Help London’s bees ❋ Food deserts ten years on ❋ Organic coffee

Just our cup oftea:

London’s love for Fairtrade food

winter 2011

issue 30

Freemagazine

Sustainable fish swaps

Is your detox ethical?

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Tuck in!4 Bulletin

6 Around Town

7 Shop WindowMelroseandMorgan

8 To MarketSuttonFarmersʼMarket

8 What’s in season

11FeatureFooddeserts12Feature FairtradeinLondon14 Local to LondonProvidenceOrganics

15Feature SustainableFishCity16 FeatureIsyourdetoxethical?19Capital Growth

19Growing Calendar

20Reader’s KitchenJemimaRoberts

21 London Food LinkWestminsterArtisans

22What’s on

TheJellied Eel isaquarterlymagazinepublishedbyLondonFoodLinkandBIGMedia.Ithasacirculationof20,000andisdistributedtoallLondonFoodLinkmembers,aswellasfoodretailers,restaurantsandentertainmentvenues.Disclaimer:inclusionofinformationintheJellied EeldoesnotimplytheproductorserviceisendorsedbyLondonFoodLinkorSustain.Wedonotcondonetheconsumptionofjelliedeels,asmanyeelstocksarecurrentlyverylow.

EditorBenReynoldsDeputyEditorKellyParsonsBIGMediaDirectorJamieFordArtdirectionanddesignClareHillContributorsMattAtkinson,MichaelDees,JenniferGaskin,ClareHill,GeorgieKnight,TomMoggach,AnnaSbuttoniandMichaelWaleCoverAndrewEthuruofMichimkuruteacompanyandCafédirect,byJulianWinslowEditorialenquiriesben@sustainweb.orgor02078371228www.londonfoodlink.orgDistributionenquiriestostocktheJelliedEelthejelliedeel@sustainweb.orgor02078371228Advertisingandsponsorshipenquiriesjamieford@mac.comorphone07900496979

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T hephrase“neverwasteagoodcrisis”seemstobeonmanylipsoflate,echoingthearchedeyebrow

ofdisbeliefasrevelationisheapeduponrevelationaboutwhatthenewgovernmentcancomeupwithnext.WhileIcanonlyreallypasscommentontheschemesdreamedupthataffectfood,itwouldappearthatthereisaslightlyabsurdtrendemergingwhichwillwindtheclockbackfromyearsofprogress.Thisisnomoreevidentthaninthehealthsector.Wehaveseenfrontpagenewsofthegovernment’sdecisiontoleavenutritionpolicytothecompaniesthatarearguablymosttoblameforthestateofthecountry’sdiets.Farfromfollowingʻthepolluterpaysʼprinciple,itwouldappearitpaystobeapolluter–ifyouaren’tcausingenoughdamagetothenation’shealth,thenyoudon’tgetaseataroundthetable!Joiningthecompaniesonthese‘responsibilitydeal’networksareahandfulofhealthexperts,manyofwhomalreadyadmittheydon’tthinkthisapproachwillwork.Ihopeyoudon’tthinkmealazy

liberal,astakingaswipeatgovernmentpolicyhasneverbeeneasier.Butvoluntarymeasures,thesortsofwhicharebeingprescribedbyAndrewLansleywhohassetupthenetworks,donotwork.Hastrafficlightlabellingbeenadoptedbyallcompanies?No.Areallsupermarketsabidingbythecodeofconductforfairdealingwiththeirsuppliers?No.Havealljunkfoodcompaniesstoppedpromotingtheirproductstochildren?No.Weneedtomakeitcleartogovernmentthathandingoverfoodandhealthpolicytobigbusinesswillnotdo.PleasesignthepetitionʻUKHealthDepartment:StopSeekingAdvicefromJunkFoodProducersʼathttp://chn.ge/bHIFBLandwatchthisspaceformoreaction.

Lookingbeyondhealthtoanothercrucialissue:fishstocks.Wehavefoundmanycompanieswhosupporttheideaofalevelplayingfieldforbuyingstandards–somethingthatcanonlybeproducedbylegislation.Inthemeantime,theOlympicshascreatedacateringstandardbanningall‘atrisk’species(asidentifiedbytheMarineConservationSociety)fromgamescatering.BuildingonthemomentumfromtheseOlympiccommitments,andthesupportoftheMayorofLondon’sbodies(thepolice,firebrigadeandTransportforLondon),we’rebackinganewcampaign–SustainableFishCity.Butmanymorecoulddoworsethanusingtheruleofthumb:‘avoidingtheworst,promotingthebest,andimprovingtherest’toallaspectsofLondon’sfishconsumption(Seepage15).ButIdon’twanttoleaveyouin

theʻsloughofdespondʼ–thereisplentytocelebrate,asshowninthestoriesoverthefollowingpages.NonemoresothanFairtradeFortnight,whicharrivesattheendofFebruary(Seepage12),bringingwithitawelcomesupplyofchocolate,teaandcoffee(andobviouslymuchmore)tohelpcheerupourearly2011.

