EDitorial ± 21-Jun-2019

Woodbridge Lunches: New Street Market

Once again doing the well-worn Woodbridge parking circuit up Church Street and into Seckford Street, right on to Market Hill (hello to the ground zero Wild Strawberry) and right again on to Theatre Street before heading down New Street. Wot no spot so it's a paid-for space opposite Savers.

Andy suggests a cheeky stroll behind the library to admire some rather expensive real estate then up the hill forwards to alight at the whitewashed archway leading to New Street Market. There's a plethora of plants plus a cornucopia of candles not to mention a smorgasbord of savon de marseilles. Billed as "a collective of local creatives", it's a slice of Shoreditch in Eno's old manor.

To the rear of the precious things we find the deli itself with refrigerated cheeses, freshly baked bread and other goodies. Let me quote you the first half-dozen lunch items in full:

  • sourdough reuben sandiwch with NSM salt beef, pineapple sauerkraut & homemade dill pickle
  • margerita pizzetta or pancetta & bocconcini with rocket salad & lemon dressing
  • paper dosa with sabhar & coconut chutney & red onion & turmeric salad
  • bombay potato with onion salad, coriander chutney
  • prawn chilli fry in a brioche bun -- goan street food
  • New Street Market cheese sandwich -- hot gooey runny loveliness with fennel & red cabbage salad

Where to start? Well, with the Rosa Farine pastries, as it happens, since they're flying off the counter and need to be bagged now for later. That done, let's select from the finery on offer and grab a Sole Rosso Bio bottle of Italian cola. Nice, and nicer still to be seated among the Woodbridge School mums and partners, all of whom have excellent hair. Spotted whats-his-face from the Riverside having a mooch around to evaluate the competition. Longest day of the year seemed even longer waiting for our food but, as per our visit to The Green Room, slow food is good food. My bombay potato was top-notch and remarkably generous, ditto Andy's strongly flavoured cheese sarnie. To be reminded of the nearby Cooks Shed is vg indeed.

Really didn't need any sweet things but we'd already bought 'em, and delightful they were too. A vanilla chiffon with berries and a chunky Eccles cake to make Andy think of home, both shared with a decent espresso. Another one of those times when we'd both much rather hang around chatting instead of (at least one of us) returning to work. What with Nourish and The Green Room, and now NSM, that's three Bridget-worthy eateries on the trot.

If it was a car -- Tesla Model X.
If they were passing by -- James Dean Bradfield.