General Information About Crawford Market Mumbai:

• Location: North of Victoria Terminus in South Mumbai
• Attractions: Architectural splendor
• Specialty: Wholesale fruit, vegetable and poultry market
• Best Time to Visit: Early on in the day
• Official Name: Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market
• Founded In: 1871

Crowford Market Timings :

Market is open from Monday to Saturday from 11:00 am till 8:00 pm and best timings to visit here is Morning and early evening at about 3:30 – 4:00 pm.

More Information About Crawford Market Mumbai:

Crawford Market was the main wholesale market of the former city of Bombay till 1966, when it was shifted to Navi Mumbai. The market is spread in an area of around 72000 sq yards and is famous for its architecture, which is a blend of Norman and Flemish architectural styles. The impressive frieze on the main entrance is a treat for the eyes and depicts Indian Peasants in wheat fields. It was designed by Lockwood Kipling, father of the famous novelist Rudyard Kipling. The place is so designed that it receives ample sunlight during the day. Crawford Market is situated to the north of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus of Mumbai. It lies just opposite the headquarters of Mumbai Police. Officially known as Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market, Crawford Market is counted amongst the popular shopping areas of the city. The market has been named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of Bombay. It houses wholesale fruit, vegetable and poultry market, along with a pet store. If you want to buy imported food items in Mumbai, Crawford Market is the place to be. Crawford Market is one of the prominent markets of Mumbai. It is located in South Mumbai, to the north of Victoria railway station and opposite the Police headquarters. The market is called so, after the City’s Municipal Commissioner Arthur Crawford. Though it is now officially known as the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market, it is still popular by its former name. The construction of the market building was completed in 1869. One of the main features of the building is the Clock Tower, which is adorned with beautiful Victorian carvings. It was built in the year 1871, as per the design of William Emerson. When completed, the building was donated to Mumbai by Cowasji Jehangir. In 1882, the market was lit by electricity, becoming the first market in India to receive electricity. The name of the market was changed officially to ‘Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market’, after India’s independence. Crawford Market has been built as per the Norman and Gothic style of architecture. At a height of 50 feet above its ground is a skylight awning, which brings sunlight into the market. The exteriors of Crawford Market stand adorned with wall paintings, which depict the images of Indian farmers in wheat fields. On the inside, one finds the stone fountains designed by Lockwood Kipling, father of the acclaimed novelist – Rudyard Kipling. Spread over an area of approximately 22,471 sq m (24,000 sq ft), Crawford Market has been constructed out of coarse buff-colored Kurla stone and red-stone from Bassein. Nestled between the British fort and the local town, this market is the perfect place to buy food items. A few helpful tips when shopping in this market. (1)Carry cash. And carry more cash than you think you will need, because you inevitably end up finding more than you thought you needed. (2)Get there by 9am or earlier—that’s when the trucks offload fresh stock. (3)Do a random check of the products, especially when you buy them in bulk. If you are not careful, you might end up with a bad apple. (4)Carry a big shopping bag. Nothing is more annoying than juggling multiple bags in the crowded market. If you’re going to be shopping a lot, you can hire a coolie for his services. The fresh fruit section stretches from near the entrance to the right end of the building, and beyond. There are dozens of stalls selling every imaginable kind of fruit (including a few you may not have heard of) but there is little difference in selection from stall to stall, meaning that one stand is as good as the next. Lesser known fruits include the bel fruit (an oversized pear with a tough skin that resembles a musk melon), mangosteen, rambutan (the scary looking fruit from the lychee family), dragon fruit and rose apples.

