Jellied Eel 24pp A4 AW:Layout 1
Transcription
Jellied Eel 24pp A4 AW:Layout 1
SPONSORED BY ISSUE 2028/09 0 WINTER 2 FREE London’s new look! Campaign launched to create 2012 food growing spaces by 2012 Rosie Boycott talks on life as the Mayor’s food adviser A ROUTEMASTER TAKES ROOT * BUDGENS GOES LOCAL * LONDON IS FAIRTRADE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD Say hello to the jellied eel... Welcome one, welcome all, to the Jellied Eel. For many of you this will be the first time you have set eyes on this publication. So it might be worth a little explanation as to why we are writing about cafes like the Rootmaster off Brick Lane (p12) or campaigning for 2012 new growing spaces in London (p4). Well, much of this will be answered in the articles themselves but, collectively, the stories you’ll read between here and page 23 are about people who are passionate about food. Not just any old food, but food that says something meaningful about the places it has been grown or harvested; the people who are cooking it or selling it. That’s why we focus on small distinctive producers, shops, and projects which aren’t just out to make money – important though that is these days. These people manage to make money whilst also giving a damn about the environmental and social impact of what they are doing. For us at the Eel, this is what sustainable and ethical food is all about, and we’re here to showcase the best that’s around in London - and boy have we had a hard job fitting it all in this issue! Now it is just a statement of fact. Against a backdrop of a well-documented threat to the world’s climate, and massive problems that are crippling our health service, now, more than ever, we need to think about how we feed ourselves. And once we’ve thought about it – we must act on it! Bulletin 04 London Food Link 06 Around Town 07 A Rosier Vision of London 08 Local to London: Spreading the Love to London 10 Anyone can take action to help influence which direction this city takes; individuals, businesses or government. If you are someone who cares about these issues, this magazine is here to help you navigate your way through the minefield. No-one gets it right all the time, and there isn’t such thing as 100 percent sustainable – the important thing is to do what you can. On The Menu: Rootmaster 12 In Print: The London Cook Book 15 Member Feature: Chiswick Local Produce 17 Shop Window: Thornton’s Budgens 18 Allotment Slot: Allot of Hope 20 Borough Market 21 Diary 23 We hope you enjoy what you read, and that you hunt out the next issue, which will be out in February. For a list of stockists visit our website: www.londonfoodlink.org Alternatively you can subscribe and receive lots of other benefits (see p6). Maybe the action you take will feature in a future edition! Thanks to the Team Editor: Ben Reynolds Assistant Editor: Lucia Jazayeri Produced and Published: Hand Up Media Director: Tania Pramschufer Director: Katie Williamson Design: Martin Seagar Advertising: Kash Bhattacharya Advertising Design: Patricia Henningsson The Jellied Eel is the free quarterly magazine for sustainable food in london, produced by Hand Up Media and London Food Link. The magazine has a 20,000 circulation, distributed to all London Food Link members, shops and retail outlets, cafes, restaurants, bars, venues. ©Pamela Troni So now you’ve got an idea of what this magazine’s all about. But why now? We believe that we’re reaching a turning point (one of many!) in our society. Banks are collapsing, oil prices are fluctuating wildly, and as a consequence food prices have been rising at unprecedented rates. A year ago, this might have come across as some political rant, or doom-monger’s prediction. TUCK IN! Ben-Editor Disclaimer: Inclusion of information in The Jellied Eel does not imply that the product of service is endorsed by London Food Link or Sustain. Cover image: The Rootmaster bustaurant – see page 12, photo: David Pearson. Advertising & Sponsorship Kash Bhattacharya 0797 100 3132 or 05600 755 015 [email protected] www.handupmedia.co.uk Editorial Enquiries [email protected] 020 7837 1228 www.londonfoodlink.org Distribution Enquiries to stock the Jellied Eel [email protected] 020 7837 1228 Paper stock from sustainable forestry. 02/03 NEW AWARD FOR LONDON’S SUSTAINABLE CATERERS ens Blenheim Gard Space No.1: on ps Sim ©Ben Tajima- ©James O. Jenkins an Amongst m d London’s lable aroun ai av treats season, arkets this farmers m eve House le C ren of Henrik Lindg aking spicy Julkorv m Farm will be stive staple in fe a – es g sa sau his own weden, from S e iv at n s hi Cleeve ed venison. farm-rear t at are presen House Farm ill, H g n ow, Notti Walthamst o c li im P e, and Marylebon arkets. m s er farm ucts. festive prod For other k .org.u see www.lfm GREEN CORN ER AWARD Chiswick Hou se Kitchen Wins Green Corner Award www.kitchen garden.org.u k LONDON FAIRTRADE STATUS On 4 November we launched a new campaign: Capital Growth, that aims to transform our city by creating 2012 new food growing spaces by 2012. Launched by the Mayor Boris Johnson, and Rosie Boycott, his food advisor, Capital Growth will identify suitable pieces of unused land and help community groups begin to grow food on the land, with the support of many key partners across London. In the first phase we are looking for 50 new food growing spaces, representing a diverse range of projects, boroughs, types and sizes of land, and community groups. We will work with local authorities, housing associations and other landowners, making underused land available to interested growers and community groups. Capital Growth can help new spaces with basic set-up costs with a grant of around £1,000 (depending on need). In the longer term, we also run a matchmaking service to link communities with available land. If the next stage of fundraising is successful, we will also support horticultural and enterprise training, and approach other organisations for equipment to donate to the new food growing spaces. Please get involved! Perhaps you are a landowner with a piece of land you would be prepared to make available for community use. Perhaps you already have your eye on a space in London that could be used to grow food, or know of a community who would like access to land for food growing – if so, then get in touch. We’d also be pleased to hear from you if you can help in some other way, perhaps with free or discounted tools, seeds or topsoil, or specialist knowledge on soil remediation, horticultural training or planning. If you would like to get involved, please see the new campaign website at: www.capitalgrowth.org or contact Kate Swatridge ([email protected]) and Seb Mayfield ([email protected]), who are helping to develop the campaign. To receive regular updates on the campaign and related themes, join the Urban Food Growing e-newsletter by sending an email to [email protected] London is now the largest Fairtrade city in the world, and on 23rd October, the city celebrated five years of work towards the distinction with feasts, film screenings, and other festivities. These highlighted the mission of the Fairtrade movement – to support food producers in poor countries who have traditionally been marginalised by the conventional trading system. The declaration is the culmination of a drive launched