There are more than 100 stalls, shops and restaurants packed into the maze-like layout (Image: Getty)
The UK is home to some of the most famous shopping destinations in the world. Westfield attracts millions of visitors each year. Harrods is known worldwide for its luxury goods and history. Covent Garden and Camden Market are also firm favourites with tourists and locals.
With so many well-known names, choosing the best place to shop is no easy task. But according to TripAdvisor’s travellers’ favourite ranking, neither Westfield nor Harrods has taken the top spot. Instead, one historic market has been crowned the UK’s best place to go shopping.
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Borough Market is located on the south bank of the Thames in Southwark, London (Image: Getty)
Borough Market has earned a rating of 4.6 out of five from nearly 14,500 reviews on TripAdvisor.
Harrods came in fifth place in the ranking, while Westfield placed 12th. The top three also included Covent Garden and Camden Market.
Borough Market is located on the south bank of the Thames in Southwark, London. It has operated as a market for around 1,000 years, with its origins dating back to at least 1014, when traders gathered at the southern end of London Bridge to sell grain, fish and livestock.
In 1756, Parliament attempted to close the market because of congestion along Borough High Street.
Local residents stepped in and raised £6,000 to relocate it to its current site, known as the Triangle.
For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, the market focused on wholesale fruit and vegetables. In the 1990s, it shifted towards retail and artisanal producers, selling directly to the public.
Visitors can find everything from fruit stalls to baked goods (Image: Getty)
Borough Market is a foodie paradise (Image: Getty)
Today, there are more than 100 stalls, shops and restaurants packed into its maze-like layout.
Visitors can find everything from fresh meat and fish to baked goods, cheeses and street food from around the world.
Three Crown Square is the largest trading area and is popular with those shopping for high-quality produce.
The Green Market is famous for ready-to-eat dishes, with traders serving international food ranging from Ethiopian stews to gourmet grilled cheese.
The market’s Victorian glass and iron structures date back to the 1850s, and there is also an Art Deco entrance added in the 1930s. Parts of the Royal Opera House’s Floral Hall were relocated to the site in 2004.
On its official website, Borough Market says: “At Borough Market, we don’t just sell good food and drink, we celebrate it. We enjoy how it tastes and the way it makes us feel, but we also appreciate its ability to connect us to the people who produced it and the places it was made.
Most of those who have visited absolutely loved it, despite the crowds (Image: Getty)
“If all you come with is an appetite, you’ll be able to sate it in a thousand ways. But if you care about what you eat and where it comes from, our traders can feed your curiosity too. Here, in this historic setting, you’ll find an incredible range of food from all over Britain and the rest of the world – and every item has a story to tell.”
Those who have visited seem to agree. One person wrote in a review on TripAdvisor: “We really hadn’t done our research on food markets and happened to be going by and stopped for lunch. What an impressive place to be! It was so crowded, but the food and atmosphere were well worth the visit.”
Another added: “Borough Market delivers on every level, from its vibe to its food. Every time we go, we have a different type of food, and I’m yet to find one I don’t like. You absolutely must go and have the best sausage rolls known to man, but be prepared to queue.”
A third wrote: “This market is simply extraordinary! A continuous explosion of colours, scents and irresistible flavours that overwhelm you as you enter. There are foods from all over the world, with spectacular stalls offering cheeses, truffles, cold cuts and specialities of all kinds.”