BenEditor

Say hello to theJellied Eel

Photo: Pamela Troni

British

Interactive

Media

Association

Awards

Local food delivery service Hubbub beat Tesco to win top prize in the Retail, Services & Utilities category

Beans mean fairTheFairtrademarkhasbeenpoppinguponsomeunexpectedplacesrecently–likebakedbeansandbeansprouts–thankstoanewFairtradestandardforpulses.ThewhitekidneyandmungbeansbehindthesenewarrivalscomefromagroupoffarmerslivinginoneofChina’spoorestregionsinInnerMongolia,andpremiumsfromthesaleswillbeinvestedinlocalschools.www.seriouslyorganic.co.uk

Cafédirect São Tomé instant hot chocolate

SãoTomé,alsoknownasChocolateIsland,issteepedincocoafarminghistory.Ithasanunparalleledreputationforgrowingsomeofthemostprizedcocoabeansonearth,duetoitslocationontheequator,richsoilsandtheperfectbalanceoftemperature

foundthere,alongwiththehumidityandforestshade.Onlyfouringredientsandnoaddednasties!www.cafedirect.co.uk

First Fairtrade product from Afghanistan AfghanraisinshaveareputationforbeingamongthebestanywhereandTropicalWholefoodshasbeenworkingwithinternationalNGOMercyCorpsandtheParwanRaisinProducerCo-operative,basednearKabul,tobringthemtotheUK.Becauseofsecurityintheregion,Fairtradeauditorshaven’tbeenabletocarryoutphysicalinspections,butthankstoacompromiseonthecertificationprocess,wewon’tmissoutonthesesucculent,high-qualitydriedfruit.www.tropicalwholefoods.com

Shoppingbasket

Fairtrade

BBC Food &FarmingAwards2 010

Joint runner up Best Drinks Producer Sipsmith, London

Joint runner up Best Food Market Growing Communities, London

www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/ffa/2010/finalists

The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org 5

Food waste tips❋ Planyourportions–ensureyoudonʼtoverdoyourdinnerbyusingthishandytool:www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/everyday_perfect_portions

❋ Checkstoredfruitandveglikeapplesorsquashestomakesuretheyʼrenotoff–touseupquicklyjuicethemormakesoupandfreeze

❋ Mashupoverripebananasanduseincakes,muffinsorpancakebatter

MaresaBossano

A lesson in good food TheLondonSchoolofEconomics(LSE)wasoneof22organisationsrecognisedattherecentGoodFoodonthePublicPlateawards,runbySustainandtheGreaterLondonAuthority.Theawardscelebratethosenon-profitorganisationsworkingtomakesurethemealstheyservearenotonlytastyandvalueformoney,butgoodfortheenvironment,andwinnershavemadeoneormoresignificantchanges.LSE,forexample,convertedtousingonlyfreerangeeggsandcompostsfoodwaste.CateringmanagerLizThomassaid:“Incircumstanceswherethereisconstantpressureoncostreductionitwouldbeeasytoignoresustainability,animalwelfareandethicalsourcing.Howeverwearecommittedtoimprovingthelotofworkersandanimalsinthefoodchainandreducingnegativeenvironmentalimpact.”OtherwinnersincludedSuttonCouncil,nowservingschoolchildrenfishfromcertifiedsustainablesources,andImperialCollege,whichbuysseasonalvegetablesfromafarminKent.Forafullreportseewww.thejelliedeel.org

London lager

Meantime’snewlageruseslocalingredients(Kentishhops,East-AnglianbarleyandLondonwater).Producedintheirnewpurpose-builtbreweryinGreenwich,LondonLageriscoldmatured(ieleftalone!)forsixweeksbeforeitgetssenttoshopsandpubs.YoucanfindthebeeratanumberofoutletsaroundLondon,butforthefullrange,gotoitspubTheGreenwichUnion.www.greenwichunion.comwww.meantimebeers.com

Rootsy delightsDescribedas‘rootsy,healing,refreshingandflavourfulwithakicktoit!’,RootsGingerBeeristhecreationofTottenham-basedveganfoodanddrinkmanufacturer,MightyVegDelights.Madewithfreshgingerandfreshlysqueezedlemonjuice,andasprinklingofFairtradesugar,italsomakesagreatmixerforcocktails.Fordetailsonwheretobuygotowww.mightyvegdelights.com

