Yes, “famous”. Touristy coach trips pay visits to the market. And this isnt your poncy farmers market. Or anything remotely “artisan”. Oh no, this is a typical northern open market - stalls selling lookalike (not counterfeit) watches, hardware and the sort of knickers your granny might have worn. And food.
I’d usually drive but I decided to take advantage of my old gits free travel pass. So I drove to the nearest Metrolink and got the tram. It drops you pretty much at the market. First visiit was to Chadwick’s black pudding stall. There are two black pudding stalls at the market. There’s the one which gets all the publicity and then there’s Chadwicks, the one that always has the queues of locals. So, that was two puds to take home - no fat in these. And a hot one (with big cubes of succulent fat) to eat now - they have a section of the stall where you find all the usual condiments. That’s ketchup, piccalilli and, of course, mustard. And, yes, I forgot again just how strong the mustard is so overdid it.
I had a wander about, wondering what food I might buy and, also, whether I reckoned Grandad might have fancied Granny Harters in those knickers. Then I went for lunch at the market chippy. There’s just a serving hatch with tables and chairs outside. There’s decent cod and chips.
As to the modern day hunter gathering…there’s bakery stall I like. That served me up with a wimberry pie, three Chorley cakes (the shortcrust pastry version of the better known Eccles cake) and a pork & sweet chilli sauce sauce pie. There’s a separate indoor bit where the four fishmongers and three butchers have their big stalls. There’s competition here, the traders shouting out their bargains. And there are real bargains to be found amongst the meat - so long as you’re not fussed about provenance. I am, so there was none of the “six steaks for a tenner” deals for me. I did get a couple of Barnsley lamb chops and four slices of belly pork (Gloucester Old Spot). And the fishmonger on the next stall sold me some smoked haddock and a tuna steak.
It was a good trip.