Mumbai/Bombay offers an exciting shopping experience for all those who love to splurge. Among the most vibrant markets in the city that jostles with life and enthusiasm, is Crawford market situated on the North of Victoria terminus in South Mumbai. Crawford market is famous for its wholesale fruits, fresh vegetables and poultry market. Apart from this, Crawford market is a shopper’s paradise. The market place is seen loaded with piles of fresh fruits and vegetables, the fragrance of which can be smelled from a distance. Besides, one can also grab some fresh cheese and chocolate here, to pamper his taste buds. Moreover, it is also known for its meat and poultry stalls, which provide a wide variety to the customers at reasonable rates. Thus, Crawford market is a must visit place on your trip to Mumbai, the city of dreams. Built in 1871, Crawford market is also known as Jyotiba Phule Market and more than just a wholesale market dealing with food items. You can marvel the grand architecture of this covered market that has a striking colonial imprint to it. The market is nestled between the British fort and the local town. Depicting a fusion of both Flemish and Norman architecture, Crawford market has a bas relief portraying Indian peasants in wheat field just above the main entrance. During vacations and Festival times this market is highly crowded and parking near Crawford marked is really hard. This Building is also one of the Oldest of its time since Britishers rule and has a beautiful architecture. Till 1996 its use to the only wholesale market of Mumbai, Then the wholesale market shifted to Navi Mumbai. The place inside is divided into sections for fruits, vegetables, Dry fruits and Nuts shop sold in wholesale rates. At read end of market one can also find imported cheese and chocolate section. Everything from fruits and vegetable to small big party stuff like candles, children caps, snow spray, balloons, sweets, chocolates , biscuits, bakery products, etc is found here. One also gets varieties of imported toys for children. One should always do bargain to get best deals, although items are already at discounted rate here. With an aura of Victorian London, Crawford market owes its name to Arthur Crawford, Bombay’s first Municipal Commissioner. The market exhibits mountains of fruit and fresh vegetables that are sold here at wholesale rates, you can also get fresh meat at the poultry section nearing to the Crawford market. There are certain stalls that sell smuggled cheese and chocolate. The market is in the center of a whole network of lanes where you can pick up almost anything.Here is the list and address of all shops by categories.

Fresh Vegetables shop in Crawford Market Mumbai:

Jyoti Agriculture, Shop No. 172

Known for its fresh produce, this shop stocks jalapeño peppers (you can make your own jar of pickled jalapeños instead of buying it off the shelf). On a subsequent visit, I found some vibrant baby English carrots.

Trikaya Agriculture, Shop No. 180

Trikaya Agriculture is known throughout the city for its fresh, exotic produce, which is more affordably priced here than if bought from the supermarket. You might not get everything on their list in one visit, but you will not be disappointed by what you find. On one of my visits, I found kohlrabi, seedless limes, radicchio lettuce, broccoli sprouts and fresh herbs. On another visit I found garlic scapes (green garlic stalks), endive lettuce and the fattest lemongrass stalks.

Poultry and Meat shop in Crawford Market Mumbai:

Halal chicken and frozen meats are sold at the rear end of the building. To buy mutton, you need to walk to the next building all the way to the back.

Cheese shop in Crawford Market Mumbai:

VK Stores, Shop No. 467

This store stocks a wide array of products, cheese being one of them. Buy camembert, brie, Philadelphia cream cheese (for cheesecake brownies), mascarpone and ricotta at discounted prices here.

Baking Equipment shop in Crawford Market Mumbai:

Arife, Shop No. 556

Arife La Moulde is the destination for bakers. They stock cake moulds, bread moulds, Wilton food colour, chocolate moulds, non-stick baking pans, tart pans, measuring cups and spoons, cake turn tables, silicone baking moulds, cookie cutters, chocolate cutters, palate knives, chocolate-making equipment, sugar craft tools, cream horn moulds, doughnut cutters, springform pans (usually used for cheesecakes), jelly and kulfi moulds. The silicone cupcake moulds are available in vibrant colours, much like the Wilton ones, but at a fraction of the cost (Rs150 for six moulds). They even have cake moulds in various shapes (birds, cars, houses, etc). In addition to equipment, they stock sprinkles, colourful sugar crystals and sugar flowers. They keep adding new items to their product offerings so you should ask them about their latest stock when you visit. Although baking equipment is their forté, they also have candle-making equipment. Arife has branches in Bandra (opposite Shoppers Stop, Linking Road) and Andheri West (shop no. 17, opposite the railway station).

Packing and Storing and Serving in Crawford Market Mumbai:

Patel Stores, Shop No. 539

Cling film, disposable boxes, foil containers, pretty tissue papers in bright colours, kitchen rolls and everything in between to keep your kitchen neat and organised. They also have paper doilies in different sizes, disposable plates, spoons and other party supplies.

Pantry Shop Crawford Market Mumbai:

Uncle’s Shop, No. 349

Uncle’s Shop sells an array of ingredients—dried cranberries and blueberries (although these show up sporadically at the store), Japanese ingredients like mirin, shiitake mushrooms, dashi powder, panko (Japanese bread crumbs), and sushi rice. Their Mexican ingredient offerings include tortilla chips, tacos, nachos, fajita and enchilada seasoning and refried beans.

Gloria Store Shop, No. 210

In addition to Goan dessert bebinca, they have an assorted range of chilli sauces, jellied cranberries, Kikkoman soy sauces and Tahini paste (good for hummus or marinated eggplant).

