CRYSTAL PALACE VOTED BEST FOOD MARKET IN BRITAIN
Crystal Palace Food Market have been voted the best in Britain by vistors to the loveFOOD website.
Edging ahead of St George’s market in Belfast, Crystal Palace food market took first place with a 32 per cent share of the vote among nine contenders.
LoveFOOD describe the market in Haynes Lane as: “A community not-for-profit initiative, it is run by volunteers and aims to support small farmers and local food producers.
“Stallholders sell a wide range of sustainable produce from cured meats to cheeses, fruit and veg and much more.”
A food market spokesperson said: “Thanks to all your votes, we’ve been named Best Food Market in the UK! “Thanks so much to loveFOOD.com and of course to you all. “Your week-in week-out support means so much to everyone involved in the market.”
THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET:
One of the things we love most is working with local community groups. This week James Dixon school will be on the Patchwork Farm stall selling potatoes their kids grew at school. Would your group like to be a part of the market? We’d love you to get in touch & let us know your ideas.
Plus… Jacob’s Ladder are now back at the market every week, and our Crystal Palace Transition Town July newsletter is out.
Kids (5-11 years) – mindfulness sessions: Join Wave Mindfulness with their games & experiments that help to understand our thoughts and feelings, learn how to take yourself from crazy to calm, or ‘squash’ your worries. For mums and dads there will be Neal’s Yard Remedies samples to try, and you are also welcome to join in the practice. Suggested donation £2 (bring an empty small clear water bottle if you can). For ages 5-11 years. 11-2pm
Kids – Rocky Balloons: Did you get a chance to check out Rocky and his balloons last time he was here? He’ll be by from 1-2pm to make kids balloon sculptures. All donations welcome to his collection for breast cancer research & the fire fighters charity.
Transition Kids trip to the Natural History Museum: There’s just a few places left for this seriously cool day trip on July 28th. Details and booking here.
James Dixon School will be selling freshly dug potatoes the kids grew at school. Find them on the Patchwork Farm stall. Congratulations to James Dixon for their Gold Penge in Bloom award!
Guest lunch – Emma & Ian’s Kitchen: Emma says “So as well as our usual amazing melty raclette, we’re expanding to include more meze style food that can either be eaten then and there, or put into pots to take away. ALL home made of course. Includes various flavours of hummus (chickpea, beetroot, pea) tabouleh, sweet potato and chilli bites, spinach and feta bites, pea and mint tortilla, guacamole, salsa, pitta, olives. Erm think that’s it. Though I will keep adding to it… :-)”
Lunch – weekly: Deli items from Comfort & Joy, proper ham sandwiches (or pastrami – and you can add cheese too) from The Charcuterie Board and Jacob’s Ladder burgers are back at last!
Meat by Jacob’s Ladder Farms: Jayne says “This week we’ve got 20% off lamb and mint sausages made with the very first of our own new season lamb! Yay! Made with my own fair hands using freshly chopped mint.” Jayne’s learning butchery & she’s excited about it. 😀 Jacob’s Ladder are a collective of tiny organic and biodynamic farms in East Sussex and Kent that farm using traditional methods with rare breed animals, and come together to sell at Crystal Palace Food Market.
Wine by Le Grappin: Artisan wine from this Forest Gate couple. Emma says “We have been in Beaune this week and today we had a lovely visit with our Mâcon-Villages grower – beautiful vineyards and amazing that all four generations of this grape-growing family are involved in their business. We’ll have this wine by refill and #Bagnums on Saturday… come and say hello to Amber who’ll be pouring this week.”
Cured meats from The Charcuterie Board: Owen’s news goes like this “OMG, the latest batch of Wild Fennel Saucisson from Moons Green is delicious. Fred will sell you some if he doesn’t eat it all. Also making a reappearance is Native Breeds Wild Boar, Juniper & Caraway Salami. Available by the half or whole. Muscles this week are the usual cooked ham, brisket and belly, with a limited amount of guanciale for those of you who want to make carbonara the proper way, or just want some glorious dried bacon on toast. ‘Nduja is as spicy as ever, and there will be Beer Sticks for all, but no crackling this week I’m afraid, we just didn’t get round to it. Ham sarnies £4, pastrami £5, and ask Fred nicely to add cheese to either for £1. And stand by for a super-exciting announcement next week…” The Charcuterie Board supplies British cured meats from Moons Green & Native Breeds.
