Today the Chip Fiends celebrate International Mushy Pea Day.
There's been a mushy pea stall in Nottingham's Victoria Centre market (off and on) for many years. Several years ago the stall was dubiously known by the moniker of 'The Hot Pea Man'. After that closed, a stall in a different unit was named after Robin Hood. We visited that a couple of times but didn't take to it. Peas were served in small polystyrene cups which gave the place a sense of impermanence. Unsurprisingly this stall didn't last long.
Now Nottingham has 'The Mushy Pea Stall' an altogether better offering. It is housed on the site of the original 'Hot Pea Man' with a long counter lined with bar stools and a couple of tables and chairs. Photos on the wall show images of bygone Nottingham including one of the gymnastic monkey who used to decorate the window of a shoe shop in the city's other shopping centre.
When one of the Fiends visited, the place was doing good business and some regulars were chatting with the owner, the latter of whom commented that she hoped the monkey was now preserved in a museum.
I looked at the menu board. Bowls of peas come small or large and there is mint sauce on the counter for customers to ladle over them.
If you want something to accompany your peas the stall also serves pies with several types of fillings including a veggie tikka variety. They also serve good ol' fashioned faggots, and shellfish. (A seafood stall nearby probably supplies these).
I had a large bowl of peas and a pot of mussels - the latter helping to continue the fishy theme of this blog along with the mushy peas.
The total came to £3.60 and made for a satisfying lunch. The pot of mussels was generously filled and inexpensive when compared to some seaside stalls of similar ilk.
The mushy peas were perfect: good, whole peas in a sauce of some thickness. Not garishly dyed. I was able to keep topping up with mint sauce but wish this had been a little bit thicker, as it was mostly vinegar.
The Mushy Pea Stall is upholding a great tradition and serves comforting food. They have a number 5 hygiene rating, and also sell bags of dried peas for customers to take home and soak for themselves. We hope it stays open for a long time!
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