Broadway Market Expansion 20 Nov 2010

The market was proper jokes this week! There were laughs, music, food, rumour mongering, education, lots of people and all in all a lovely vibe in the air. It was also the coldest day out there so far but my handy pocket warmers helped take my mind off that as did eating, laughing and flogging Smy Chutney. I debuted my Christmas gift boxes this week and they were very well received.


I will shortly be emailing out an order form in case people cannot make it to the market. Email me on smychutney@gmail.com, join smy chutney fan page on facebook or befriend smy chutney on twitter if you would like to receive the email or would like to order any of my homemade chutney, jelly or jam.

There were some new faces in the market this week but first - one of the established and one of the loveliest stalls in the market, Ray Stitch, a one-stop-shop for clever stitchers.


It is positively full to the brim with buttons, fabric, patterns, wools and lots of other items you may need to create beautiful new things! And fellow stall holder Candy Camper did just that with a make your own handbag kit from Ray Stitch which she had made and was on display yesterday. Wish I got a photo of that as it is lovely but as I was taking the photo of Ray Stitch's lovely sign I was unaware that I had a customer at my own stall. I've only just noticed now that if you look at the photo of the sign you can see Brat & Suzie stall holder pointing me out to my return customer who needed his fix of banana & date chutney after going through a jar in one week, told you it was jokes! Speaking of Brat & Suzie, her clothing and bags are fantastic and I bought one for my friend and photographer Michuru (check out her amazing flickr!) and will have to get some for me next. One of Michiru's favourite words is 'apparently,' and Barbara Windsor was, 'apparently,' on the door at the St. Joseph's Hospice jumble sale which was on at Mare Street this Saturday and 'apparently' there was a massive queue. I tried to start a rumour that Barbara was 'apparently' going to show up at the Expanded Broadway Market but I don't think it really had any legs and my legs were cold and tired after lugging 70 kilos (new record) of chutney on my amazing Y-Frame cycle trailer!

I cannot NOT mention Cupcakes & Tarts beautiful cupcake bouquet:
Stunning and delicious. You'll want a hot beverage with that so why not stop by at Bean in the City:
There are so many brilliant vehicles at the market!


Also on my Christmas list will be items from Expansion Market newcomer and fresh print designer, Tope Tijani (on the right):

I heart print in a major way and these pieces are stunning, well crafted, playful yet chic. I want a mini satchel, belt, neckplate and coin purse. You will definitely be seeing Chelsea College of Art grad Tope in all the glossies rather soon, so I would come and get some of her work now before they all get snapped up!

Another newcomer was Zakuski - Russian and Caucasian food. I had never heard of Causasian food and never properly tried Russian food either but you learn, and can taste, something new every Saturday at the market - it is the cuisine of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, North Ossetia-Alania, Abkhazia, and the Adyghe.


For example, this tasty kolebyaka - salmon dish:
There were other new market stalls which I will be featuring and new ones arriving next week. The main Broadway Market is established and lovely and I am up and down it to get my usual bits and pieces that I can't do without but be sure to check out the new Expansion part of Broadway Market - round the corner from the Cat & Mutton in the schoolyard. There is time and space to chillax and chat, unique food and design - bring/tell your friends!!!

and remember...
it's not your chutney...
it's Smy Chutney

Broadway Market - 13 November

Well it was a week full of rain, wind and cold so I didn't hold much hope for the weekend but the weather held out in the end and it was a rather nice day in all. Several visitors commented on just how lovely all the food and design is in the schoolyard area and I totally agree so I'll just get straight into some pictures of fellow stall holders and their wonderful bits and pieces.

First up is

Oboe

, greeting cards and stationery. I simply must get that owl card next week! They are all fantastic and I wonder if there is a fox card to match Oboe proprietor Emma's amazing foxy hat...?

Next is

Little Object

, handmade jewellery by Natalie Reed. Natalie trained and worked in Madrid before returning to London. These photos do not do Natalie's work justice so you will just have to come and see them.

I've featured the brilliant designs of

organik rocka

before. I love their graphic black and white t-shirts:

I am also a fan of their line of colorful t-shirts:

All their items are made with bamboo which is soft, strong, ethical and sustainable. I am even a fan of their fliers!

I've also featured

Candy Camper

before, but who wouldn't want second helpings of sweets? And not just any sweets but sweets that you can not often find and sweets that take you straight back to childhood and make you happy. Everybody loves sweets and you can find something for everyone inside Primrose, the beautiful 1974 bay window VW campervan, converted into the finest old-fashioned sweet shop.

Primrose may like a map for Christmas that she could then use to traverse the country or globe. If she did then she would definitely want one from

Future Maps

. These are stunning maps that anyone would want hanging on their wall. You can get these here on a Saturday at the market or at their new shop

open every Sunday during the Columbia Road flower market at 148A Columbia Road, E2

.