by former Mayor Ken Livingstone in 2003 and is backed by Mayor Boris Johnson, a keen supporter of Fairtrade. Any town, borough, or county can work towards meeting the distinction by making Fairtrade products readily available in local shops, cafes and community organisations, and by creating a local steering group that meets regularly to ensure commitment to the status. In 2003, Croydon became the first borough to achieve Fairtrade status, and today 20 London boroughs have Fairtrade status, five of which are Olympic boroughs. Almost 1,000 retailers and 600 catering outlets now sell a range of products which carry the famous FAIRTRADE Mark, including the restaurants and bars in the Houses of Parliament. For more information see: www.fairtrade.org.uk ©Irfan Qureshi (L-R) Sophi Tranchell, Chair of the Fairtrade London Steering Group and Director of Divine Chocolate; Ian Clement, Deputy Mayor; Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fairtrade Foundation. OLYMPIC SPONSORS Cadbury’s have been added to McDonalds and Coca Cola as sponsors of the Olympics (deep sigh!) GOING NUTTY! Harry Hill has n launched his ow : Fairtrade nuts the Harry’s Nuts with ion. company Liberat /harry eration.com www.chooselib R Are you a caterer that is taking steps to put sustainable food on the menu? Sustain is sponsoring a new Sustainable Food Category for the prestigious Sustainable City Awards. The City of London Corporation, which has been recognising responsible businesses for the past eight years in categories like sustainable finance, travel, building, and environmental management, has partnered with Sustain to add a ninth category to reflect the growing importance of food in creating a sustainable London. The contest is open to anyone who considers themselves a caterer, including restaurants, school and hospital canteens and events caterers in the greater London area. So any caterer who’s doing their bit for sustainability should apply online by the 5th December at: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/sca These highly respected awards are one of the only six feeder schemes for the European Business Awards for the Environment, meaning that all category winners have the chance of international recognition for their sustainable efforts. The launch of the Sustainable Food category will recognise achievements and establish ambassadors to set standards for new projects and inspire others in the field. Winners will be announced in February and can be seen at www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/sca A garden thrives under a city tunnel as a train shuttles by overhead. A hand-drawn sign in a window reads “Sorry, No Fish.” A furry rabbit hangs by string tied round its feet. The prize-winning entries of the first annual Konstam Food Photography Competition reflect the varied origins of the food we eat. The competition was sponsored by Konstam at the Prince Albert, and head chef Oliver Rowe’s commitment to local food and seasonality formed the theme of the competition. Over 130 entries were received from some 30 photographers. The three winning photographs as well as a gallery of short-listed photographs are available to view on the Konstam website www.konstam.co.uk Over 85 percent of the food used at the Konstam kitchen is grown or reared in and around London. BULLETIN a gallery of short-listed photographs are available to view on the Konstam website: www.konstam.co.uk kie ©Camilla Blac ©Tom Oldham FINDING THE PLOT – GETTING LAND FOR COMMUNITY FOOD GROWING London offers a wealth of spaces for urban agriculture. Yet one of the biggest challenges facing aspiring growers is how to go about finding and securing land. Inspired by conversations at the recent Growing Food for London conference, the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) is holding a series of seminars to look at how groups can successfully find land to start new projects. Initially, by investigating peoples’ experiences, WEN hopes to identify and combat the key barriers to land access. WEN, which supports growing projects in the formerly unused green spaces of the housing estates and school playgrounds in Tower Hamlets, focuses on developing a sense of community among women in the borough. To inform the content of the seminars, WEN would like to hear from lots of new and existing food-growing projects about how they obtained land and any problems they encountered. Please contact Christine Haigh at [email protected] or on 020 7481 9004. ZERO WASTE! Alara Muesli has become the first food manufacturer in the UK to become Zero Waste. They have also put up their first windmill to contribute power to run their Muesli factory in Kings Cross. BEST! TIME OUT’S t me Out’s Bes itchen win Ti K l el ry w go en te rk Cle a new ca Restaurant, Sustainable ng awards. ki rin D d an g of their Eatin , of Cambridge ude the Duke d cl llie in Je up e rs th k ne Run of which stoc ll (a se ou / H n Saf, Acor w.timeout.com ’s Plaice. ww dons Eel), and Tom res/5605/Lon tu ea urants/f l m ht s. london/resta nt ra nable_restau _best_sustai ©James Potter. www.jimpotter.net sage! u a S e iv t s e F stive y special fe 2,012 NEW FOOD GROWING SPACES FOR LONDON KONSTAM FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD MANY THANK S! Thanks to Che gworth Valle y juices (www.chegw orthvalley.co m) who sponsored th e London Food Link network do in September an d Sarah Moore artisan catere rs (www.sarah m oore.co.uk) who fed all th e attendees. 04/05 AROUND TOWN London Food Link London Food Link runs a network of organisations and individuals who care about sustainable food. Our members are as diverse as farmers and food writers, caterers and community food projects. Both London Food Link and its members work towards: > Increasing the availability of sustainable food in London * 50% off hard copies of London Food Link publications, and a free copy of the Bread Street report (normally £10). * Discounted rates on London Food Link events. > Tackling the barriers preventing "Excellent networking- linking up with new access to healthy and sustainable suppliers- generally providing information food for all Londoners on like minded businesses and causes" > Protecting and celebrating London's diverse food culture London Food Link welcomes to its network all that share these aims. Geetie Singh, Duke of Cambridge “London Food Link: fly the flag for local, organic and fair trade food by joining this network of producers, businesses, writers and community groups” The Guardian Food Guide JOIN LONDON FOOD LINK NOW! "I'm a member of London Food Link, a wonderful organisation linking various bodies and people who care about The benefits of membership sustainable food and the environmen of London Food Link include: which I'm extremely passionate about" * Free copy of The Jellied Eel every quarter. Maria Elia, Chef, in Time Out London * One day’s free advice on using sustainable food/suppliers, and a discounted rate thereafter if more advice is needed. * New contacts with and support from other members, with a wide range of expertise, through our twice yearly network meetings. * Influence on London’s policy making processes, through London Food Link’s extensive contacts and policy development experience. JOINING... IT’S EASY To join London Food Link, download a membership form from the website or contact: [email protected] London Food Link members include: Primary Care Trusts, London Boroughs, Business Associations, Retailers, Farmers, Environment and Community Groups, Food Access Partnerships, Allotment Groups and Food Writers. * Access to e-forum with information on news, funding, jobs, events and more on London’s sustainable food scene. * Access to the members’ area: members directory, funding info and back issues of The Jellied Eel. Zeenat Anjari Local to London Officer (Sustainable Wholesale and Supply) [email protected] INTRODUCING CAMDEN’S SUSTAINABLE HEALTHY FOOD PROGRAMME HARINGEY FOOD RICHMOND COOKING OIL Haringey Council is including the subject of food in its strategy to become the city’s ‘Greenest Borough.’ Even after your meal has been digested, the oil it was cooked in lives on. For just over a year, Proper Oils of Richmond Upon Thames has been converting that cooking oil into something much more useful. The organisation collects used cooking oil from over 800 caterers and refines it into highest-quality biodiesel in a factory that was created in an old lorry trailer. The biodiesel is then sold to local businesses. As food prices soar more and more people want to grow their own produce and eat healthily. The Camden Sustainable Healthy Food Programme is a timely response to the current crisis in our food system. Rosie Blackburn Camden Sustainable Food Strategy [email protected] Pamela Brunton Good Food Training For London [email protected] Sustain has been commissioned by Camden PCT, working in partnership with Camden Council, to deliver a Sustainable Food Programme. Together, we want to achieve a healthy, sustainable and fair food system for Camden; implemented by a flourishing network of community groups, businesses and public sector staff; supported by the Council and the PCT. Vanessa Domenzain [email protected] London Food Link Network and Membership Charlotte Jarman Greener Food Officer (Sustainable Catering) [email protected] Seb Mayfield Capital Growth (Urban Food Growing) [email protected] Ben Reynolds Network Director [email protected] Creation of a Camden Sustainable Food Partnership, made up of a committed group of food advocates Targeted training for community organisations and local businesses on sustainable procurement and health and nutrition “We believe that by adding elements of food growing, education and distribution to what it already does so well, it could become economically viable,” Foster said. If you are interested in this work, or have a view about food in Camden please contact Anna or Rosie on: [email protected] or call: 020 7837 1228 Sustainable Haringey would like to hear from similar groups in other London Boroughs, as well as Haringey residents interested in joining their network. Contact: growinginharingey @blueyonder.co.uk Development of a Camden healthy and sustainable food strategy Kate Swatridge Capital Growth (Urban Food Growing) [email protected] Anna Terzi Camden Sustainable Food Strategy [email protected] Hannah Williams Buywell Officer (Food Access) [email protected] Our Volunteers: Amanda Bourne, Chris Collings, Holly Derry-Evans, Polly Higginson, Lucia Jazayeri, Rhona McAdam. “There is huge enthusiasm for food-growing, long waiting lists for the 25 allotment slots, and many plans for using and expanding existing land,” Jo Foster of Sustainable Haringey said. The group recently joined London Food Link and successfully lobbied the Council to include sustainable food in its Greenest Borough efforts. Living Under One Sun, an initiative working with women from immigrant and ethnic minorities in the deprived area around Northumberland Park, has already seen harvests from its new community garden. This summer, the Council provided a temporary rescue package to keep an important green space – the Wolves Lane Nursery – open for six months after the sudden departure of the charity that was running it. The nursery, a 3.5 acre site with glasshouses, grows bedding plants for parks, employs people with special needs, and runs activities for local schools. With some initial help from the Big Lottery’s Local Food Fund and existing local expertise it is hoped that the nursery can remain open. This work will put Camden at the vanguard of work to develop a more sustainable food system across the UK. This piece of work will run over a period of seven months and, by March 2009, will result in: Suzanne Natelson Making Local Food Work (Community Food) [email protected] JOIN LONDON FOOD LI TODAYN! K NORTH Proper Oils won the Business of the Year O2 X Award for Technology & Innovation for its sustainable efforts as well as several other prestigious environmental awards. The organisation also won a £100,000 grant which was used towards creating West London’s first biodiesel refinery to start commercial production in November. If you would like your used cooking oil collected, would like to purchase biodiesel or want some more information please call Proper Oils on: 0845 470 80 91 www.properoils.co.uk Did you see Proper Oils featured on BBC2's Working Lunch: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7708423.stm Kentish Town City Farm Ben Tajima-Simpson For more information visit us online at: www.londonfoodlink.org OUR STAFF NORTH GR BUSIN EEN E THE YESS OF AR WEST 06/07 A VISION OF LONDON IN SEPTEMBER, ROSIE BOYCOTT WAS APPOINTED BY MAYOR BORIS JOHNSON AS FOOD CHAMPION FOR LONDON. SINCE THEN, SHE HAS BEEN TAKING A WHISTLESTOP TOUR OF LONDON’S FOOD SCENE, MEETING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS, FOOD GROWERS, BUSINESSES, PLANNERS AND POLICY-MAKERS, TO DRUM UP SUPPORT FOR HER EXCITING PLANS TO TRANSFORM THE CAPITAL’S FOOD SYSTEM. KATH DALMENY MET UP WITH ROSIE TO FIND OUT MORE. Rosie Boycott is passionate about food and farming, and rattles off ideas for practical ways to improve London’s food at a breath-taking rate. “My big aim is to make London’s food more sustainable,” she says. “That means transforming our city with thousands of new spaces to grow good fresh food, and helping communities to enjoy food growing. It means improving the access to markets for more small-scale and local food producers, and improving health and the environment through the power of public procurement. And we need to bring food back into the heart of communities, where it has been lost – to the detriment of families, and contributing to social breakdown.” Rosie’s vision is positive and appealing, but she is driven by a keen understanding of the insecurity of our current food system, especially in light of global financial meltdown, soaring food and oil prices, and the changing climate. “As a society we have pathetically little resilience in the face of such threats,” she says. “Peak oil is imminent. In my lifetime we have used half of the available oil already, so our oil dependent food system cannot continue. Yet there is a wonderful sense that growing more of our own food makes us more resilient. We take back control. We absolutely have to go back to an approach that minimises our use of natural resources. We can’t go on trashing our world.” CREATING A GREEN ARMY CHANGING THE MAINSTREAM She sees London’s community-led food enterprises as a major part of the solution, and has visited many over the past few months, reporting that she