One thing you might not know about me is that last year I started an Instagram “brunch club” with a few friends: Clerkenwell Boy, Tschang, Heart Drive and Charlala. It all started with a brunch date at Duck & Waffle which we enjoyed so much that we decided to turn it into a regular occurrence.
That IG Brunch Club was born, which is now a monthly meetup to discover London’s best brunch places. Today I’m sharing some photos from a recent brunch we had at the new St John Bakery Room in Maltby Street.
The tiny cafe / restaurant on Maltby Street in Bermondsey is the latest opening from the St John group, renowned for their two restaurants in Farringdon and Spitalfields. It’s located in one of railway arches, with two big windows facing the market side on Maltby Street and a couple of tables and chairs for alfresco eating on warm days.
The famous St John custard doughnuts have always been for me the main reason to visit Maltby Street Market on a Saturday morning. I remember a few years ago you had to get there early for a chance to get one before they sold out!
Now that St John Bakery Room has opened we have more chances to find them! They had several trays of custard cream doughnuts and rhubard jam doughnuts available on the Saturday I visited.
Also – thanks to the opening of St John Bakery Room – you now have the chance have breakfast or brunch with their famous Old Spot Bacon Sandwich.
This is easily the best bacon sandwich in London as it’s really extra-ordinary in every little detail: the bacon from Gloucester Old Spot pigs, the bread (a soft sandwich loaf which is baked on site and toasted over an open char grill) and the ketchup (also homemade using tomatoes, vinegar, spices, apples.
The bread is so soft, squidgy, charred and buttery that you wouldn’t even be that upset if there wasn’t any bacon inside. But thankfully there is. And lots of it. The bacon is magnificently juicy, smoky and meatier than Smithfield Market itself. The super fruity tomato ketchup is a more grown up version of the red gunge we are so used to and is a perfect foil for the salty bacon. The sheer size of this sandwich means it takes so long to eat that you may need a second pot of tea to wash it down with. [The Londonist]
Smoky, salty and seriously satisfying. [Evening Standard]
I ate my bacon sandwich with a cappuccino followed by a doughnut, of course. There was a reason why I had cycled from Clapham to Bermondsey that morning! ;)
After brunch we went for a walk around the market where we sampled even more food! My recommendation when visiting Maltby Street Market is: arrive hungry!
Read more about Maltby Street Market in my guest post for S Marks The Spots.
St John Bakery Room is at 72 Druid St, London SE1 2HQ.
[…] is a place I have written about a few months ago, before the summer when it was still known as St John Bakery Room. I had visited the little cafe for breakfast with my Instagram Brunch Club and raved about their […]
That looks fantastic! I would love to move to London… if only to eat every day in a different spot!
And that brunch club? That would me my kind of club ;)
xx,
E.
http://www.theslowpace.com
At least you could come to visit…for a few weeks at least! ;)
Oh this looks sooo good !
Have you ever tried the St John bacon sandwich? I had heard so many good things about it and I have to say it truly is the best bacon sandwich I have ever tasted!
I don’t think so – when are we going then :)
Berliners!! Oh I miss them so much! The food looks really delicious
Have you ever tried St John or visited Maltby St Market? Both are highly recommended! :)