly, spoken to politely and their food and drink served after a reasonable period of time. It all felt like a competent set-up and I felt welcome throughout. Incidentally, they also have authentic Spanish food ingredients and drink which customers can take home with him, so it operates a bit like a deli arrangement as well.

The food arrived and looked well presented, with the chorizo having a depth of flavour and it’s always a bonus to have it served fresh from the pan. The roll tasted fresh and of a high quality, James was particularly engaged with this. It was also filling, this wasn’t one of those times I’ve left a stall after eating feeling just as hungry as when I ordered.

I wasn’t going to have a drink, but as we found a seat and we were asked nicely if we wanted one, I thought I’d have an Alhambra Reserva 1925 which was malty, light and went down well with the chorizo. There aren’t a large number of stalls where you can get beer with the meal, so it seemed sensible to take advantage of the opportunity. They were a little low on beer stock as the first two I asked for they didn’t have, but I’m ever helpful in finding a beer based solution.

The kitchen area and the whole set-up felt authentic and there were vibes of being at a Spanish market, so full marks for the atmosphere.

James forgot to take a photo of his food, so he kindly did a drawing instead. It’s this kind of professionalism that has made this blog what it is today…. As mentioned, he very much liked the roll element, so he’s focused on that in the image. I suspect that he forgot what was inside, as that element of the drawing is quite vague, although when I helpfully mentioned this, he said it’s clear that it’s chorizo but that he had forgotten the beer and that was very vague indeed.

I very much enjoyed this visit and it’s up there as being one of the best so far this year. The service was friendly, the food was freshly prepared and had a depth of flavour, with the atmosphere feeling authentic and welcoming. The menu was broad, the stall was clean and there was a choice of different beers, so all rather lovely.

This week’s episode of eating at every food stall at Norwich Market was Italian Street Food, which I rather enjoyed when we last did this in 2023. We battled to the market, fending off everyone who wanted to talk to James which is reaching a ridiculous level now, excited by the thought of something substantial. I think that it’s one of the more filling of the options that are available from the market stalls, although it’s the one that could perhaps do with its own seating area.

The menu and there have been relatively small price increases over the last two years, each pizza is now around 50p more expensive. I noted a couple of years ago that it was a busy stall and that was the case again, with numerous delivery orders being sent out as well. I was tempted by the calzones (or whatever the plural of calzone is), maybe next time.

The food ordering area and I did get slightly confused where we were supposed to order, but the team member had noticed that and helpfully called over. This is also where the burgers are put together, something else that I really should try in the future. I accept that James and I haven’t been great this year at varying our orders from when we did it before.

The pizza oven and the food collection area. There was a wait of around ten minutes for the pizza, but that felt reasonable given it was relatively busy when we were there. The aroma from the pizza felt rather Italian and it was certainly hot enough given that it had just come from the oven.

My pepperoni pizza and note that we have moved to the Garnet pub to eat these as I didn’t want any seagull based incidents with an entire pizza. I mentioned to James that I thought that the cheese was just very slightly rubbery and a change from when we last visited, but it’s transpired I noted that last time, so it must just be the cheese mix that they’re happiest with. The pepperoni was decent, although I’ve had ones which are more punchy in flavour, but I liked the leopard spotting on the pizza edges. James mentioned that he thought that there should have been black pepper provided, but it’s transpired he said that last time. We are nothing if not predictable….

James went for a margarita pizza as he is on a diet, here’s his artistic looking photo. He liked it, although he didn’t think that the dough was as good as the pizzas that he makes at home. I must admit, he is quite decent at making pizzas, they’re certainly as good as those from Dr Oetker.

Overall, I was sufficiently surprised and delighted at this, because the prices felt reasonable for the quality and the service was friendly. I’m not going to say that it’s the best pizza that I’ve ever had, but for a lunchtime treat at less than £10, I think it’s entirely agreeable and it’s a hearty option.

And this is week 15 of our attempt to visit every food stall at Norwich Market, with James querying when I was going to post this, so I’ve rushed matters along. When James and I did all of this before in 2023, I wasn’t entirely surprised and delighted with the quality of the offering as the roll didn’t seem as fresh as it could have been. I happened to be telling someone who supplies Bread Source and he defended their quality and mentioned it wasn’t the best product to buy at 13:00 as the rolls would have been fresher earlier. I don’t really think that this holds entirely true though, it’s not for the customer to know when they’re supposed to order things and lunchtime hardly seems end of day in any event. Anyway, this meant that I was keen to give Bread Source a second chance and I was ready to give them an opportunity to engage so that I was excited and enthused by their offerings as I like positivity.

The food looked appetising and was neatly lined up and clearly priced.

Unlike last time, there were very few filled rolls visible and so perhaps they are keen to ensure that they don’t stay out too long. Unfortunately, this is as far as I can go with my enthusiasm as the team member ignored us when we were standing looking at their collection of their baked goods. I’ve blurred him from the photos as I don’t want to spread any needless negatively, but despite moving into the stall itself and then trying to make random noises to get his attention from his tablet there was no engagement here at all and it wasn’t at all easy to be served. I’d go as far as to say that we weren’t really made very welcome at all, the situation was sub-optimal. I did have the Inbetweeners clip in my mind with the quote:

“Why don’t we at least attempt to have a sophisticated conversation? I know it’s a tall order, and I’m not expecting sparkling, but let’s give it a go…..”

To be fair, I would have been happy with someone saying “hi” and didn’t necessarily even need the sophisticated conversation.

In fairness, my raspberry and pistachio bun was fresh, it had a pleasant taste, the texture was smooth with a crisp edge from the pistachio and it felt like a high quality product. The price tag of £3 wasn’t unreasonable and the quality was better than I had expected, so there’s a win.

James didn’t dislike his doughnut (I actually think that he quite liked it), but signalled his anger by taking a photograph of it next to an ashtray. I didn’t say anything.

Without wishing to be controversial, but I do wonder why Bread Source are still on the market. I can’t remember being ignored at somewhere like Greggs or similar, but I’d understand it more if I was, as people do get tired and bored when serving customers. But, the quality of the engagement from Norwich market traders is exceptionally high because they want to build their businesses up and get a loyal following. If Bread Source left their stall (and I assume they aren’t tied in here, although I’m not an expert on the rental agreements at the market if I’m being honest), it would perhaps allow a new independent food operator in and give them an opportunity to offer something different and have some passion about what they do. Norwich Market is full of traders like that, as this series of posts shows. Given that Bread Source have multiple other shops in the city, I hope that they wouldn’t be too annoyed, although I can’t imagine they’ll read this anyway, if I wrote that I hope they move on to give someone else a go. Which isn’t to note that the company hasn’t done very well and clearly has a substantial following, but it is now a large outfit and times changes….. But, in terms of the positive, the product was decent and I felt that the value for money was reasonable, so it’s not all negative.