We have been working on an exciting project in Partnership with The Food Explorers celebrating 150 years of Portobello and Golborne Markets.
Children of Bevington and Fox Primary Schools in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have investigated the diverse food heritage and multicultural communities through discovery trails and interviews with local characters.
In four sessions with us, each class researched the history of the markets multicultural heritage before interviewing local shopkeepers and stall holders.
People arriving from all over the world make Porotbello and Golborne the vibrant place that is it today. The delicious foods that the people and cultures have brought with them mean that there are so many wonderful places to eat and tastes to experience.
Hammersmith and Fulham Urban Studies Centre have created a children’s guide for the local area that you can use to discover the history and stories of the people and food you will find. Scroll down to find the answers to the questions within the guide.
Question 1: Café Oporto. We tried the café con leche and pasteis de nata. Delicious! What did you try?
Question 2: Eat First is an award winning Moroccan mobile café. Moroccan cuisine such as lentil soup, cous cous, flat bread, Mrouiza and Tanjine is often enjoyed at this stall. Delicious! Did you try anything else?
Question 3: The fruit and veg for all of the stalls on Portobello Road and Golborne Road comes from many different places. Fruit and Vegetables are grown all over the world and shipped to the UK. Stall holders now go to new Convent Garden Market in Wandsworth or large markets on the edge of London to buy their stock. They have to get up very early!
Question 4: Golborne Road was once a bustling market road where local people came to do their shopping. No. 65 used to be a bakers; No 98, E Price used to be a green grocers. Now it is a junk shop. There are now many more café’s selling produce from many different countries from around the world.
Question 5: Instituto Espanõl was once a convent. Portobello Farm once stood very near here. You can see the location of Portobello Farm on the 1841 map in our guide.
Question 6: La Plaza Delicatessen. The Spanish Civil War ran from 1937 to 1939. It was important for Portobello and Golborne as many people fleeing the war, came to settle in West London. They brought with them their traditional foods and cuisine such as chorizo and paella.
Question 7: Many types of fish and seafood are sold in George’s Fisheries. Prawns, lobster, Shrimp, Swordfish, Snapper, Monkfish, Sea Bass may have been some that you noticed.
Question 8: Fresh fruit and veg from around the world is sold on many stalls at Portobello and Golborne markets. Did you know that tomatoes originated from the Andes in South America, the avocado comes from a tree native to Mexico and Central America, and carrots originally came from regions which are now Iran and Afghanistan (Persia).
Question 9: Jay Dees make delicious Jamaican food. Their most popular dish is Jerk Chicken of course!
Question 10: The four blue plaques at Tavistock Square celebrate the pioneers of the Notting Hill Carnival. Ms Rhaune Laslet-O’Brien (1919-2002), Claudia Jones (1915-1964), Russell Henderson (1924-2015) and Leslie Palmer (b. 1943). The carnival is an important reminder and celebration of Caribbean and multicultural communities that make this area such a wonderful place!
The Food Explorers have created a fantastic film with the children for the children to tell the story of the last 150 years. The film was screened in the Portobello Film Festival and we look forward to sharing it with more children and schools across the Tri-Borough area. For more about the film, visit their website here.
For information about booking our session exploring the food heritage of Portobello and Golborne or Shepherds Bush Market, please call us on 0208 741 7138