has been impressed by what she has found. “I’ve met the most incredible people and seen brilliant projects all over London,” she says – many of them members of London Food Link. She picks out several highlights from her visits: There is a role for everyone in achieving a food system based on resilience. “Supermarkets aren’t going to disappear,” she says, so we need to be clear about what part they can play. “Local tokenism isn’t enough. I’d like to see all supermarkets with green roofs, growing vegetables to sell in their shops. Farmers should also be treated better – we’ve got to make sure that farmers – wherever they are – can make a decent Growing Communities in Hackney has living. We rely on them.” created a successful food trading scheme that sells food grown in Hackney and Rosie is also clear that street markets, provides a reliable income for small-scale farmers’ markets and vegetable box local organic farmers; schemes are central to a more resilient food In southeast London, the Greenwich system. “Buying direct from suppliers can Cooperative Development Agency gets help ensure fair prices and get people children to cook for other children, and connected with who grows their food,” invites parents into schools to share the food. she says. She also wants to see local government use their powers to support local The Women’s Environmental Network, shops, make more space available for food is running community gardens and food growing, and promote street markets and co-ops working with women from diverse farmers’ markets. ethnic communities in East London. What is particularly appealing about Rosie’s vision for London is her evident commitment to helping existing community groups and campaign organisations to do more of what they do best, seeding new ideas across London. She sees these people as a “green army”, who need support to bring about the transformation. “My job will be to raise the money for these groups and then say ‘go’,” she says. “This is not about ownership or government directives. This is a grassroots movement – groups of people living in neighbourhoods who want to support each other and to have a reliable supply of good food. And through food, community connections can be re-established.” “This is a grassroots movement – groups of people living in neighbourhoods who want to support each other and to have a reliable supply of good food.” She sees markets as a great way to help more people buy fresh and affordable food, and to connect people with seasonality and food quality. “In the supermarket, the food has not been put there for its flavour or its freshness. It’s chosen by the supermarkets for its ability to withstand the journey, to be thrown around in transit and to sit on the shelf for a long time,” she says. But we need to think differently about our food supply. “Food that can be grown here should be grown here – the carrots, spuds and cabbages grown within a short distance of where they are eaten. Food grown further afield needs to be moved as much as possible by trains, canals and electric vehicles. We will continue to import food that we can’t grow here – bananas, citrus fruit, spices, wine, coffee and tea. But we’ve got to be much more connected with the seasons, and what can be grown without environmentally damaging inputs such as oil and nitrogen fertiliser.” ©James O. Jenkins. ROSIER “Boris is right behind it,” she says. “He can see how food growing can bring back community connections into neighbourhoods, with people working together.” ROSIE TALKS ROOTS AND TAKES ACTION SOME OF ROSIE’S BIG IDEAS Such commitment comes both from Rosie’s own reading of the current environmental and economic situation, but also from her direct experience over the past five years as a small-scale farmer in Somerset. “Anyone who has grown anything knows how much better fresh food is,” she says. “It gave me incredible joy, and it has made me realise that I was out of touch with food issues. When you grow food, you realise how socially binding are the acts of growing and eating. Food crosses all boundaries. It connects everything, and it connects with everything that I would like to do for the environment, which I will spend the rest of my life working on.” LOCAL MARKETS FOR LOCAL FOOD As part of the London Food Strategy, Rosie is supporting the London Development Agency’s Local Food Infrastructure Project, working with London’s wholesale markets to sell more food grown locally to London. As a former editor of two daily newspapers – The Independent and The Express – the pace with which Rosie has set to work on achieving her vision is impressive. She doesn’t hang around. Within just six weeks of taking office as Chair of the London Food Board, and food advisor to London’s Mayor, Rosie had agreed a partnership with London Food Link to run a campaign for 2,012 new food growing spaces for London by 2012 [see p4]. “Boris is right behind it,” she says. “He can see how food growing can bring back community connections into neighbourhoods, with people working together, taking more control of their lives, and making the city a better place to live.” “It will also be such fun,” says Rosie. “Imagine a green city with lots of vegetables and fruit trees growing, summer fetes, barbeques, local shops and markets, with communities coming together to celebrate good food, and children learning to love the magic of food growing.” Her enthusiasm and vision are infectious. After an interview like this, you come away thinking: Great. When do we start? And with Rosie at the helm, the answer will definitely be: “Right away!” IMPROVING FOOD SKILLS Rosie is backing the London Development Agency’s Good Food Training for London programme, to train London’s public sector caterers to provide healthy and sustainable food for the capital’s schools, hospitals and care homes. CAPITAL GROWTH Rosie is working with London Food Link on a new campaign for 2,012 new food growing spaces for London, helping communities to gain access to land, training and trading schemes to grow and sell more fresh local food. PUBLIC SECTOR PROCUREMENT Rosie backs calls for public sector caterers to buy and serve more healthy and sustainable food. With one in three meals eaten outside the home being served by the public sector, the opportunity for change is huge! FOOD WASTE Rosie would love to persuade one borough and all of its households and food businesses to collect all of its food waste, put it through anaerobic digestion, and use the resulting gas as a renewable source of energy. 