Cheese from Blackwoods Cheese: Dave’s promising “a full criminal set this week, the convicts William Heaps and Edmund Tew and a cheddar style cheese called Lincolnshire poacher.” Blackwood’s Cheese are an artisan cheesemonger based in Brockley, who use organic milk from Kent.
Bee and butterfly friendly herb & flowering plants from Gipsy Hill Herbs: Sarah says “This week we have ruby chard, delicious lemon flavoured sorrel, French beans, salad rocket & a wide variety of mints and basils plus orange and lemon thymes and pineapple, tangerine and blackcurrant sages. Try growing curry plant & lemon balm together to repel cats or what about firey purple chillies with Salvia ‘Hot Lips’!? Flowers this week include Penstemon ‘Heavenly Blue’, both pink & white Gaura, pot marigolds & English, French & Cotton lavenders. Usual deal of 3 for just £5.Plus bunches of cut lavender. Hope to see you there.” All plants grown with minimal environmental impact on a small independent nursery in Wallington. Follow Sarah on twitter – @GipsyHillHerbs.
Sustainably caught fish from Veasey’s: Dan says “Both boats have been out this week but it has been a slow one for NN733 although yesterday night did pick up so we are hoping for a decent catch this evening. P1007 (Kastel Paol) is currently fishing purely for whelks with its new crew after being out of action for 12 days, so if you fancy trying these snail like delicacies then contact us and we will bring you some up live, cooked in shell or picked and ready to eat. P.S Please vote for us in the Sussex Food and Drink awards in the Sussex Food Shop of the Year 2016 category. Thank you!”
Fresh fish – line caught sea bass £17.95kg, whole Sussex mackerel £7.95kg, Butterfield Sussex mackerel£1.45/100g, wild sea trout fillets £2.95/100g, whole wild sea trout £15.95kg, pot caught south coast lobster £26.00kg, small bass fillets £3.50 each or 4 for £12.00, sushi quality tuna £3.20/100g, organic salmon fillets £4.00 each (180-200g), Cornish rock oysters £1.20 each, Cornish mussels £6.00kg, large wild prawns £3.75/100g, wild samphire £1.20/100g, dressed crab £6.00 each. There will be more as our boat and others are out this evening (Friday night). You can place an order in advance, or make a special request by phone on 01342 822906, by email on [email protected] and on Twitter @FishmongersFR Veasey and Sons. Find their recipe page here and here’s one for Fisherman’s Pie. Been wondering where Veasey’s stands on the seal shootings in Scotland? Check below for their statement.
Gluten free/dairy free/yeast free by Elvira’s Secret Pantry: Cakes – blueberry-lemon, raspberry-rosewater, rhubarb-almond, very berry fruit tarts, chocolate tartlets, lemon polenta. Savouries – asparagus tart, spinach-leek tart, tomato-olive tart. Drinks – Homemade mint-ginger lemonade. Breads. Vegan also available. Congratulations to Elvira – she is launching her range at Selfridges at the end of the month!
Cakes by Eat & Mess: From Kate “Hello hello! We have got the stall staples – chocolate Guinness cake with piles of dreamy cream cheese frosting, gingerbread men decked out in their summer attire, classic chocolate and cheesecake brownies, and then we’ve also whipped up some hummingbird loaf cakes with lemony frosting and home made curd decoration, millionaire shortbreads, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, Hershey’s cookie dough chocolate and extra white chocolate (because why not?!) cookies, summer berry and vanilla cheesecake with an Oreo base, bee sting cakes with creme patisserie filling (come early for these… they fly off the stall- get it? Never mind…), gluten free hazelnut meringue cake with apricot and custard frosting, fluffy pillowy marshmallows in vanilla and raspberry flavours- (pick and mix as you like!) and finally our summer name sake – Eton mess tartlets – sweet pastry topped with white chocolate mousse, fresh strawberries and chunks of home made vanilla meringue. Happy holidays! P.S Don’t forget you can sign up to a class with me if you fancy learning some of your own mean skills in the kitchen – a ‘market classics’ class is now up on the website too! Xx”
Storecupboard refills from The Grain Grocer: Sara’s written a very sweet new blog. Check it out. Don’t forget if you bring your own container you get 5% off. In a rush on Saturdays? You can now pre order on the website for click and collect.
