Kilburn’s Secret: The Underground Farmers’ and Crafts Market

by Yasi Pahlevanlou

     The idea of paying 5 quid to go to a stranger’s house and garden for some food and crafts could make anyone a bit skeptical. However, I am very pleased to have taken that leap and gone to this glimmering market. Kerstin Rodger’s cute two bedroom house and garden was the perfect location for this two day affair. I bought my tickets online beforehand, so I gave my name upon entrance, and entered the front yard where there was three different food carts, ranging from Fosse Meadows Farms to Mr. Coffee and an ice cream stand selling pumpkin sorbet. From there I walked around to the back of the house where there was an array of food and drink stands, an Eastern European band, and a small bonfire in the corner. This was where I spent the majority of the next two hours, eating and drinking my night away.

    We roamed around a bit, until we got to the Kimchi Cult stand. I usually steer away from kimchi since I’m a wuss when it comes to spicy food, but I’ve had very little Korean food since coming to London, so I ordered a kimchi slider. I watched as the cook started his performance, putting the patty on the grill, waiting a few minutes, and flipping it in the air for all the people waiting in line to see. I took one bite, and was overcome with happiness from the perfectly cooked beef covered with warm, melted cheese, topped with a mound of fresh kimchi, all being held hostage between a toasted hamburger bun. As I continued to eat, I kept thinking about how glad I was to be able to enjoy the food in London. Before coming, many had warned me about British food, and said I would only be eating curry for the next four months. However, I have had some of the best food since arriving, ranging from cheap bagels on Brick Lane to delicious Afghani, Ethiopian, and Nigerian dishes. 

    I devoured my burger, and we continued to walk around, passing a man who had a flashlight attached to his headband, using the light as he cut open a fish, guts and all. His performance of fish cutting and skewing was brilliant to watch even though I am not a big seafood fan. We walked through her garden-turned-market, passing by other interesting stands such as Squisio-a Polish stand and Mauritan Street Food. I stopped at another chocolate stand, where I got a chocolate and caramel covered apple with hot cayenne pepper. I washed this down with more chocolate-- a caramel lime hot chocolate with rum, to be specific. On our way inside the house, we passed the band, named She’ Koyohk klezmer, who performed lively Yiddish music. They kept the energetic atmosphere going with the drums, a guitar, a flute, and wonderful voices. Their musical style was very different from what I would normally listen to, but it was refreshingly exciting, and from all the smiling faces surrounding them, everyone else was enjoying them as well. We then walked through the house, where all the crafts were. This included stands of painted mugs, knitted wall decorations, and a tarot card reader. In the kitchen, there were different demonstrations going on all night, including a bread demonstration by Ben Mackinnon of E5 Bakehouse and a talk on the creation of honey by Bee Fayre.

     After walking back to the backyard, I got a view from the top of the stairs of the whole festivity, and just smiled at the ease of it. No one, from people in line to get their food, to cooks who had to prepare the food for their hungry guests, to people selling their handmade crafts, looked stressed or irritated. Everyone looked like they were genuinely enjoying themselves, having a fun night out with friends and making new ones. As everyone watched their food being prepared, I saw how entertaining it was to simply watch the performance of cooking. With each cook having their own unique style, the preparation of your delicious edibles was a show in itself. You watched as your ingredients got sorted out, thrown together in a precise manner, and made in the style that was distinct from the other chefs, or should I say, performers. However, after the spectacle, the best part is yet to come-eating the results of the performance you just witnessed.
Being a food junkie, I’ve been to quite a few food festivals back in the states. There are underground food markets in San Francisco at secret locations as well, but I’d never been to one. Regardless of if it’s a secret food market or a large day time food festival, people all over the world connect through the simple pleasures of food. I didn’t feel as if anyone was judging my American accent because we were all bonding over the various dishes. Brit or American, food has the power to tie us together, and the performance of cooking these delicious foods is one of my favorites.