South East “Shop Local” Feast
I am a big supporter of shopping local, so last week I did all my food shopping in local independents around South East London. No supermarkets or online shopping allowed! Here is how the week went:
Monday — Nunhead
Got off to a naughty but nice start with some super fresh cream and fruit doughnuts from Ayres Bakery. They also had some freshly-baked bread to be had.
Tuesday — East Dulwich
Did a BIG shop at Lordship Lane, which is full of great places to shop local! There is a selection of small retailers selling organic fruit and veg (for example Organic Village Market or SMBS Foods). The Franklins farm shops is also a good one for organics, as well as a huge range of sauces, jams, drinks, meats and cheeses. When it comes to cheese though, The Cheese Block is the place to go! It has all your cheese needs covered and more. I am a big fan of fresh pasta, and so had to stop off at Burro e Salvia - you can watch the fresh pasta making happening in the shop window! Finally, since wine goes so well with cheese, a stop at Toasted was called for.
Wednesday — Crofton Park
Visited one of my favourite local shops, Jones of Brockley. Their vine tomatoes are outstanding - so juicy and aromatic! Loaded up on more fruit and veg (one needs their five a day!) and more fresh bread (one needs this less a day, but one got tempted). Also bagged myself a Snapdragon - Bermondsey-made sausage from Crown & Queue Meats, dry cured with a bit of spice, brandy and currants.
Thursday — Honor Oak Park and Forest Hill
With all the cheese in the fridge (an aromatic fridge, you can imagine), I needed some crackers, relishes and chutneys - The Provender to the rescue!
To mark the (nearly) start of the weekend, I stopped off at Crafty Beer to pick up some of our local finest - The Kernel, Brockley Brewery Ale and Peckham Pills.
Friday — Ladywell
Visited another local favourite, The Larder; their daily deli bar was a treat for lunch and I raided their fridge - more veg, soup and chocolate (good combination?).
Sunday — Herne Hill
Finished off my week of shopping local with a local favourite, Herne Hill Market. There was good hot food to be had and an impressive offering of locally produced goods, but the highlights for me were the bread from Astons Bakehouse and sweet delights from Sweet Carolina.
Sure, this week has not been as convenient as Ocado delivering my weekly shop to my doorstep… However, I have thoroughly enjoyed all my food and drink, not just because of the amazing local flavours, but also because I felt good about helping my local businesses, their employees and the local economy. Let’s all do our bit to support our local!
