Brindisa

I found Brindisa while wandering around Borough Market soaking up the atmosphere on a Friday afternoon and absent-mindedly picking treats to take with me on a visit to see my boyfriend. I went into their dark shop out of curiosity and found two men stood at a counter in one corner carving paper-thin slices of cured meat from large joints in metal stands. They kindly offered me samples of various cures, explaining the different flavours and tastes. It was something of an awakening for me as I fell in love with the sweet, woody flavours and soft textures. Of course, I then had to buy some - 50g of their Teruel ham (£3.50). We devoured it only a day (and one hundred miles or so) later with fresh, sweet tomatoes and plenty of salt and pepper. Divine!