Raw milk, butter, cream etc: From Hook and Son’s farmer Steve’s own organic herd near Eastbourne. The cows are out on the pasture now so everything tastes sweet. There is sometimes ethically raised rose veal from their own herd, alongside organic yoghurt, butter, ghee, cream and yoghurt drinks.
Fruit, veg & salad: Stein & crew at Brambletye, Jason, Paul, Tim etc at Brockmans, Adrian et al at Wild Country Organics and our own CP Patchwork Farm posse.
Brambletye Farm have new season gooseberries in this week. Yum. Stop by and chat to the new guy on the stall – he’s called Jason.
Brockmans: From Jason “Lots of very fresh salad items like Battavia lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions and mixed leaves, plus courgettes. Why not try land cress, it has a higher nutritional value than watercress. I just think it tastes great.
Also at the market this weekend – carrots, aubergines, large & mini cucumbers, bell peppers, red romano peppers, new Charlotte potatoes, french beans, salad rocket, land cress, strawberries (limited numbers), golden plums, apricots, grapefruits and bananas.
On The Farm – A fine week, and even more coming to the fore from good weather with the odd spell of rain. Matt gave the potato harvester a bit of TLC before we headed out to harvest our first full crate of Charlotte potatoes; if you haven’t tried them yet you’re in for a treat! Beautiful little waxy potatoes, with a yellow flesh.
Overall there’s been a lot more weeding this week, with brush weeding of kale a priority before they became too large to properly work. After that on to the hand and hoe weeding, with crops really showing off when given the chance to excel in their environment.
Otherwise work is carrying on, with wintering crops already starting to be drilled, from spinach to kale we’re way ahead in terms of planning, so there should be plenty over the colder months! The beetroot drilled the other month is really showing signs of its health, so we can’t wait until they’re ready.
For all our market news, tweets & photographs: Brockmans Farm. Check out more pictures and videos on the farm Twitter feed.”
Patchwork Farm: Buy, sell or swap locally grown produce. Please do bring any excess seedlings you might like to exchange. Everyone’s welcome to volunteer on this stall – just ask at the stall.
Eggs: From Brambletye & Hook.
Bread: From Chas & Momo’s Thornton Heath bakery, Bread Bread (at the Grain Grocer) and Brockwell Bake (on Jacob’s Ladder).
Handmade Palace: From Beth “This week we’ve got CP inspired pencil drawings, framed art work, mugs, coasters, crochet work, ceramics, wash/make up bags & jewellery. You can see a preview of our artists’ work on our Facebook page.” Gift wrapping available. Email Beth for more information, or to ask about joining.
Antenna Cafe: will be open all day for coffee, cake or glass of something stronger if you prefer.
Would your kid like a taste of being on a stall? Free stalls available for kids, run by kids, swapping books, stickers, cars etc. Get in touch via email. For ages 6 and up.
Into yoga/ballet/zumba or more? Check out the classes at Antenna Studios.
Check out our next door neighbours Haynes Lane Market. It’s a treasure trove of eclectic collectables in there!
The Foodbank: The latest drop off (Tuesday 7 July) was 20.2kg. Total so far is 502.5kg! Thanks everyone. Collection point at the market every week.
CRYSTAL PALACE FOOD MARKET bottom of Haynes Lane / top of Bedwardine Road. Saturdays 10 am to 3 pm.
Now on two sites – the normal Antenna car park site and also in the Haynes Lane market courtyard.
“Meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, honey, bread, cakes, salads, hot foods, the Cafe Thing, coffee, tea, pastries, cheese, dairy and munch munch more.”
West Norwood Food bank collection: every week at the market. Their shopping list – which changes every so often. – can be found at
http://norwoodbrixton.foodbank.org.uk
(The above is copied from an email; which mentions various links – for full links please go to the market website – Thanks)