B Street Deli

Bermondsey

Southwark locals flock to the aptly named B Street Deli, its mint-green entrance on Bermondsey Street beckoning like the light over East Egg in The Great Gatsby. Part deli, part wine bar, B Street is worth visiting to stock up on cheeses like Cornish Yarg and Ossau-Iraty, or some interesting bins from all over the world.

Charcuterie cravings are met with choice cuts from Wells Farm and Bellota, and smoked salmon is courtesy of Weald Smokery and Hansen & Lydersen. All manner of pâtés, pies and quiches are available on a daily basis, while bread stacked in crates on the counter is selected from Bread Ahead and Konditor & Cook. Resistance is futile… and I’ve not even got to the cakes selection from nearby Borough Market, which tempt by the tray load beside the till.

If you’re not in a rush, stop to while away a morning in the bar-cum-café space, with its low, dark-wood panelled ceilings, moody lighting, potted plants, heaps of newspapers and coffee sack-adorned walls. Order a cup of Volcano coffee (from a small batch roastery that uses vintage roasters) and an artisan sandwich while you perch against old barrels. Come evening, you can close your day with a well-earned cocktail or glass of wine and a couple of plates from the meat board at the counter.

A word of warning: watch your head on the copper saucepans and garlic that hang proudly from the ceiling, as your eyes are sure to have already wandered to the bounty on show the minute you walk through the door. BG. 88 Bermondsey Street, Southwark, bstreetdeli.co.uk