If you're coming to the Capital this summer, don't forget to visit some of its foodie highlights, says Jenny Linford.
Shopping for food doesn't have to be a humdrum trudge around a supermarket. London’s cosmopolitan food-scene offers a range of great, appetising food shopping experiences. So get out there and get food shopping...
Food Market
Brockley Market. This recently established, lively, open-air Saturday food market has struck a massive chord with the local community, who turn out with small children and dogs in tow to support it, creating a very pleasant atmosphere. Founded by the food-loving Toby Allen, it offers both the chance to buy great-quality fundamentals – meat and poultry, fish and fresh produce – and some very tempting treats, such as charcuterie, cakes, artisan ice creams and Dark Fluid’s addictively good coffee. Those looking to graze are well-served by a carefully-selected assortment of street food stands, serving everything from burritos to creative, foraged food wraps.
Lewisham Way, London SE4 1UT
Fishmonger
The Chelsea Fishmonger. As befits its upmarket Chelsea Green location and discerning cosmopolitan customer base, this small, appealing fishmongers carries a distinctly high-end range of fish and shellfish, with luxuries such as scallops, langoustines, wild salmon and turbot to the fore. Affable owner and experienced fishmonger Rex Goldsmith uses his considerable expertise and contacts in sourcing fish and seafood to ensure that his seasonally-changing stock is gloriously fresh and high-quality, with around 90% of the fish caught off the British coast. Service is at once friendly, helpful and down-to-earth, with advice on what to buy that day or cooking suggestions cheerfully offered.
10 Cale St London SW3 3QU, 020 7589 9432
Chinese supermarket
New Loon Moon. In the heart of Chinatown’s main thoroughfare, this popular, well-established Chinese supermarket has a loyal following, as witnessed by the perpetual queue of shoppers. On offer is the classic mix of fresh Chinese produce appealingly displayed outside – gaai laan, ong choi, choi sum – alongside exotic fruits such as mangosteens, longans and the notorious durian. Inside, the shop extends downstairs and upstairs carrying an extraordinary range of Chinese, Korean, Japanese and South East Asian tinned, canned, frozen and chilled foodstuffs, from fresh ho fun noodles to tubs of Korean chilli paste, offering much scope for happy culinary exploration.
New Loon Moon, 9A Gerrard St London W1D 5PN, 020 7734 3887
Cheesemongers
Neal’s Yard Dairy. Founded in 1979, Neal’s Yard Dairy stocked and championed British farmhouse cheeses long before their current fashionability. Step into this large, airy store and one is greeted with an impressive array of British and Irish cheeses, including fine examples of traditional British cheeses such as Colston Basset Stilton, Montgomery’s Cheddar and Appleby’s Cheshire, alongside ‘modern’ cheeses created by individual cheesemakers, such as Berkswell, pungent Ardrahan and Tunworth. Neals Yard Dairy not only buys the cheeses, but matures them carefully, bringing them on to the stage at which they feel they are at their best. With farmhouse cheeses altering constantly, the shop’s eminently sensible and appealing policy is to cheerfully offer tastings of the cheeses so that you can be happy with what you’re buying.
6 Park Street LONDON SE1 9AB, 020 7367 0799
Lebanese foodshop
Green Valley. Warmly recommended to me many years ago by Claudia Roden, this spacious, upmarket store is a treasure-trove of Middle Eastern ingredients, from fresh produce such as tiny bay aubergines; to a halal meat counter offering cubed lamb for kebabs; and store-cupboard items including pomegranate molasses, rose flower water and pulses. An enticing display of assorted dainty pastries, dusted with ground pistachios, fills one of the windows, with customers choosing treats such as sticky cashew baklava or date mamoul. The deli counter, too, is another temptation, with its assortment of mezze such as smoky moutabal or proper, parsley-rich tabbouleh. Do visit the bakery section, where the freshly-baked za’atar-flavoured flatbread makes a gloriously tasty snack.
36-37 Upper Berkeley St London W1H 5QF, 020 7402 7385,
Jenny Linford is the author of Food Lovers' London. Available from all good bookshops, and online here.
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