08/09 ©We Love Local Local to London Full Page Advert SPREADING THE LOVE TO LONDON Transporting food is often harder than growing it in the first place. Zeenat Anjari reports on one company that uses biodiesel — and email — to link farmers with creative urban customers. As the writer Carolyn Steele observes in her book ‘Hungry City’ London’s fruit and vegetables used to come from farms that were within one day’s or a night’s journey by horse and cart. A farmer’s son would drive the horses to a staging farm just outside London, where they would be stabled, while a fresh set of horses, more accustomed to the frenetic ride through the city, would take the food on its final journey to the Old Covent Garden Market. From here, the vegetables would be exchanged for the contents of the city's chamber pots, politely called 'nightsoil' which would be halued back to the farm by the now well-rested farm horses for use as a fertiliser. Back to the present and Brighton-based We Love Local is using similarly efficient models of distribution to get produce to restaurants in London. A diesel van makes twice-weekly deliveries of Kent and Sussex produced vegetables, fish and meat into New Covent Garden Market. From here, Lowhub, a fleet of nimble, electric-powered “smart green vans” dart around London, delivering We Love Local produce to businesses. We Love Local also plan to back-haul Fairtrade exotic fruit from New Covent Garden Market to broaden their range of goods. FORGED BY LOVE EASY LOVERS Founded in 2007 by three friends, Melissa Love, Huw Griffiths & Bob Lane, the company started out as a casual vegetable box scheme, offering produce from small local growers from a borrowed office on a small farm in Henfield. We Love Local soon gained over 100 box scheme customers and met a growing demand from local food businesses who wanted seasonality and provenance in their cooking. Today, three-quarters of the company’s sales comes from the catering trade. “Customers like having the work done for them in terms of provenance and they trust us,” Melissa said. “That’s the service we provide.” Bob does the buying and collects directly from nearly all of the sixteen small farms & producers they work with. He keeps in touch with the farmers, knows what crops are about to be harvested and what’s particularly good from one week to the next. Bob gathers this information into the availability list which is then circulated by email for the following week’s trade customer orders, and posted on the We Love Local website. Melissa says that such timely and direct information, circulated directly to chefs, is the best way to reinforce the message that buying local and seasonal benefits local farmers and enhances menus. This large and diverse customer base offers We Love Local flexibility when it comes to buying. Many growers are happy to plant crops at customers’ requests - as long as there is a firm order - which means that unusual varieties can also end up in the home-delivered box scheme. Customers have recently enjoyed fresh edamame beans and daikon radish from Robin and Ikuko of Nama Yasai, a vegetable grower in Lewes (profiled in Sustain’s report Recipe for a Greener Curry) which sells Japanese varieties to top London restaurants. When a grower telephones asking them to shift a seasonal glut, We Love Local are happy to promote local produce at its tastiest, cheapest and most plentiful. INTERESTED? If you are a business interested in getting produce from We Love Local and would like to receive their price list, please call Melissa on 0127 3206 865 or email [email protected]. Cherish your body Visit the pantry the place for wholefoods in greenwich Find out more at www.we-love-local.com Lowhub’s team of electric and biodiesel vehicles deliver from New Covent Garden Market. Go to www.lowhub.com to find out more. NEW ADDITIONS: Farm Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Beauty Products and Skin Care from Korres Hamper Services and Cookery Classes For more on the benefits of serving local and seasonally available ingredients, see here for Sustain’s 7 principles of sustainable food www.sustainweb.org/sustainablefood Continental, Chilled, Ambient Fair Trade & Organic Produce Delivery service available 93 Trafalgar Road, London SE10 9TS, Tel: 0208 293 9917 Open: 10am - 8pm Mon-Sat closed Sundays Closest Stations: Greenwich DLR, North Greenwich (Jubilee Line) Maze Hill (British Rail) Buses: 177,129,180,188,286,386 “Our list has what’s out there and nothing more. Proper chefs love it; it challenges them” Melissa Love We Love Local are a distributor & wholesaler of food from the south east of England, offering a range of fresh produce from small Sussex & Kent growers, as well as locally-sourced free-range meat & game, dairy & speciality dry goods from the region. RESTAURANTS USING WE LOVE LOCAL: Moshi Moshi’s four restaurants - www.moshimoshi.co.uk... Soseki - www.soseki.co.uk Chef Aldo Zilli & Greg Starks of the Hilton Metropole receiving a We Love Local delivery. We Love Local undertook rigorous auditing to become an approved Hilton supplier, enabling small growers in Kent & Sussex, who were unlikely to gain accreditation, to supply this top London hotel. The place for wholefoods in Greenwich 10/11 ON THE MENU ©David Pearson A routemaster takes root For over a year now, hungry Londoners have been stepping aboard a refurbished Routemaster bus to enjoy the view from the upper deck, and a varied and novel menu of healthy dishes. London Food Link’s Charlotte Jarman and Rhona McAdam take a ride. A NEW ROUTE ROOM UP TOP The bustaurant’s first appearance was at the Bristol Vegan Fayre in 2006, moving to its current location in September 2007 via a brief spell in the Streatham bus station. Sustainability is evident in many aspects of the Rootmaster’s operation, from the infrastructure (an RML series Routemaster built in 1967) to its sourcing (tofu delivered by push-bike from nearby Clean Bean Organic Tofu and LEAF certified UK vegetables from a supplier in New Spitalfields Market) to its takeaway containers (all made of corn or potato starch that biodegrade completely in 180 days). In a refurbishment that respects the economies of space that helped to make the Routemaster a successful bus, the Rootmaster café’s upper deck has been re-fitted to seat 30, while the lower deck houses the kitchen with takeaway counter and waiters’ station. Ultimately Sylvia and David would love to see an entire fleet of Rootmasters, one in each London Borough, but they are keen for the business to grow slowly and sustainably. Parked in Elys Yard, part of the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, the Rootmaster bus is the brainchild of Sylvia Garcia, who has won the hearts and stomachs of local foodies with her creative, seasonal and (whisper it) vegan food. Despite having been a committed vegan for over a decade, Sylvia has made a conscious decision not to shout about the fact that the Rootmaster’s food is One area that has presented a challenge meat and dairy-free – you won’t find the ‘v’ is drinking water. The bus’ water tank has a limited capacity, meaning that tap water has word anywhere on the website or menu. had to be reserved for cooking and washing Manager David Lockhart believes that up. As a compromise, customers have been through her inclusive, non-judgemental offered Belu, bottled water from a company approach, Sylvia has changed many that gives all its profits to clean water people’s attitudes to food – not least his own. projects in developing countries. The bus is Once a dedicated carnivore, with an aversion soon to be connected to the mains supply, to fresh produce so extreme that he used to and London tap will be a very welcome pick the kidney beans out of chilli con carne addition to the drinks menu. and the onions out of Bolognese sauce, a little over a year after starting work on the Rootmaster he is a self-confessed vegetable lover. The menus change four times yearly to respect seasonality; and to keep life interesting for everyone, the chefs are given free reign to go off-menu each Sunday lunchtime and