The Project

Few shops have ever left me truly in enough awe to change my tastes on a condiment. One such shop is Colman’s Mustard shop.

The Mustard Shop is situated in the Royal Arcade, next to Langley’s, and, from the outside, looks deceptively ordinary; simply a purveyor of mustard products. However, you have but to walk though arcane doors to leave the grey, uninspiring twenty-first century and enter the past. Which period it’s not clear, but Britain certainly runs this spicy, yellow, world that’s for bally well sure, and this shop doesn’t just sell imperialist nostalgia. Over half the shop has a full range of every possible condiment known to man, stacked wall to wall in either preserved, jellified, or powdered form.

This being Colman’s, mustard is, of course, the main feature. There is a large and comprehensive collection of every mustard known to man, and - being the iconic brand that Colman’s is – you can not only buy full, heavy-duty tins of mustard, but also said tins half empty and for a quarter of the price (for those of you who are fans of nostalgia.)

As you can guess, my focus isn’t on the quality of mustard seeds, but more the surroundings in which Norwich’s favourite condimental child are celebrated. The walls are covered in a history of mustard, cupboards containing old mustard tins, and large posters declaring Colman’s’ part in obtaining and maintaining the empire. This may not necessarily be a good reason to begin eating mustard, but it is definitely a reason to loiter around their counter.

15 Royal Arcade
Norwich
NR2 1NQ
(01603) 627889

MATT TAYLOR
OPINIONS EDITOR