Green Island Fresh Foods
47 Broadway Market, Hackney E8 4PH ® 07884 195 557
Open Daily 8am-9pm all year
Overground Cambridge Heath, London Fields Bus 236
There is a 10cm step into the shop and a raised area at the rear
Green Island seems to have almost every ingredient you would ever want for a delicious supper or a summer picnic on nearby London
Fields. They have a wide range of familiar vegetables, from red peppers to Cyprus potatoes as well as purple carrots, golden beetroot and exotic fruits such as kumquats and black figs. Many items are organic, such as the herbal teas and yoghurts, and you can always order things not in stock. One reason to shop here is that the owner selects the best-selling organic wines in Britain, so you don’t have to ponder which one is best for an impromptu dinner party – whatever bottle you buy here will be appreciated by your guests.
Chegworth Farm Shop
221 Kensington Church Street, W8 7LX
® 0207 229 3016 www.cheqworth.com
Open Monday-Saturday 8am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm
Tube Notting Hill Gate
Bus 27, 28, 52, 70, 328, 390, 452
The shop is wheelchair accessible
It is no surprise that the shelves at the front of this organic grocers are full to the ceiling with bottles of Chegworth Farm juices. Raspberries, pears, apples and beetroots are all pressed in small batches on their family-run fruit farm in the Kent countryside.
R. Garcia and Sons Delicatessen
R. Garcia and Sons Delicatessen
246 Portobello Road, W11 1LL a 020 7221 6119 www.rqarciaandsons.com
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday and Monday 10am-6pm Tube Ladbroke Grove Bus 7, 10, 18, 31, 70, 228, 328, 452
There is a small step at the entrance but wheelchair users can usually manage this Discovering R. Garcia and Sons is like finding edible treasure in the middle of London. Tins of anchovies, fresh olives, salty manchego cheese, almond turron, fig jam, squid ink and giant white beans are all waiting to be picked off the shelf. As well as a range of delicious staples, here you’ll find produce not available anywhere else in London, such as Xorchata tiger nut drink and lemon cologne, both perfect on hot summer days when London feels as sultry as Madrid.
In December, the shop is filled with extravagantly wrapped Spanish Christmas delicacies, making this the perfect place to buy delicious presents. The shop has been here for over sixty years and is so well stocked that Spaniards travel here from as far as Valencia and Seville to buy their padron peppers and pickled garlic.
East London Sausage Company
57 Orford Road, Walthamstow E17 9NJ S 020 8520 4060 Open Tuesday-Saturday 8.30am-7pm, Sunday 10am-2pm Tube Walthamstow Central Bus 97, 257, 357, W11, W15, W16 The shop is wheelchair accessible
Every day of the week, a team of butchers are busy in the rear kitchens, stuffing 47 varieties of sausage. From Essex county pork to German bratworst, and strings of traditional Cumberland or Spanish chorizo, there are plenty to choose from. There is even a lemon, coriander and chicken sausage, but no vegetarian options in this meat emporium. Unusual versions include Highland venison with port and wild boar with forest fruits, and you can also pick up a box of free- range eggs and jars of locally made chutneys from the counter. One of the best ways to appreciate fast food which has been made slowly and carefully, sausages are an ideal supper dish.
Ganache Chocolatier
80 Brewer Street, Soho W1F 9TZ ® 020 7439 9119
Open Sunday-Thursday 10am-midnight, Friday and Saturday 10am- 1am
Tube Piccadilly Circus Bus 3, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23, 38, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453
There is wheelchair access to the shop and cafe, with two pavement tables outdoors
With over a hundred different chocolates to choose from, it is very difficult to know which ones to try first. From cocoa-dusted truffles to marzipan, almond, fondant and coffee centres, these Belgian chocolates are perfect miniature interval treats during an evening at the theatre. The small shop and cafe stays open late, so after a trip to the cinema you can drop in for some pistachio baklava and a macchiato. This small patisserie also has a huge range of Turkish delight, from pomegranate, sour cherry, mint and apple flavour to the more traditional rosewater and lemon. As well as maple syrup and walnut or raspberry waffle fudge, they also stock Turkish coffee, and sugar- and fat-free chocolates for diabetics and anyone who prefers a slightly less indulgent treat.