create five new dishes. David estimates that 25-30 percent of the Rootmaster’s customers are vegan or vegetarian, and it’s not uncommon to find vegan offspring bringing their parents along to taste the cuisine. Surveying Rootmaster’s tempting offerings – such as the teriyaki stir fry or the mixed lentil filo purse served on soft garlic polenta – it seems likely the place is going to make more than a few converts. The Rootmaster, Elys Yard, Brick Lane, London 07912 389314 www.root-master.co.uk LEAF - Linking Environment and Farming www.leafuk.org This delicious tangy TERIYAKI STIR FRY is the most popular dish served on the bus, and the only one which features on both the lunch and the dinner menu. The vegetables used by the Rootmaster chefs vary according to the season; the recipe below includes winter staples such as carrots, leeks and cabbage, but at other times of year you could use broccoli (regular or purple sprouting), peppers or courgettes. Ingredients: For the sauce: 2 cloves garlic, peele d and 2 tbsp organic chopped De merara sugar 1 tbsp finely choppe d root ginger 3 tbsp sake 1 spring onion, choppe d 3 tbsp sweet chilli 10 cauliflower floret sauce s 2 tbsp tamari 1 carrot, peeled and sliced Juice of 1/2 a lemon 1 flat mushroom, sl iced Dr izzle of sesame oil 100g wild mushroom s 100g leek, washed an d sl 100g savoy cabbage or iced curly kale, washed and roughly chopped 100g marinated tofu 1 handful cashew nu ts SERVES 2 INSTRUCTIONS 1. Get an oiled wok or large heavy frying pan hot. Add the garlic, ginger and spring onion, and stir fry for a few seconds. // 2. Next add the cauliflower, carrot, leeks and sugar and stir fry over a high heat for 2-3 minutes. // 3. Once the sugar begins to caramelise, add all remaining vegetables and tofu, then the sake. Cook for 2 minutes then add the tamari and sweet chilli sauce. // 4. Add the cashew nuts then the lemon juice. Stir fry for another 3 minutes, then finish with a small drizzle of sesame oil. // 5. Serve with organic brown rice or noodles. 12/13 IN PRINT THE LONDON COOKBOOK The London Cookbook winds through the streets of London, stopping to tell the stories, traditions, and personalities that colour the city’s diverse culture of food. ©chrisw indsor.c om Food writer Jenny Linford has spent years writing about the markets, restaurants and grocers of London, and this book, is much more than a collection of recipes. Delving into home kitchens and cafes, butcheries and fish counters, the book brims with the people and history behind the ingredients. Tasty, simple recipes are organized into sections based on the type of meal, and are generously illustrated with full-page photographs. The snapshot studies of restaurants, neighbourhoods and food personalities make for good reading independent of the recipes. Sections on wholesale markets like New Covent Garden, Billingsgate, and Smithfields explore hidden worlds while guides to ethnic foods, including Jewish, Greek, African & Caribbean, Italian, Greek, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese offer inspiration for exploring a city that has been influenced by many nations. Most of the recipes, like this unusual treat below, are preceded by a useful history. The London Cookbook by Jenny Linford is out now; £14.99 from Metro Publications Gin and Lemon Jelly Serves 6 Gin, the juniper-flavoured spirit originally from Holland, has a long association with London. By the first part of the 18th century, cheap gin had become the popular drink of London’s poor with numerous gin-shops in the city selling drams of the spirit. In the late 1740s 20 million gallons of gin per year were being distilled in London alone. In 1751 the artist William Hogarth vividly depicted the social abuse caused by gin addiction in his famous print Gin Lane. Increased taxation and tighter control on distillation gradually reduced the consumption of gin. During the 19th century gin became an increasingly respectable tipple, a gentleman’s drink. London gin was a more refined, less assertively flavoured gin that became popular, used as a mixer rather than drunk in its own right. The cocktail era saw gin receive a further new lease of life as a basis for many cocktails. Beefeater, founded in 1820, continues to distil London gin in the capital to this day. This simple recipe for a tangy gin-flavoured jelly makes a refreshing, grown-up dessert. 5 SACHETS OF LEAF GELATINE (APPROX 8 G (1/3 OZ) IN WEIGHT 200 ML (7 FL OZ) FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE 150 G (5 OZ) CASTER SUGAR 150 ML (5 FL OZ) GIN 300 ML (1/2 PT) COLD WATER 1/ Soak the leaf gelatine in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess moisture. 2/ Place the lemon juice, caster sugar and gin in a small pan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has melted. 3/ Spoon a little of the lemon juice mixture into a small, heavy-based pan. Add the soaked gelative and cook gently over a very low heat, stirring, until the gerlative has melted. Add in the remaining lemon juice mixture and mix well. Stir in the cold water and remove from direct heat. 4/ Pour the mixture into 6 small dessert bowls, allow to cool and refrigerate overnight to set. 14/15 MEMBER FEATURE CARE ENOUGH TO FOSTER? Can you offer the experience of a family to a vulnerable young person? Event catering from a small living business providing fresh, organic and imaginative food. ‘catering with love for food, people and the environment’ This summer, Sarah Cruz noticed that home-grown food was going to waste, and the idea for Chiswick Local Produce was born. Today, Cruz and her family sell surpluses of local honey, produce, and flowers — and return 100 percent of the profits to the growers. Vanessa Domenzain interviews Sarah who explains how it all happened. Contact Victoria email: [email protected] ARTIFICIAL COLOURINGS ARE BAD FOR CHILDREN Research funded by the Food Standards Agency and published in 2007 found that Art. Colourings do cause Hyperactivity in children, something the HACSG has known for 30 years. Hyperactive/ADHD children can suffer from Restlessness, 4SSV'SRGIRXVEXMSR 7PIITHMJ½GYPXMIW Agression, Mood changes which seriously affect family and school life. Great improvments can be seen when a suitable diet and a nutrition programme is worked out. Many Hyperactive/ADHD children are sensitive to fresh foods and chemicals and this needs attention as well. The Hyperactive Children’s Support Group has a range of books and a free information pack to offer. Our NEW Book, The Proof of the Pudding, by Sally Bunday MBE, will be available in 2009. See www.hacsg.org.uk or call 01243 539966 [email protected] 020 8297 9966 | 40 TRANQUIL VALE, SE3 OBD > What does Chiswick Local Produce do? > How long have you been running Chiswick Local Produce takes surplus produce Chiswick Local Produce? > Has anyone been inspired to run their own version of what you do? or ‘gluts’ from gardeners or allotment holders and sells it to residents who are keen to buy local. We also supply a local restaurant, greengrocer and florist. Not that I know of. London Food Link has been a great source of support in finding like-minded organisations. I am really inspired by the work of OrganicLea who run a community garden and are supplying local produce on a much bigger scale. We officially launched this past