BILLINGSGATE FISH MARKET

Pictures

The history of Billingsgate market is as colourful as some of the species sold there. It takes its name from a ward in SE London where the riverside market was originally established. In the 16th and 17th centuries Billingsgate wharf was the hub of numerous markets, one being fish. In 1699 an Act of Parliament was passed making it "a free and open market for all sorts of fish whatsoever". The only exception to this was the sale of eels which was restricted to Dutch fishermen whose boats were moored in the Thames. This was because they had helped feed the people of London during the Great Fire. In the mid 19th century the fish market was moved from the river bank into its own riverside building, in Lower Thames Street. It was replaced later that century with an impressive arcaded market hall. This remained its home until 1982 when it was shifted to a new building close to Canary Wharf in the Docklands.

Some of us are morning people; depending on the definition of morning. A five o'clock start must surely be defined as night however. Food markets are mythical places and have to be seen when the main business of the day takes place, and fish being probably the most perishable, even more so. The sacrifices one has to make! So with bleary eyes and a desperate need for coffee we headed off on our quest one Friday morning recently to visit Billingsgate.

As well as being the largest inland market Billingsgate is also the largest shellfish market in the UK. Seafood comes from around the world, and ironically some fish caught by British boats may have been auctioned in France, or elsewhere, before making its way back to London. It is difficult to make an argument against this if the fisherman gets more for his fish by selling it elsewhere. It does however seem crazy, although fish trucked from Scotland probably takes longer to get to London. 70% of the seafood coming through Billingsgate has already been through at least one other market.

Billingsgate has 50 merchants selling seafood. Many specialise in certain varieties. The market also has 150 porters. These are the people who push trolleys and pallet jacks around, moving seafood from cool stores, trucks, vans etc. There is a clear line between the porters and merchants and unless you wanted the place to come to a standstill you wouldn’t dream of moving a box yourself. The porters seem to be a grumpy lot, shouting and swearing at people as they make their way through the crowds. Maybe they have a job for Gordon Ramsay? Somehow it adds to the atmosphere and helps retain some of the charm of the old east end, and the reputed bad language the market was famous for. The market bustles with merchants, porters and staff running around in white coats. The traditional bobbing hats have disappeared as no-one has to carry fish on their heads these days.

These days for every 15 kgs of fresh fish coming into the market there is 10 kgs of frozen fish. The other interesting statistic relates to farmed fish; 30% of fish, shell fish, prawns etc has been farmed. The vast majority of farmed fish is salmon, but it is a rapidly growing source of supply for a vast range of fish and shellfish.

Being a sample market it is very important to know what to look for in terms of quality because what you see is what you are buying. We were lucky enough to have a fantastic guide from the Billingsgate Seafood Training School, CJ Jackson, the director. CJ was passionate about fish and the market and it was a wonderful experience to go around with her. We all know about checking the eyes, but she alerted us to much, much more. What do you look for with crabs, how do you know if it is truly sashimi quality tuna, why it is important to keep fish on ice compared with refrigeration, how to check for rigor mortis in fish and the consequences, what does an ammonia smell indicate with shark and skate, what is the best size to buy for crabs and crayfish, how the weight of a crab will indicate whether it was fresh when cooked, the difference between male and female crabs and which one gives you the most white or brown meat, why wild halibut are displayed stomach side up. She was a wealth of information and her passion would rub off on anyone. Luckily she kept us so busy that we had no time left to buy any boxes of baby squid, fresh crabs, live eels, or Arbroath smokies. Probably just as well, as it would have been a nightmare on the bus going home if anything escaped. I just wish I had bought some Venus clams to make spaghetti vongole that night.

The market is full of characters and they have many party tricks to keep themselves amused. As you can imagine, concrete floors, water and ice can make a lethal combination for coming a cropper. When an unsuspecting punter takes a fall everyone around starts to mark it out of ten. If a customer gets into any heated discussion with a merchant over price or quality, other merchants are just as likely to leave their stands and crowd around like a school yard fight and egg the parties on. Probably the best party trick involves the Geoduck, (gooey duck). It is a species of large saltwater clam. This mollusc has a reputation for being ugly and clearly sexual in its shape. Geoduck, like shark fin soup, is highly regarded in Chinese and Japanese communities. In the case of geoducks it is the "enhancement of male performance". It is the shape of a penis and when one of the merchants picks one up and strokes it, it sprays water from one end. This is usually greeted with loud laughter and the obvious innuendos; when did you last see one of those, dear? Bet you can’t wait to take one of them home! The eel man had great delight taking live ones from the large steel cabinet that housed them and scaring anyone in sight. Check out gooey ducks at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raCUc5A6FHU

It was a fascinating trip and we left with our heads reeling with new information and a real hunger to come back and buy some produce. Talking of hunger, by now we were starving after two hours of eyeing off all the goodies. A bacon sarnie was in order from one of the two cafes offering a huge range of what could best be described as proper English breakie food. They had everything from fish dishes to bacon sarnies. They also serve genuine pots of English tea, you know the ones about the size of a small watering can. It seemed wholly appropriate for the boys working there. Would I turn night into day and go again? You bet! I can’t wait to go back with my ice pack and cool bag.

Ian Bird

August 2008