London: To market, to market

The Columbia Road Flower Market. Photo / Dana Johannsen

Upmarket, downmarket, London’s got it all. Dana Johannsen finds what she's always wanted at its famed street markets.

There's no more colourful way to shop in London than by sampling its many markets.

Bustling, busy and full of life, the city prides itself on its markets, some of which have origins dating back to the Middle Ages.

There are the large, sprawling markets such as Spitalfields, Camden, or Portobello Rd, which are ideal if you want to spend a day wandering about digging out a few bargains. Then there are smaller specialty markets like Broadway Markets - a foodie's delight - and the Columbia Rd flower markets.

On a recent trip to London, I allowed myself to be entirely governed by my UK-based friends' plans, issuing them with the directive to take me to their favourite spots in the city.

By the end of the week I had eaten, perused and bargained my way around a lot of markets. Here's my pick of the bunch.

Broadway Market
Strolling across London Fields, my wonderfully hip tour guide, Jules, informed me we were about to partake in what was a Saturday morning ritual for her - a trip to Broadway Market. It was only when the juice vendor asked if she'd have her usual - strawberry, orange and mint, thank you very much - I realised just how ritualised this wee outing had become for her.

It quickly became obvious why she has seen no need to shake up her routine. The food-loving hipster's weekend hangout of choice, Broadway Market, is as much about seeking out quality food, as it is about soaking up the vibe in one of east London's fashionable weekend hang-outs.

Stalls range from the classic (jams and chutneys) to the exotic (spices and rare-breed meat). With an array of cheeses, breads, olives, fruit and vegetables, some locals do their weekly food shop there.

But there are stalls where you can grab a quick bite, from freshly grilled burgers to fragrant Vietnamese rolls - the only time-consuming part is choosing what to have.

The southern end of the market leads you down to Regents Canal, where you can stroll the walkway to burn off calories from the impossible-to-resist treats. At least, that's Jules' ritual.

An East London hipster. Photo / Dana Johannsen

Columbia Road Flower Market
For travellers, Columbia Rd's flower markets aren't going to be much use in terms of finding wares to take home (unless you want to play fast and loose with New Zealand's biosecurity laws), but they are worth a visit for their sheer visual appeal.

Every Sunday, the cobbled Victorian street in the East End is transformed into an oasis of blooms and foliage. There are bulbs, flowers, herbs, shrubs, bedding plants, trees - even 3m-high banana palms. And people, thousands and thousands of people.

If you turn up at peak time (usually between 11am and 1pm), navigating through the throng of people is an exercise in patience and perseverance.

You have to take your chances when a gap opens up. But while you're jammed among the masses of people you will at least be entertained by the chant of the barrow boys' "everythin' a fiver". You can also get a break from the madness by nipping down some of the back streets (this is where the eyeing the gap part comes in handy) and checking out the independent galleries and shops selling one-off pieces of furniture, pottery and the like.

Old Spitalfields Market. Photo / Getty Images

Spitalfields Market
Just to the west of Columbia Rd in Shoreditch, you'll find Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market. Having been around oh, 350 or so years, it's safe to say this a bit of an East End stalwart.

A recent redevelopment has combined the refurbished 1887 covered market with a modern shopping precinct, giving it a feel of a mall-with-market.

On one side stands an arcade of smart shops and eateries, bordered with orderly market stalls and, on the other, is a cross-section of stalls crammed into Old Spitalfields, the last remaining portion of the original market.

I went there on a Sunday, which is apparently busiest, with more than 150 stalls. Browsing options include creations by up-and-coming designers, vintage clobber, accessories, jewellery, books, art and sheepskin rugs. I did find it got a bit samey.

In row after row of stalls you would often find the same mass-produced prints or cushion covers.

But here I finally found my ultimate in statement earrings, ending a decade-long search, and for that Spitalfields will always have a special place in my heart.

A busker at Portobello Market in Notting Hill. Photo / Alex Robertson

Maltby Street Market
With the Borough Market hugely popular with visitors for its Dickensian old-world setting, some vendors have opened shops under the railway arches in Maltby St nearby.

This place is more of an informal community of some of London's best purveyors of food and drink than a proper market as such, but it's popular with locals in the know.

Maltby St Market, as it has become known, came about after a coffee trader opened the doors to their roaster one Saturday. Soon, other vendors in the street followed suit.

Now the low-key Borough Market spin-off includes bakery treats, cheese, organic meats, delicious artisanal beers and a handful of other high-end producers.

If you fancy a less hectic market experience where you don't have to elbow through the masses to sample some cheese (you gotta do, what you gotta do), give Maltby St a try.

CHECKLIST

Getting there: Air New Zealand flies from Auckland to London via LA.

Details: For information on London's markets and organised tours, see visitlondon.com.

The writer travelled to London courtesy of Huawei.