June so it is early days. After our first successful fair we went on to three more local fairs and sold over £1000 of produce, honey, baked goods and flower bouquets. We were very fortunate to > What inspired you to develop have the surplus of organic produce, herbs and flowers from the Chiswick House Kitchen this project? This June I was busy planning the plant stall Garden and the help of Karen Liebreich and the for the local summer fair when I got a flyer Kitchen Garden volunteers. through my door. My bee-keeping neighbour, Brian Whitley, was trying to sell a glut of his > What have your recent lovely, fragrant honey. I had my own glut of developments been? rocket leaves and it occurred to me I could sell We are really thrilled to be a supplier to both at the fair. Being a graphic designer, it was The Roebuck, one of Chiswick’s most popular easy to go one step further and do a logo and restaurants (www.theroebuckchiswick.co.uk). labels for the honey and produce. The Head chef Matt Fosker doesn’t seem to mind response at the fair was so overwhelming that when I show up with an unpredictable quantity I realised I was onto a rather good idea. My and variety of produce. He understands husband Dinis and I run the operation with help seasonality so he adapts the menu every week. from family and friends. > What are some of the unique aims of the operation? THE HYPERACTIVE CHILDREN’S SUPPORT GROUP For hyperactive, allergic and learning-disabled children Registered charity no 277643 Good luck with the new look Jellied Eel from all at Pavillion Cafe, Victoria Park, Hackney www.the-pavilion-cafe.com ONE TO WATCH Visit our Time Out award winning deli/cafe in Blackheath village – 15 minutes from London Bridge Interested? 01254 777 460 / 07501 724 356 Chiswick Local Produce > What are your future plans (at least the ones that aren’t confidential!)? I would like to see other boroughs adopt a scheme for taking in gluts. In the same way that we automatically take old clothes to a charity shop, we should all know the outlet for surplus produce. We are planning for the winter months by making preserves and chutneys, dried herbs and infused oils. I would love any new recipes or creative ideas for using seasonal produce. > What are your biggest achievements and biggest disappointments? I set up an arrangement with the local florist to take a delivery every week from the Kitchen Garden and make local flower bouquets. I like the idea of making these connections and letting them carry on the relationship, hopefully for years to come. I see this as just the beginning of a local network that creates a much needed community spirit in a busy urban area like London. I have been amazed by the people we have met so far and the knowledge 100 percent of the sale price goes back to the they have about what they produce. I want them producer. We believe its important that to share what they know, possibly through the work is charitable and that we help local workshops. My only disappointment is to have growers to fund their own activities rather than missed half of the growing season this year! ours. We have one sponsor and are looking for more, as well as any local produce funding > What feedback have you had schemes. about your work? The positive feedback has driven this project forward from day one. We have a long way to go before we are truly established, but I get calls every week from residents who love what we are doing. In Chiswick there is a real enthusiasm for local produce because it really does taste better. Our aim is to provide an outlet that doesn’t exist at the moment so that gluts don’t go to waste. We want to inspire kids (including my own) to appreciate seasonality and to see what is growing around us and put it to good use. (Every house should have a fruit picker!) Contact: Sarah Cruz – 07771 768411 Dinis Cruz – 07930 338557 Email: [email protected] www.chiswicklocal.com ©Chiswick Local 16/17 SHOP WINDOW THORNTON’S BUDGENS OF CROUCH END Think “Budgens” and words like sustainable, local, and organic don’t normally pop into your mind. London Food Link’s Rhona McAdam discovers what one shop owner has in store. When I visited the Thornton’s Budgens in Crouch End, I brought along a friend who lives locally but hadn’t ventured inside since before Andrew Thornton bought and transformed it into a new kind of food outlet in 2006. She was floored by the changes, from the flower baskets and pavement displays of fruit and veg outside, to the dazzling length of the produce aisle and the capacious scale of the wine selection. She described its previous incarnation as “dire” and said she couldn’t understand why nobody had told her how utterly different it was nowadays. And there is something different about this Budgens; it is an experiment in more sustainable grocery shopping. With years of experience from his previous career as a consultant to convenience stores, Thornton puts his business sense towards trying to reconnect the circle that supermarket culture has broken between communities and their food producers. He gave his staff customer relations training and also puts out a seasonal newsletter. Recycling, composting and a ban on free plastic bags are all part of the store’s standards. The store also features brands that cannot be found in supermarkets, such as Paxton & Whitfield and frozen ready meal supplier Cook. There is an admirable emphasis on fresh foods, with sandwiches made to order and salads prepared according to their nutritional therapist’s recipes. The store’s Ethnic Foods aisle reflects the diversity of the neighbourhood, featuring Polish, South African, Irish and kosher products alongside the more usual Chinese and Indian. TACKLING TESCO While we still found many of the usual convenience store products – crisps, soft drinks, cigarettes – we also noticed startling additions, like Godminster cucumber vodka from Somerset and Aspall Organic Balsamic Vinegar and Get Naked wild rocket pesto from Suffolk. In a nudge to the competitor next door, and to address assumptions from the Budgens of old, a heaped shopping cart by the front door is signposted “Some of the products we meet Tesco prices on”. Price is important, of course, but the imaginative and greatly increased selection should be what secures this Budgens its DIRECT FROM THE PRODUCER place in local affections. “In a word,” says Thornton places local supplies high on his my friend, “tempting”. priorities list, having identified 150 local producers in the borough of Haringey alone, and stocks products from these and other English producers, with product food miles prominently posted on the store’s chilled goods shelves. The featured “Direct from the Producer” products are all from within 100 miles of the store and are free from all artificial colours and preservatives. The nearest supplier is Dunn’s, a fifth-generation local bakery, whose “mileage” clocks in at mere 50 metres. Thornton’s Budgens can be found at: Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park 23 The Broadway, Crouch End ©Ben Tajima-Simpson 18/19 ALLOTMENT SLOT ALLOT OF HOPE Are allotments the unlikely winners in the credit crunch? Also — farming turns around a ‘no hope school’ and plans for a prison growing project. ©Hannah Williams At last I have the right to be an optimist…. perhaps? Three