“Productive local food systems are better than globalised food for may reasons: they yield fresher and more nutritious food, local jobs and productivity; less dependence on fuel and infrastructure; and greater food security. We must become more closely connected to the land via our food, we must value the work involved and get involved.”
— Sandor Katz, The Art of Fermentation
THE KENT SHEPHERD
.Marie, The Kent Shepherd, practical, passionate and ambitious. She farms in a natural / sustainable way, rotating the grazing of her flock of 500 Hampshire crosses across the hundreds of acres of farmland she rents (from the MOD) and owns. The Dover based farm has been in the family for about 300 years. The love and tenderness she displays towards her flock is palpable but practical, obviously.
NICOLA: SEVENSCORE
Nicola grows some of the finest spears in the land. She is completely minimal intervention and relies on an unbelievably large inspect population to keep pests at bay. This is one crop we are always incredibly impatient for.
Blackwood’s Cheese Company.
In 2010 Dave came to London to work for Neal’s Yard Dairy for 10 days as a Christmas temp. Dave stayed on at Neal’s Yard and went to on to work throughout the company, spending the majority of his time in the maturation department. Here Dave worked very closely with some of Britain's finest farmhouse cheesemakers.
Moon’s Green Charcuterie.
It started when former adman, winemaker, food writer and rare breed pig farmer John Doig started making chorizo in his garage at Moons Green in the Kentish Weald. A couple of year’s later you can find him in the middle of a busy butchery in Northiam, East Sussex. His business partner is the Portuguese chef José Azevedo, a veritable hurricane of invention and culinary inspiration. “They are one of the leaders of the new British Charcuterie movement, making an amazing array of fabulous saucissons, bacons, hams and uniquely British cured meats.”
Veasey & Sons Fishmongers & Fishermen.
Le Belhara fishes from Eastbourne harbour daily and uses a variety of methods for a good mixed catch. Depending on the seasons it catches anything from Sea Bass to Whelks. Their crew and boat are accredited by the Responsible Fishing Scheme, this scheme gives an assurance to the supply chain that fish from the vessel has been caught responsibly and sustainably. They are proud to be able to supply the freshest local fish possible.
Mon’s Cheese.
In the 1950s Hubert Mons worked as a delivery driver and trucked food across the whole of France. With the knowledge accrued from such travel and an eye for farms worth stopping off at for lunch, Hubert decided to go into business for himself. In the early 60s he began to source artisanal cheeses from his native region of Auvergne and with his wife, sold them at local markets.
The British arm of Mons cheeses began business in 2006. They import traditionally made cheeses from France & Switzerland, ripened in the cellars at St Haon le Chatel. From their base in Voyager Business Park, Bermondsey, they store, mature, wholesale and, on Saturdays, retail their cheeses. They also have a permanent shop in Borough Market, SE1 along with a Saturday pitch at Brockley Food Market. For more information visit their retail and wholesale pages.
Good & Proper Tea.
Good & Proper Tea are passionate brewers, blenders, curators, traders and, perhaps most importantly, drinkers of loose leaf tea. They work hard to find, taste and select teas from farms and co-operatives around the world, always looking for something special that will stand up on its own without blending or flavouring. They started brewing and serving tea on a rainy London kerb from a 1974 Citroen H van. Now, over 4 years later and thanks to the support of theur many wonderful customers, friends, partners and suppliers, Good & Proper Tea has grown to a flagship Tea Bar, an online store, a growing network of cafe and restaurant partners - and of course the van. All are driven by a determination to deliver good and proper cups of tea.
Olive Branch, Olive Oil.
Their olive grove is just outside the city of Ierapetra. As you drive out of the city, you are met with fields of olive trees as this is now farming country. They work with the neighbouring farmers in a co-operative structure, preserving traditional harvesting methods and respecting age old traditions. Together, they grow the Koroneiki variety of olive, harvested at the same time of the year and cold pressed at the same community co-operative that has been the soul of the community for many generations.
L & AE Munns and Son.
We only use cold pressed rapeseed oil from Munns & Son farm which consists of about 500 acres of arable land and is run as a family business by husband and wife team George and Jane Munns and daughter Lucy Munns. The farm has gained an enviable reputation for the conservation work undertaken and takes environmental protection and enhancement very seriously indeed.
William Rose, Organic & Free Range Butchers.
William Rose is an independent, family owned butchers founded in Vauxhall in 1862, making it one of the oldest in London. They moved to East Dulwich in August 2005. At William Rose, quality is key. They stock rare and common breeds, reared according to the strictest animal welfare standards. They stock many rare breeds such as Longhorn and Red Poll beef, as well as Blythburgh free range pork and salt marsh lamb.
Persepolis Peckham, Spices.
I love Sally and Mr Shopkeeper. This couple import spices from exotic places across the Middle East and provide tireless and exemplary hospitality in their wonderful shop / cafe / restaurant. Once you enter their fabulous shop, it’s neigh on impossible to leave.