Neelam Stores, Shop No. 445

This store stocks all the regular Bluebird products—baking powder, icing sugar, corn starch, kulfi mixes and whipped cream powder. Look at Bluebird’s entire range of products here.

Victory Stores, Shop No. 448/449

Dried rosemary, thyme and spices are sold in small unbranded packages. They have canned goods aplenty, pastas, Nutella and a lot of everyday grocery items and regular imported foods.

Biscuitwala and Sons, Shop No. 482

You could easily cross this nondescript store without a second glance (okay, maybe one just for the name). But looking beyond the mundane pasta, rice noodles, artichoke hearts and tomato paste, you will find exotic Turkish oregano, wild rice, and a lot, lot more. I bumped into the purchasing guy from Asian restaurant Busaba who told me that they buy a whole lot of things for the restaurant from here. Other products on offer: wasabi paste, bamboo shoots, Jamaican Jerk seasoning, Spanish paprika, vine leaves, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They even have Grandma’s molasses, Morton Kosher salt (at a whopping Rs4,000), Kirkland steak seasoning, black bean seeds, nori sheets, wasabi, sushi ginger and a lot more.

Royal Dry Fruit, Shop No. 538

Following Royal Dry Fruit’s success, many others have tried to incorporate the word “royal” in their name. So make sure that you’re indeed at Shop No. 538. You can trust Royal Dry Fruit for their freshness and quality. They even have shelled pine nuts (perfect for making pesto sauce), as well as Delhi sooth (dried ginger), candied mango, American pecans and macadamia nuts.

Continental Stores, Shop No. 537

This shop stocks excellent instant yeast. There are many advantages of instant yeast over fresh or even active dry yeast, most notably that a half kilogram vacuum-packed package of Prime instant yeast will last you a very long time (about a year compared to 15 days for fresh yeast). They also stock cake gels and essences.

Near Places or market to Crawford Market Mumbai:

Saria Steel Depot, 26, Lohar Chawl (2-minute walk from Crawford Market)

Don’t be fooled by what meets the eye at this poky store that sells kitchen supplies. Aliasgar Saria, the third generation owner of Saria Steel, brings in equipment from all over the world and stocks them across seven store houses in the city. From regular knives costing Rs50 each to top-of-the-line Rs20,000 F. Dick Knives, Saria claims that 80 per cent of the restaurants in Mumbai have purchased equipment from him. They also have bamboo steamers, fondue pots, sizzler platters, pizza screens, Pardini thick-bottomed pans, non-stick baking mats, piping tips, cake stands, barbeque sets and copper satay grill. A word of caution: everything may not be available at the store at all times, so call before you visit (2208 2314)

Mirchi Galli in Crawford Market Mumbai:

Walking distance from Crawford Market toward Jama Masjid, Mirchi Galli, as the name implies, is something of a spice market. You can find dried ginger, turmeric and dried raw whole  mango that you can freshly grind as you need. That said, the whole lane isn’t filled with spice shops; there are just a handful of them. The two shops worth a visit are:

Shah Gabharubhai Uttamchand & Co. in Crawford Market Mumbai:

In addition to everyday spices, they also stock cinnamon quills, Kashmiri garlic (also known as snow mountain garlic) and whole dried mango (amchur). A lesser known spice I came across, pipramul or ganthola, is often used as part of Gujarati garam masala mix. They also sell an assortment of mukhwas (after dinner mint), cucumber seeds and pumpkin seeds at a much lower price (Rs400/kg) as compared to what you might pay at supermarkets.

Namdev Jagannath Supariwala in Crawford Market Mumbai:

As the name suggests, this is a place for betel nuts. The folks at Namdev Jagannath hand slice betel nuts every other day, so you know you’re only getting your hands on the freshest stuff. They also stock a variety of spices, similar to the ones found at Shah Gabarubhai Uttamchand.

Shaheen Peerbhai is the author of the popular food blog The Purple Foodie, and loves writing, photography, baking and the colour purple.

How to Reach Crawford Market Mumbai:

One can easily reach Crawford Market by boarding buses or trains, or by hiring autos or taxis from the city.Board a local or get an auto or taxi to the Victoria Terminus.Crawford market is Very near to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and can be reached in walking distance, Still if you traveling via Western Railway, Nearest station is ‘Marine Lines’ and Then 5 to 10 minutes distance via Taxi (cab).