Matt and Cat\'s Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide
Newport Street Food Market Newport Street Food Market
We’ve worked in Newport for years. Years and years. We’ve seen them come and we’ve seen some of them go. Island Images, Mill Bay... Newport Street Food Market

We’ve worked in Newport for years. Years and years. We’ve seen them come and we’ve seen some of them go. Island Images, Mill Bay II, House of Legends, El Patron – all gone. The Farmer’s Market prevails but the alternative Country Market or, as it became known colloquially – the ‘People’s Front of Judea‘ market – furled up its stalls one last time a while back.

This is not to say that there isn’t a thriving lunchtime trade in Newport. There are plenty of workers looking for somewhere to eat, meet and step away from the corporate coal face for their regulation half an hour. We’re habitual patrons of One Holyrood‘s secret garden, the cake-tastic Skintrade Coffee Room and bunny chow purveyor Blue Door Cafe.

Now there’s a new kid on the block – the Real I Love Wight Food Market. Established in Brading, the market is home to food stalls curated by its organisers, Sarah Truckel and Tamara Purves. It was in Brading we discovered the delights of Dumpling Dumpling, Slab Fudge and the Vegan Boys.

As part of ambitious plans to show off Newport Harbour as a vibrant, thriving community, the council has teamed up with Real I Love Wight to bring the Brading experience to Newport. Naysayers might suggest that this is a attempt to create something where there was nothing; if the council really wants to support enterprising local food producers, perhaps some of that regeneration money could have been injected into the established Friday market in St Thomas Square. But the area around the Minster isn’t on the prospectus.

We were more than happy to pop along for the street food market’s inaugural event – particularly as there was a promise of Chinese dumplings and local seafood.

The weather gods smiled down on the first Real Isle of Wight street food market in its new weekly location, up near Jubilee Stores on the banks of the Medina. With blue skies, and plenty of punters (some of whom were lured there with discount vouchers) we were delighted to see our favourites from Brading.

Salty Willy’s Fish Shack was the main attraction for us; we can’t get enough of their freshly-caught and prepared fast fish. Cat, as ever, had a skinless sea bass fillet on a bed of tomatoes, mixed rocket and lamb’s lettuce drizzled with Garlic Farm garlic pesto dressing. It really is fantastic stuff. If you fancy more of a tongue-tingler, try their spicy Cajun prawns. Matt put his hand up for chowder, imaginatively served in a hollowed-out loaf. This warming, hearty stew of smoked haddock and bacon was a great bit of proper street food. Matt loved scooping the creamy stew out with bits of bread torn from the loaf.

Although Salty Willy’s has halloumi, plus its tasty potato cubes as part of its meat-free offering, if you want to go full-on vegan then the next stall along, Souporium, was selling its plant-based soups. On today’s menu was Thai roasted cauliflower; the spoonful that Cat tasted had an encouraging kick to it.

Further along the quayside was Dumpling Dumpling, with a satisfyingly-eager queue of folks keen to try these cute dumplings. There were six flavours to choose from, including the popular hoisin not duck, and a new one to us – the Goan seafood dumpling which we hear was extremely tasty. Alas we left it too late to get a dessert dumpling so Cat satisfied our need for something sweet with a couple of packets of Slab fudge, both limited editions – ‘Stracciatella’: smooth creamy fudge with rich chocolate pieces and ‘Tiger Butter’: peanut butter fudge with chocolate caramel fudge pieces and peanuts.

The last stall we visited was the clever Break Lever; serving pedal-ground coffee and other hot drinks. As we sat with our beverages, overlooking the harbour we considered the market’s future. On a sunny late summer’s afternoon it was a great spot to have a sociable lunch with a decent variety of food – and more stalls to come, we hear, as it develops.

Whether visitors will be so keen to step so far away from the town centre on less clement days remains to be seen. Perhaps the market could take advantage of the existing shelter under the flyover while the little bridge by Quay Arts is out of commission? It would be considerably nearer the town, in closer proximity to the toilet facilities at Riverside and be more conspicuous to those perambulating down Quay Street or along Sea Street. Whether or not a slight change of location will fit in with Newport Harbour regeneration objectives is not for us to say. But Newport’s town centre needs to do what it can to mitigate the arrival of Asda (paradoxically a project supported by the same council that trumpets the food market as a way of “supporting local, independent businesses”).

We’re going to leave all this strategic chat-chat to the politicians. We’re down for the food and we say that the market is well worth the stroll. After all, who doesn’t love a taste of Salty Willy’s?

The Real Isle of Wight street food market is every Friday at Newport Harbour.

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  • patrick says:

    So pleased to learn that Salty Willys is a regular fixture at this market. Stumbled across them at Adgestone Vineyard today, and sampled their superb moqueca. Look forward to catching up with them in Newport one of these fine days…

  • Rob says:

    My visit to the Street Food Market was an enjoyable experience, however, the noise of the generator did affect my enjoyment somewhat, I didn’t see the need for the generator with the electric sockets nearby!

    I understand why you made your comment ” Perhaps the market could take advantage of the existing shelter under the flyover” evidently you are not aware of the fact that the harbour basin for want of a better description is an acoustic hell hole and sounds made can be a nuisance to nearby residents and therefore interfere with their enjoyment.

    It’s good to see new enterprises in Newport in particular in the harbour , however, I would encourage them to site themselves in the St Thomas square for the time being alongside the farmers market, I believe such a move would be good for both the food market and the farmers market and if the time should come where Newport harbour is regenerated perhaps they could all move to the harbour. Not so long ago people used to visit the market on the Coppins bridge car park which is a similar distance from the high street as Newport Harbour………..Just my thoughts….Congrats to you both for all your revues I find them most informative besides having enjoyed some good dining thanks to you guys.

    • Matt and Cat says:

      Hi Rob, thanks for your comment. We agree that Newport would benefit from the food market being centrally located but the harbour is the focus of regeneration and so that’s where the council wants it to be. Only this week someone suggested to us that there could be an undercover pop-up market in the old BHS. It would certainly be an all-weather attraction and make use of that big empty space up the top of town. Wherever it is, we’re delighted that the Island is getting with the street food thang via the good work of the Real I Love Wight market. We’re glad you enjoy our reviews. M&C

      • patrick says:

        I note the market has indeed now moved under the dual carriageway bridge! interesting too that the “great and the good” in local life are making a point of being seen there….. much as happens at similar ventures on the larger island to the north…

  • patrick says:

    Yes, wouldn’t Quay Street itself be a great location for things like this, were it not for the all-pervasive needs of the internal combustion engine…?

  • Jason says:

    I used to live in the flat opposite your lead image. Newport Harbour is an opportunity waiting to happen – there’s the Quay Arts, The Bargeman’s and the flats on the ‘wrong’ side and nothing happening on the East Side. It could literally change the face of Newport if they get it right – Quay St would come to life again!

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