Panache Chocolate Shop
35 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7NL a 020 7235 8819 www.panache.co.uk Open Monday-Friday 10am-7pm Tube Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge Bus 14, 16, 38, 52, 73, 74, 82, 414, 436, C1
There is one small step at the entrance to the shop and no access to the rear, but staff can bring items for customers
Most of the chocolates in Panache are imported from France, and with over fifty varieties behind the counter you are spoilt for choice. Staff will fill pretty boxes with marron glaces, hazelnut praline, dark chocolate squares, marzipan delights and chocolate-coated brazil nuts. This may be the only place in London you can buy macaronio – mini versions of the quintessential^ French macaroons. At the rear of the shop you can find christening and baby shower gifts, including silver bowls, crystal trinkets and elegant Czech glass vases. Whatever you buy here will be beautifully wrapped by hand.
Ambala Foods
112 Drummond Street, NW1 2HL S 0845 003 5655 www.ambalafoods.com Open Daily 9am-8.30pm Tube Euston, Warren Street Bus 18, 24, 27, 29, 68, 88, 134, 153, 168, 476
The shop is wheelchair accessible and has automatic doors
This Drummond Street branch is probably the quietest of Ambala’s six London shops selling Pakistani and Indian sweets and savouries. It is hard to walk out of the door without buying a few slices of crisp walnut baklawa dripping with syrup. If you are ever at a loss about what gifts to take to a dinner party, some succulent rasgulla, jalebis and rich, milky barfis and carrot halwas would delight any host. For weddings or Eid celebrations, take a box of gold-wrapped urad ladoo with their sweet, nutty texture. And for a very cheap, filling lunch, a bag of hot cauliflower and potato pakoras go very well with a jar of Ambala’s own chilli and mango mixed pickle.
Carmelli Bakery
126-28 Golders Green Road, NW11 8HB ® 020 8455 2074 www.carmelli.co.uk
Open Sunday-Friday 6am-1am, closed Saturday and Jewish holidays
Tube Golders Green Bus 83, 102, 210, 268, 460
The shop is wheelchair accessible
Danish pastries, smoked salmon bagels and chocolate croissants are piled high in this kosher bakery in Golders Green. This is a convivial place to pick up a lunchtime snack or a cholla bread on your way home from work. They stay open late most nights of the week, so you don’t have to worry about hunger pangs after a trip to the cinema. The shop has won prizes for its delicious rugelach and cheesecakes, and for a quick lunch you can take away a couscous dish or a freshly baked vegetable quiche. In the chill cabinet you can also find dairy-free cakes for a special occasion.
The Grocer on Elgin
6 Elgin Crescent, W11 2HX S 020 7221 3844 www.theqroceron.com
Open Monday-Friday 7am-8pm, Saturday 7am-7pm, Sunday 7am- 6pm
Tube Ladbroke Grove Bus 7, 23, 31, 228, 295, 452
There is a small step at the door but help is available
The Grocer on Elgin is one of a small chain of three independent London grocers which offer excellent produce to anyone who loves to eat delicious food. From their artisanal breads in the window to the cheese quiches and berry tarts on slate platters, this is a dream location for gourmets. This branch also has a small cafe at the rear, where professional chefs create dishes to tempt even the most fussy eaters. Their beetroot and quince soup is an unusual interpretation of a classic dish and you can also have pizza or a plate of ratatouille. After a morning coffee, why not do your weekly shop here? Fill up on dried pasta, empanadas, organic eggs, raspberries, olive oil, fresh tomatoes and halloumi cheese parcels.
Cheeses
13 Fortis Green Road, Muswell Hill N10 3HP S 020 8444 9141 www.cheesesonline.co.uk
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9.30am-5.30pm
Tube East Finchley Bus 43, 102, 134, 144, 184, 234, W7
The shop is accessible but is very narrow. There’s an accessible pavement stall outside on Saturdays from 10am
Even if the sight of white camembert and blue-veined Stilton in the window doesn’t lure you inside this specialist cheese shop, the pungent smell of ripening Colston Bassett coming from the interior probably will. This is a good place to ask about the provenance of each cheese and to find out about the best one for your particular palate. Or you can just drop by and pick up a soft ewe’s milk to spread on an oat cracker with a glass of red wine later on. Here you can find mustards by Wiltshire Tracklements, cheese slates and bars of dark chocolate. On Saturday, pick up a crusty olive flute baguette and sample what’s on offer that day from the street stall. Look out for the traditional rounds of cheese underneath the blue umbrella.
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