But in London, it suddenly became possible...to an extent at least. Hunting in the countryside with Marco Pierre White would have to wait. But certain other joints featured on the No Reservations London/England episodes were more accessible. And I wasted no time getting started.
My first stop was at the Smithfield meat market in the Farringdon area. An unlikely place to go hunting for breakfast, you would think. But this was not just any breakfast. Ever heard of the Full English Breakfast?? What I was about to eat (read confront) took the concept a step further.
The Cock Tavern is located in the basement of one part of the Smithfield wholesale meat market and has been an iconic institution in the area for several decades, especially among the butchers working in the market. It's a routine for them to have breakfast with a pint of Guinness early in the morning at the tavern every day after their shift ends. It was on one of the early episodes of No Reservations that I saw Tony eating at the place while chatting with some butchers - their white coats stained with blood.
While the place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has quite a menu, what it's famous for is the Butcher's Breakfast, named after the men in the blood-stained white coats who frequent the place. You can call it a version of the Full English Breakfast. A quick comparison. The English Breakfast has...Bacon, black pudding, fried eggs, grilled tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans and bread. The Butcher's Breakfast has...Black pudding, white pudding, four pieces of steak, devilled kidneys, bacon and fried egg. In short, it's the baap of the English breakfast sans the veggie stuff and loaded with more meat. No wonder the butchers like it.
When I got to the place, I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight for it. However, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the traditional pint of Guinness with it. I knew that was what the butchers did, but hesitated. Drinking in the morning?? Alone?? On my first day in London?? In the end, I opted for the tea. A decision I wouldn't regret. Oh, this is what the breakfast looks like, in case you're wondering.
The meat was top quality and not a surprise considering the place is in the basement of the largest meat market in London. I started nicely and till the halfway point, I was quite happy with myself for having come to the place. But then I started getting full. Sips of tea now and then helped and I finally managed to conquer the mountain of meat. At the end of it though, I felt like keeling over and dozing off.
Thank god I didn't go for the Guinness...:)
