Kappacasein Dairy

Two lines form at this corner stall, and which one you join depends entirely on whether you want your cheese between bread or scraped over potatoes. It is a deceptively simple operation for a business that has become one of Borough Market’s heaviest hitters, serving a menu that rarely deviates from its two core items. On one side, heavy irons press down on sourdough stuffed with shredded Montgomery’s Cheddar, leeks, and onions. On the other, semi-circles of cheese sit under heating elements until the rind bubbles and the paste slides off in a molten sheet over boiled new potatoes and gherkins. While the stall is pure theater – steam rising, irons clanging, orders shouted over the market din – the production behind it is serious. Founder Bill Oglethorpe, an alumnus of Neal’s Yard Dairy, produces the raclette cheese – known as Ogleshield – himself in a railway arch in nearby Bermondsey. The operation uses organic milk from a single herd in Kent, trucked into the city and processed in a century-old copper vat, bringing a specific Alpine methodology to South London. Getting served usually involves a wait. The queues can stretch for twenty minutes or more during the lunch rush, winding back into the general market traffic. There is no seating to speak of, just a few high standing tables that are usually claimed instantly. Most people simply take their cardboard trays and find a spot on the curb or lean against a nearby pillar to eat while the cheese is still hot.