Savage Salads
It’s that time of year again. The days are shorter. The winter coats are emerging from the back of the closets. The Christmas ad campaigns are starting to do their rounds (controversy alert – I’m not a fan of the John Lewis ad this year). So what I’m about to recommend might seem a tad strange… I want to talk salad.
That’s right, refreshing, light, wholesome salad. The sort of thing you enjoy to eat on a warm summer’s day. Not something to be even considered as we speed towards winter solstice and the first anticipated snowflakes of the season.
However this is no regular salad. This is Savage Salads…
Savage Salads is a market stall based on Berwick Street market in Soho. It’s a small black tent usually staffed by three people. Nothing special there but there are several clues that make it stand out…
The first clue is the queue. WHO QUEUES FOR SALAD?! You may see other queues around Berwick St market, waiting for burritos, thai or falafel (which is a must try) but none of them even come close to the hordes that wait patiently at Savage Salads.
The second clue is the smell. As you wait to be served (I’ve waited 10-mins before), you are hit in the face by an incredibly addictive aroma of chicken marinated in garlic & thyme and halloumi in herbs.
As you get closer to the front, the third clue is the colour. Four big bowls which contain beautifully arranged salads, of different textures and ingredients, ranging from beetroot and bulgur wheat through to lentils or red cabbage and raisins.
The fourth and last clue is the weight. When you hand over your £5 you receive your box of salad with freshly cooked chicken or halloumi (or both) and a couple of warm pieces of pitta bread. The first thing you notice is a substantial weight in the box and this provides hope that you won’t be hungry for the rest of the afternoon.
Trust me when I tell you that this is worth the trudge in winter to sample. However I must warn you that the only day they can be relied upon to be at Berwick St is Friday, apart from that it’s pot luck.