I am very excited about the addition of

Playsuit Parlour

to the playground. Everything is made from recycled natural fabrics, organic and traditional herbal block-printed cottons and off-cuts. Their motto is, "Life is more fun when you're wearing a playsuit!" The pieces are stunning and so affordable you would be daft to not come and peruse the parlour.

Next up is Betty's Attic which has different little treasures each week including jewellery, ceramics, paper treasures and much, much more.

You'll never believe who I bumped into at Betty's Attic.....only Paddington Bear! Anyone who knows me knows that I have a Paddington Bear who I have had almost my whole life. Paddington and I do not like to think of age in numbers but let's just say we've known each other over thirty years and he has been with me through thick and thin. Now he'll be crazing me to come down the market to meet this P Bear but I know Paddington and he's much better off cozy and warm on a Saturday while I am flogging my homemade chutney, jelly and jam.

Speaking of Smy Chutney, we now have homemade Mincemeat available, it is delicious and has the not-so-secret ingredient of Smy Chutney plum gumbo and Smy Chutney brandied cherries and accompanying Smy Chutney cherry brandy added to it to take it to that next level - boom! We're making mincemeat so that you don't have to. Come down and try a sample!

So if that hasn't given you loads of ideas of things to come and see down the market, there's also the live entertainment! Next week I will have the name of the drummer and double bassist who really liven up the Market with their outstanding skills and wonderful set lists including lots of songs from the Jungle Book (yay!) and they even squeezed in a favourite of mine from Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. The picture below captures their special guest star, Haysie, who briefly sat in for a spell on backup vocals and triangle. Haysie, I wasn't teasing when I said you have a wonderful voice!

See you next Saturday.....

and remember...it's not your chutney...it's Smy Chutney

Broadway Market - 23 & 30 October 2010

I'm getting a

teensy

bit behind on my Broadway Market updates on account of the amount of chutney that I have been making. This is a combination post on the past two weeks with photos from 23 Oct, let's keep it short and sweet. Speaking of sweet, here are Emma and Tom who are funny, sweet, big

Smy

Chutney fans and supporters and, like me - they are huge Eastbound and Down fans!

If you went to lots of festivals this summer then you may recognise

Candy Camper

who sells sweeties from her, well -

Candy Camper

! It is like a little ray of sunshine for the market.

Speaking of delicious here is

Fiendish &

Goode

, purveyors of cakes. May I recommend the mini sponges...and the coffee-

ish

walnut ones...and actually it is all delicious!

More tasty treats from Cupcakes & Tarts, all I will say is - Guinness cupcakes!

Last but not least are

Organik

Rocka

, brilliant graphic tees for all ages that make perfect presents or personal presents.

More pictures to come as there are so many great stall holders with amazing products as well as the great food on offer. I forgot to take pictures on 30 Oct but it was a brilliant day and thanks to Hollie, Smy Chutney stall regular - Nick and the spanish contingent especially Karmen, Jorge, Nico and Violaine.

So hurry, hurry, hurry and make sure you check out the playground extension of Broadway Market...

and remember...

it's not your chutney...

it's

Smy

Chutney.

Work Them Smy Chutney Batches

Here's a little video to give you an insight into a typical Sunday for Smy Chutney. This one is actually last Sunday but this will encapsulate the past week. You may not find bubbling chutney, or in this case six-pepper jelly, as fascinating as I do but as I was making this video this song happened to get thrown into the mix and it is my favourite song as the minute, Ramadanman's Work Them. Good tunes obviously makes for tastier chutney and this seemed to work perfectly as the potent six-pepper jelly was furiously rolling. The picture isn't brilliant as it was fogging up the camera...probably not the best idea...but I thought it looked like molten lava or a martian firework display.



and remember...
it's not your chutney...
it's smy chutney

Bank Holiday Weekend in Orford

Smy Chutney went home to Orford, Suffolk this past bank holiday weekend. It was the Orford Flower Show which is not to be missed! Auntie Chrissie has a stand at the Flower Show and she along with other allotment holders and members of the community generously donates the fruit and veg she grows on her allotment to charity. Smy Chutney donate jars of chutney and this year they raised almost £600 for charity! Auntie Chrissie always send us home with mountains of produce for Smy Chutney for which we are SO grateful and nothing really compares to time spent with family in the country.

These are some of the ella bellas, damsons and greengages that we picked for the stand:

Here is a big, beautiful country bumblebee...it is really heartbreaking to think that bumblebees are struggling all over the world and falling in numbers, they are such hard-working creatures and so crucial to nature and the food chain!


and remember...it's not your chutney
it's Smy Chutney.