seasonal & sustainable food articles

Blackheath is where you'll find our local... our local farmers market that is.

We love it because it's not only packed with some of the best fresh produce going it was also a source of Samantha Burlton's inspiration to start SoOrganic by encouraging her to share with others the benefits of a more wholesome, natural way of life.

We love our local for many reasons. The jovial banter amongst stall owners and their buyers is uplifting, giving you sense of belonging to the community.

The locally sourced, seasonal produce is really the big attraction though. The fact that stall holders have grown, bred, caught, pickled and baked the goods themselves means they can tell you the exact ingredients and processes used. It's reassuring to know the carrots were pulled from the earth yesterday and the eggs were collected half a mile down the road - far less carbon emissions than those trucked several hundreds of miles for the supermarket.

Also without the middleman, aka supermarket giant, out of the picture, farmers are able to sell their produce at reasonable, sustainable prices. Good for them, good for us, great for environment.

If you're not sure where your closest farmers market is (there are hundreds across the UK) visit the FARMA and London Farmers' Market websites for a quick search.

Update July 2010:
Blackheath farmer's market is still going strong, and many of the farmers tell us that it's the best in London.

There are all types of meat, some of it organic, but all free range. Numerous veg and bread stalls, as well as specialists such as a stall dedicated to mushrooms, another with fresh fish and even one selling only buffalo products.

Shopping at the farmer's market is my sunday morning treat, but I always make sure that I walk so that I can only buy as much as I can carry, it's so easy to get carried away with all those yummy products to choose from.

The market is on from around 10am to 2pm, but you really need to get there before midday to get your pick of the produce.

Article originally written by Nicki Ferguson. July 2008.

Updated by Sam Burlton. July 2010.