The sellers
Robert Burton, director
Stall: Sillfield Farm
'We've been doing Borough Market since it started in 1998. Our pigs are free-range, enjoying life in the fresh air and the beautiful Cumbrian scenery. They're killed on a Monday, we get them back on a Tuesday, then we cut the meat up for our first day at Borough on Thursday. '
Top buy: 'At the moment we have some beautiful Kendal lamb, which is coming through nicely. And we are killing off Saddleback pigs, which have a nice covering of fat. We do 23 different sorts of sausages, but I think you can't go far wrong with a Cumberland.'
Nicola Bailey
Stall: De Gustibus Bread
'This stall has been at Borough for 18 months now, but De Gustibus has been in business since the Nineties and has won lots of awards in that time. We make a huge variety of artisan breads, using really traditional recipes. We've got German bread, Italian bread, American bread and British bread ... you name it, we've got it. All the bread is baked in Battersea through the night and all through the morning, so it's really fresh.'
Top buy: 'The most popular is the walnut bread or the olive focaccia.'
Dave Cranston, fishmonger
Stall: Furness Fish and Poultry
'This is about our sixth year at Borough Market. We come down from Cumbria each week, but our fish comes from all over the place. We've got some from Australia, Portugal, Iceland - you name it. Our Morecambe Bay Potted Shrimps are world famous. All the seafood is fresh on Friday and Saturday for the market and we refuse to sell any fish that isn't of the highest quality. We now do game and poultry too.'
Top buy: 'There's so much to choose from. But, in my opinion, you can't get a better fish than turbot.'
www1.securesiteserver.co.uk/mbs/eshop/
Stef Ives, floor manager
Stall: Turnips
'At Turnips we look for the best-quality fruit and vegetables possible. We're a wholesalers, and although we sell a lot of the old favourites like bananas and apples, we also sell a huge amount of speciality fruit and vegetables. We always try to get produce direct from local growers, and we also import fantastic fruit and veg.'
Top buy: 'We have beautiful root vegetables at the moment like Jerusalem artichokes, turnips, celeriac and these huge pumpkins.'
020 7357 8356
The buyers
Kate Kong, 39, teacher
'The market is one of the reasons we moved to the area. My kids love it here. It's hard not to end up spending a fortune!'
Dorit Agater, 27, art student
'Mostly I'm here for the food, but I'm also here for the hot Italian guys at the cheese counter. It's a great way to spend the morning.'
Nick Thomson, 27, DJ
'The food is fantastic - so fresh and you get lots of free tasters. I'm on a family outing with my sister's dog. The most I've spent is £80. It all adds up but it's definitely worth it.'
· Borough Market is 250 this year and the market celebrated this weekend by recreating Hogarth's Southwark Fair. Christmas opening times: 20, 21, 22 December 9am-6pm; 23 December 8am-6pm; 24 December 9am-3pm
