This wonderful sketch about local vendors at Chapel Market is a great representation of the hearty community life in Islington. Contributed by Pragya Vijay, this article comes in two parts. The second part will be with you in a couple of weeks!
note from the editor
Chapel Market has fostered a community spirit over the years. Founded in Islington in the early 19th century, this market is a true local gem and a perfect place to spend your Sunday morning: the cosy smells of homemade bread are the best cure for winter blues, trust me. What becomes a confluence of local residents, visitors, students, families, and their furry friends creates a comforting atmosphere for browsing, shopping and chatting with local vendors. This Sunday, the Islington Storyteller explored the growing community of London markets by sitting down with several vendors to find out what makes their products unique.
Meet doughnut dealers
New to Islington, Doughnut Dealers are taking the market by storm with some delectable brioche doughnuts that’ll make your Sunday that much sweeter. The smells of salted caramel, chocolate and biscoff ooze out of the Donut confections with the custom-made fillings and toppings. Toppings include caramel slices, brownies and cookie crumbs. A caramel lover myself, I tried the Cornish caramel sea salted doughnut and was awed – definitely recommend.
“I tried a lot of doughnuts in London but nothing really filled this void of a brioche doughnut” –
Matt, co-founder of Doughnut dealers
Over a doughnut, the co-owner of Donut Dealers, Matt, shared their story. Having only started the business in January 2023, they are new in the farmers market business. Prior to the doughnut adventure, Matt was a chef at a high-end restaurant. Having spotted a gap in the market for high-quality doughnuts, Matt and his partner Sofia started a venture focused on artisan Australian and Cornish brioche doughnuts, carefully crafting each doughnut, filling and topping. When I asked how they are liking Chapel Market, Matt was very positive about the experience and community spirit among vendors and customers alike. All in all, these doughnuts are a true creation and have decidedly become my favourite sweet treat at Chapel Market. Try them out and tell us what you thought!
You can find Doughnut Dealers on Instagram @doughnutdealersuk
Meet Backyard Apiary Bees
Started by Arune and Raimondas, Backyard Apiary Bees is a small business from Swanley specialising in natural wildflower honey. The owners are third-generation beekeepers and started in 2018 with just one hive. This passing project expanded to include 12 hives and counting as the founders’ ambition for producing quality honey has grown.
At their stall in Chapel Market, I sampled 3 kinds of honey, including runny natural wildflower honey, crystallised honey and machine-whisked crystallised honey. The signature runny natural wildflower honey is attractively priced at £10 and provides a natural sweetness ideal for sweet breakfast dishes: pancakes, waffles and cereals. The crystallised honey works as a perfect spread, with its creamy texture adding an extra oomph to a classic toast.
To satisfy my curiosity Arune and Raimondas provided insight into how they craft simple yet top-quality honey. The whole production happens south of London in Swanley Town. The producers ensure that the honey remains unpasteurised, which guarantees that the contents of each honey bottle consist of exactly what the bees have produced: ‘nothing more, nothing less’, as Arune put it. Accompanying the honey production cycle, Backyard Apiary Bees also produce hand-rolled beeswax candles and propolis tincture.
Arune and Raimondas were very energetic when talking about their experience at Chapel Market. They only started here in September 2022 and are loving the ‘friendly, inclusive and vibrant community’ over here. If you are on a the lookout for some quality honey or if you are just curious to learn more about how it’s made, definitely pass by Backyard Apiary Bees and say hello!
You can find more about the business on Instagram @missg_honeybees or on Facebook over here @Backyardapiarybees
The second par of this article will highlight two more vendors, but for now, take out your reusable shopper and head to Chapel Market for some sweet goodness. Happy Sunday!
Address: Chapel Market, London N1 9PZ
Open: 10am – 2pm on Sundays
Written by Pragya Vijay. Photos by Pragys Vijay, Islington London and courtesy of Backyard Apiary Bees.
