Seafood is a source of healthful fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals, making it a highly nutritious food.
Seafood consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of numerous health disorders, including CHD, depression, and liver cancer.
As seafood is pricey, you must ensure you purchase the best fish at a decent price when purchasing fresh fish.
If you are in London and looking for fresh fish, you should visit the Billingsgate Fish Market.
Billingsgate Fish Market is located in London’s Canary Wharf. It is the largest inland fish market in the United Kingdom.
The riverside market was first created in Billingsgate, a ward in the southeast quadrant of London’s City. In its original site throughout the nineteenth century, Billingsgate was the world’s largest fish market.
Billingsgate Market is also open in the small hours of the morning and provides a selection of inexpensive exotic fishes in bulk.
There are thirty stores, including two cafes with an ice-making plant, which are utilized by processors, caterers, and retailers to sell an average of 25,000 tonnes of fish and fish products per year.
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How Big Is Billingsgate Fish Market?
Billingsgate is a massive 13-acre fish market that is completely self-sufficient and sells an annual average of 25,000 tonnes of seafood items.
The ground floor of Billingsgate is devoted to a vast trading hall with 98 stalls and 30 shops, as well as two cafés.
In addition, there are numerous separate cool rooms, a 1,500-tonne freezer warehouse, an ice-making plant, and fourteen lock-up enterprises.
The numbers speak for themselves, but entering the building is a unique experience as the stalls extend as far as the eye can see.
What Is The Best Time To Get To The Billingsgate Fish Market?
It is best to arrive early to get the freshest seafood.
We strongly advise visiting much earlier if you can, as the remaining items are those that the experts who arrive at 5 am have passed over.
After 7:30 am, if you are not too picky (and there is still plenty of fresh vegetables available), you can receive discounts.
You can really visit the market as early as 4:00 am (when the vendors begin setting up their wares), but you can’t buy anything until 5:00 am when a big wave of consumers appears out of nowhere.
First-come, first-served, armed with shopping carts and a wallet full of cash (only cash is accepted at most stores), they are there to obtain the tastiest and freshest fish available.
Do You Need To Bring Cash?
Yes, don’t forget to bring cash to Billingsgate. The closest ATM is now located at Canary Wharf, a 10-minute walk away.
Some vendors may have card readers, but most of the vendors only accept cash.
Additionally, remember that Billingsgate is a wholesale market. This indicates that you will be unable to purchase tiny quantities.
So, keep in mind that you will need plenty of cash.
Does Billingsgate Have Parking?
There is a pay-and-display parking lot that costs £2 for a two-hour stay.
Finding an empty parking spot at Billingsgate can be difficult, to be safe, we recommend arriving at the market before the deal hunters do.
Alternatively, you can pay online or through the Parkonomy app. Online payment incurs additional fees of approximately £0.40p, whilst pay-and-display parking costs £2.
Thus, you have the option of selecting the desired alternative.
Without a car, it is typically a logistical nightmare to reach Billingsgate Market.
Even though it is adjacent to Canary Wharf, it is still a good ten-minute walk from the city center (which feels more like twenty in the early morning), and the Jubilee Line and DLR are barely operational at this hour.
The best option is the D8 bus, which stops directly in front of the market and travels either in the direction of Crossharbour DLR or Stratford Station.
What Are The Fish Prices At Billingsgate Market
The fish and seafood at Billingsgate are considerably cheaper and fresher than those found in London fishmongers.
The following are examples of price rates in the market:
- Squid rings, £10 per kilo
- Live Crabs, 3 for £10 each
- Mussels, £3 per kilo
- Tiger prawns (farmed), £6 per kilo
- Fresh squid, £10 per kilo
- Tiger prawns (wild), £34 per kilo
- Whole salmon, £15 each
- Mackerel, 6 for £10
Professional purchasers who know precisely what to purchase typically arrive as early as possible, when the market is well-stocked and they can obtain the highest quality and quantity for the lowest price.
A more opportunistic strategy would be to arrive during the final hour of trading to check if there are any amazing discounts to be had from dealers eager to unload their stock before the end of the day.
If you choose the latter option and come late, ensure that the fish is still fresh.
What Are The Other Places To Buy Fresh Fish In London?
Borough Market in Southwark, London, England, is a wholesale and retail market hall.
It is the second largest and oldest food market in London, it has been on the site since at least the 12th century.
A short distance from London Bridge station, Borough Market has become one of the city’s most popular food markets, and it’s also a terrific spot to get fresh seafood.
In addition to cheese and ham booths, butchers, grocery stores, and hot food kiosks, there is a cluster of fishmongers in Borough Market from Wednesday through Saturday.
Each fishmonger at Borough transports their day-boat catches from a distinct region of the country to London. They have a unique narrative to tell and, frequently, distinct fish to show for it.
There are three fishmongers in the market, as well as a couple of specialized smokers and, of course, Richard Haward’s oysters, about which we have written multiple times.
Sussex Fish, which sells seafood taken between Newhaven and Shoreham in East Sussex, is located in the outdoor area known as Green Market.
Another is Shellseekers located between Dartmouth and Start Point in Devon. In contrast, Furness Fish and Game transports the majority of their harvest from Flookeburgh, Cumbria, where it is caught.