cheers for the credit crunch in helping the open spaces of London. My own allotments in East Acton were sold out by the Dishonourable Company of Goldsmiths to an alleged ‘health’ club who wanted to build a road through the middle of our plots. That plan seems to have disappeared with the credit crunch. Most developers have created their evil with borrowed money, and look where that has landed our economy. Hopefully, once we have come through this rocky financial period, and I think it will take at least a year, the terms of trade will have changed forever. What is left of our green and open space will not only be respected, but legally protected against the voracious moneymakers, or should I say speculators who are the very people who have landed us in in the current mess. So it is wonderful to welcome the words of Tony Leach, of the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum, who surprised me at the Growing Food for London conference when he urged local authorities to open up the parks to community growing. And so say all of us. If only they will listen. I have already taken the argument to Hammersmith and Fulham as well as Ealing. We will see. SCHOOL FARMS Then Sir William tells me they go straight to the gym to complete the healthy process. There is wi-fi in the middle of the ‘farm’ in an educational area, where classes covering History, English and many other subjects are taught. In September, helped by a small grant from London Food Link, the school farm opened its doors to the public, and over 750 people from the neighbouring White City estate and beyond came to see what was happening. White City is one of those areas in London that has always been bad mouthed; Phoenix School is proving to be an oasis. This is an amazing advance. Borough Market has been the bustling epicentre for food trading in London for centuries. Now, Borough is running a new project to help traders use the market’s location and reputation to grow their businesses. PRISON FOOD I have been asked to create a community growing project at Latchmere House prison, near Ham Common in Richmond. Just how it will work out I do not know. The Good Food Training for London project - the prison element of which is co-ordinated by the organisation Sustain - will be providing free-of-charge food growing training for the prisoners, both bespoke sessions and longer accredited courses. I do hope that a few of the 220 prisoners, who are the ‘trustees’ from prisons around Britain on the way to release can one day get jobs in horticulture. Even if they don’t, charities like Garden Leave have proved the therapeutic value that working with the soil can have. That is what I hope for as well. At the moment I am faced, thanks to the governor, with a huge uncultivated area. Mind you, 100 years ago this building was a farm. So I am sure the soil will make us welcome and succeed in producing a fine crop. However, as long as there is Sir William Atkinson, headmaster of the Phoenix School on the edge of the White City estate, we have huge hope and reasons to celebrate. Sir William has already turned around an a so-called ‘no hope’ school into a group of young people who succeed at exam level. Now he has advanced them into By Michael Wale a three quarter of an acre area he calls a ‘farm’. The students plant, grow, cook, and eat the results. NEW PROJECT ©Borough Market BOROUGH MARKET View from a Shed. Four seasons as an urban farmer by Michael Wale. Published by Allison & Busby in 2006 £9.99 Borough strives to change its profile, to present itself to London businesses as a place where they can shop for products grown with sustainability and provenance in mind. A new position – Business Development Manager (BDM) – has been created to provide advice for the market’s traders, as part of the Mayor of London’s Food Strategy. Kirsty Grieve and Mary MacNeal, the BDMs for Borough Market, have worked with regional food producers for a number of years through the food consultancy Mad for Food. “Our role as BDMs will be to grow business opportunities for those trading at the markets by holding wholesale, meet-the-buyer events over the coming months, and offering business advice for traders,” Grieve said. Mad for Food will also help traders with their distribution into the wholesale market, and work with a number of retail traders to assist in finding potential co-packers as their businesses grow. “We are keen to remind the trade of Borough’s credentials as the leading market for quality regional and speciality foods as well as a wide range of fresh produce through its wholesale market,” Grieve said. BDM positions are also being put into place at New Covent Garden Market and Western International Market. If you have any questions or would like to contact Mad for Food, please call Kirsty Grieve on 07920 729239 or email: kirsty@ madforfood.co.uk 20/21 DIARY November 2008 20th _ 23rd November, Ethical Emporium, 11am - 7pm The very best of fair trade, ethical & environmental Christmas gifts and products under one roof at the Ethical Emporium. Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf. www.handupmedia.co.uk 26th November, Book Launch, The School Food Revolution Public Food and the Challenge of Sustainable Development, Woolwich. www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=33914 December 2008 4th December, Christmas at Borough Market Borough Market. www.boroughmarket.org.uk/index.php?module=whats_on:161, 4th December, One Step Forward, Two Steps Back! Rachel Carson Memorial lecture School of Oriental and African Studies. www.pan-uk.org 5th December, Deadline for Sustainable City Awards www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/sca 20th _ 23rd December, Slow Food Market London ou y d l u k c Wo o t s o like ts of the copie d Eel Jellie ine? magaz t: Contac foodlink@ l o n d o n w e b . o rg sustain of ull list For a f visit: s t s i k c i n k . o rg l d o o our sto f don n www.lo Southbank Centre. www.slowfoodlondon.com , 23rd December, Extra Christmas Farmers Markets Islington, Marylebone, Parliament Hill all 12 - 2pm. Pimlico, Wimbledon, Walthamstow all 9 - 11am. www.lfm.org.uk , 24th December, Swiss Cottage Farmers Market www.lfm.org.uk 20,000 copies in circulation 27th _ 28th December , London Farmers Markets closed this week! www.lfm.org.uk January 2009 SPONSORED BY 6th January, Chiswick House Kitchen Garden Open Work Session Chiswick. www.kitchengarden.org.uk 21st _ 22nd January, Sustainably Sourcing and Tracing Agricultural Raw Materials & Ingredients ISSUE 228/09 WINTER 200 FREE London’s new look! Campaign launched to create 2012 food growing spaces by 2012 Olympia. www.sustainable-sourcing-agricultural-raw-materials.com , 25th January, London s Charity Potato Fair & Seed Exchange East Dulwich. www.potatofair.org February 2009 Rosie Boycott talks on life as the Mayor’s food adviser 2nd February, Getting Started in the Garden course Walthamstow. www.walthamforestclass.gov.uk 22nd February, Seed Swap Sunday Bruce Castle. [email protected] 23rd February, Fairtrade Fortnight www.fairtrade.org.uk A ROUTEMASTER TAKES ROOT * BUDGENS GOES LOCAL * LONDON IS FAIRTRADE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD NEXT ISS UE FEB 200 9 28th February, Designing the Garden for Vegetables Walthamstow. www.walthamforestclass.gov.uk 22/23