Today was the day that Nottingham has been waiting for and at lunchtime I dashed through the busy streets to hopefully satisfy my appetite for this city's signature dish. Either my idea of lunchtime is different from the rest of Nottingham but it was empty when I arrived although a respectable amount of people trickled in while I was there. Maybe the timing is slightly off kilter because a Monday isn't the ideal time to launch something (I would imagine) but given as it is the school holidays at the moment why weren't more families in there? There is probably a generation or two that don't know the pleasure of a bowl of mushy peas and mint sauce taken as a meal. Local schools should be organising lunchtime visits with schoolchildren, possibly as part of a project on local history. What The Mushy Pea Stall needs is an elaborate opening ceremony, the ideas were buzzing around my head all afternoon and I have emailed the owner to pitch a little shindig to put mushy peas back on the local culinary map.

As for the place itself, it is like stepping back a few years to when a pea stall occupied the very same spot. We have (as a city) missed the stall and despite an attempt a few years ago there hasn't been a permanent purveyor of mushy peas since and we have had to wait for Goose Fair to set up to satisfy our appetite. Unfortunately the delightful bowl of peas with mint sauce ladelled on possibly isn't quite enough these days so they do offer a range of pies and pasties and of course selected drinks to wash it down. I can't remember if the original stall had a slightly more extensive menu but one of the most convenient things about the stall at Goose Fair (by which I mean the 'proper' one) is that mushy peas are all they do so you can simply ask for "two please" or whatever. 

I ordered a simple bowl of peas for my lunch and sat down to enjoy it. Served in a china bowl rather than the polystyrene cup used at the fair, it was like eating a little bit of heaven. For only £1.20 you get a large helping of peas that is quite enough for a lunch. I will be there on Saturday so I am expecting to have to queue for a while.

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