Eataly lands in London
Eataly, the chain of markets that has more than 40 stores around the world, has landed for the first time in the United Kingdom to open the largest Italian market in the country in the British capital with an area of almost 4,000 square meters and two floors dedicated exclusively to Italian cuisine.
After opening in more than 40 cities such as Los Angeles, Moscow and Sao Paulo, the company set a new destination and at the end of April it opened an Eataly in the heart of London, specifically at 135 Bishopgate, next to Liverpool Street Station and Spitalfield Market.
A little (big) slice of Italy in the heart of London
Oscar Farinetti, founder of Eataly, says that the Borough market inspired him to create the brand concept, whose philosophy is to build a space where you can eat, shop and learn, all in the same place. It is “a space where craftsmanship, flavor and traditions of Italian cuisine are celebrated” Farinetti explains.
'La Via del Dolce' welcomes the visitor with a walk of lights with more than 5,000 colored bulbs that recreate the typical facilities of the cities of southern Italy and that began as a tradition in Salento in the 16th century. Here you can buy all kinds of sweets and cookies, artisan ice cream and coffee.
'La Via del Dolce' welcomes visitors with a walk of lights with more than 5,000 colored bulbs
The next stop is the fresh pasta stall where you can buy pappardelle, tonnarelli and ravioli and they can prepare you to eat or take home.
Nor is there missing pizza and bread oven that they prepare every day in full view of the public.
At the fresh pasta stand you can buy pappardelle, tonnarelli and ravioli (to drink or take away)
PLACE OF PILGRIMAGE FOR ITALIANS
The day we visited Eataly, we could see many Italians browsing the aisles of the market. and buying products that they cannot find elsewhere.
Barbara has been in the UK for 18 years and we meet her on the second floor in the cold cuts section where she has made a copious purchase. “There are many things that I miss that are not found in English supermarkets. They don't have a variety of meats, sausages and cheeses”, says Bárbara, who has come from Essex just to buy in the market and that she goes to the stall where they prepare fresh mozzarella at the moment.
The Italian gourmet market lands in London
Next to the delicatessen is 'La Macelleria', where the butcher prepares the best cuts of veal and pork products with the seal of La Granda, an association of Italian farmers that ensures they raise their animals in the most ecological way possible and with high standards of sustainability.
Giuseppe and Alessandro are two friends who have also approached Eataly to see what items they could buy and were surprised to find products that even in Italy are rare to see, such as the 120-month-old parmigianino, whose price reaches 36 euros for 250 grams.
WINES AND BEERS WITH ITALIAN LABEL
The market has the largest selection of Italian wines in the UK with over 2,000 labels. One of the broths that stand out is Il Frappato , an organic and biodynamic red wine produced by Arianna Occhipinti in Sicily.
In one of the corridors of Il Vino, Marianna is reading several wine bottle labels. This Italian from Rome affirms that with Brexit it is more difficult for her to obtain products from her country and that, although “there are some things for tourists such as tricolor pasta that we do not have in Italy, I like the great selection of products, especially the wines and craft beers that are not so easy to find in London”.
Next to the wines there are several shelves with craft beers, such as Birra Baladin's Nazionale, showing the stamp of 'Artigianale da Filiera Agricola' , a distinction that has been created to indicate that products bearing this label have been produced with at least 51% Italian agricultural products.
The Terrace of Eataly
APEROL, APPETIZER AND WINE TASTING
Apart from the market, Eataly has several restaurants such as 'La Terraza di Eataly', that has been inspired by the terraces of Italy in summer with a menu of tapas and Aperol; the 'Central Bar' that worships appetizers with a bar where you can sit while the waiter prepares you a Negroni; 'the market kitchen' who cooks food directly from the market's butcher, fishmonger and greengrocer and 'Terra', a wood-fired grill that has not yet opened its doors.
Market Kitchen
In its philosophy of "eat, buy and learn" all in one place, it could not miss 'La Scuola', a space where they teach classes to learn how to make traditional dishes of Italian cuisine accompanied by a wine pairing. They also offer classes for the little ones in the house and the option of reserving the site for private events.
the school
Address: 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3YD, United Kingdom View Map
Telephone: +442045380271
Schedule: Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.