The English Market has been selling food to Corkonians since 1788. It was called the English Market to distinguish it from the nearby Irish Market (now gone). The covered market itself is stunning with a gabled roof, archways, and stained glass.
The market has been renovated several times over the centuries including a restoration after a fire in 1980.
Many of the vendors inside have been selling at the English Market for generations. You’ll not only find fruit and veg., but a large number of stalls feature food producers who make chocolate, cheese, bread, and sweets.
There’s also restaurants in the English Market. My favorite, far and away, is My Goodness. This amazing vegan restaurant is ironically squeezed between several meat butchers in the back of the market.
Virginia O’Gara, an anarchist and punk rocker from Texas, and her husband Donal, are the duo behind My Goodness. It seems that their team makes everything on the menu from scratch. That includes fermenting the kimchi and kombucha. They also make tasty raw desserts. To hear more about Virginia’s fascinating story, listen to her on the this episode of the Destination Eat Drink podcast.
Their best dish might be the vegan Notchos. They top tortilla chips with black beans and tempeh chipotle chili, kimchi pico, vegan sour cream, and the most delicious vegan nacho cheese I’ve ever tasted. A-Maze-Ing!
Several stores in Cork and Dublin stock some of their products as well.
One great way to spend the morning is to shop at the English Market for a picnic. Start by picking up some organic sourdough or Irish soda bread at The Alternative Bread Company. Then, maybe some vegan cheese and fruit at The Good Shop. Grab a raw wrap with Kombucha vinaigrette or vegan nachos from My Goodness. Add a couple truffles from The Chocolate Shop and a bottle of wine from Bubble Brothers. Now you’ve got a picnic!
You can walk a few steps to the Bishop Lucey Park or trek a mile to Fitzgerald’s Park to enjoy your haul.
About the Author
Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides to Dublin, Galway and Cork. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.