Spice Caravan falafelThefalafelmadebySpiceCaravan,arefugeecateringenterprisebasedinNorthLondon,mightbeinspiredbytheflavoursofMorocco,Egypt,SudanandEritrea,buttheyarenowmadewithlocally-growndriedfieldbeansfromtheUK!TrythematQueen’sParkfarmers’marketonthefirstandthirdSundayofthemonth.spicecaravan@hotmail.com

Shoppingbasket

4 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org

A new market for food vouchersHealthyStartvouchers–whichprovidemilk,freshfruitandvegetables,andinfantformula,topregnantwomenandfamilieswithyoungchildrenthatareoncertainbenefits–arenowacceptedbyLondonFarmers’Markets.Stallholderssigneduptotheschemesofarare:MilletsFruit;BuryLaneFarmShop;Ted’sVeg;WildCountryOrganics;BrambleTyeFruitFarmandManorFarmShop.Checkonlineatwww.lfm.org.uktoseewhichmarketstheyappearat.

BulletinAspreadofthelatestsustaina

blefoodnews

Sustainable fish sandwich surveyWetrawledaroundLondon’ssandwichsellerstofindthemostethicalofferings.ThejointwinnerswereMarks&SpencerandtheCo-opfortheirexcellentfishbuyingpoliciesandcommunicationtocustomers.Forthefullreportonoursurvey,includingtheworstoffenders,pleaseseewww.thejelliedeel.org

Photo: Robin. Creative Commons http://bit.ly/hW386j

6 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org 7

stroud green

around townGet into what’s happening in your area

taking it to the streets again City / sW1Street Kitchen will be taking its New York-style food truck on the road again in early 2011, with plans to pop up in the City, and also around Sloane Square. In the first venture of its kind in the UK, last October saw Jun Tanaka, executive chef at Pearl Restaurant, and Mark Jankel, chef and founder of The Food Initiative, take to the streets of London in an Airstream kitchen, cooking up British seasonal food for Londoners to eat on the go, with all produce bought directly from sustainable and organic UK farms and producers.

Follow @streetkitchen on twitter for updates

ChiCkens in (grey) Court tW10Grey Court School in Ham, Richmond, is one step closer to its dream of setting up a school farm. With the help of local campaigning group School Food Matters, it reached the finals of ITV’s People’s Millions competition, winning funding to keep free range hens in secure enclosures on the school grounds, and set up an egg-selling enterprise. As well as helping other local schools rear chickens, Grey Court will have a ‘hen hotel’ in the holidays for all local school chickens, cared for by the part-time poultry keeper, who will also teach students and locals about chicken keeping. Local families can also get involved, by boarding some chickens in the holidays.

www.schoolfoodmatters.com

PeoPle’s kitChen oPens for business WC1The People’s Supermarket co-operative in Lamb’s Conduit Street now features a kitchen, turning food from the store which would otherwise go to waste, into ready-prepared meals. A broken bag of lentils becomes a spicy dahl, bruised apples are used for apple crumble, and damaged oranges equal an orange cake. Lasagnes, curries, quiches, salads and soups are prepared with no additives or flavouring, from recipes supplied by the supermarket’s founder, chef and sustainability pioneer Arthur Potts Dawson.

www.thepeoplessupermarket.org

tottenham

riChmond

City

bloomsbury

Chelsea

next stage in the CyCle n4Station House Community Café is the first of a series of cafés to be launched by food-recycling project FoodCycle. The café uses FoodCycle’s model of combining young volunteers and surplus food to create nutritious meals and positive social change in the community, and is open every Friday lunchtime, at MIND, Station House, 73c Stapleton Hall Road, N4 3QF.

www.foodcycle.org.uk

windowSHOp

Afterestablishingagrocery/deliinPrimroseHillin2004,ownersNickSelbyandIanJamesrecentlyopenedasistershopinHampstead.ClareHilltookapeek…AccordingtoNick,theideabehindMelroseandMorganis“torecreatethefeelofafarmers’marketsevendaysaweek.”Albeitasmallandstylishone–withartfullymismatchedVictoriantilesandshelves,anddoorshewnfromrecycledcheeseboardsandvintageschooldesks.LiketheoriginalstoreinGloucesterAvenue,NW1,the

newshop,justacrossfromHampsteadtube,sellsarangeoflarderingredientssuchasoils,vinegarsandpreserves,aswellasbread,milk,packagedmeat,eggs,cheesesandseasonalfruittobuyloose.Theothersideoftheirofferingispre-preparedfood,foreatingnowordinnerlater:thinkdoorstepeggandcresssandwiches,cottagepie,heartysoupsandchickencurry.Acentraltableheaveswithfreshlybakedcakes,tarts,pastriesandbiscuits–allpreparedonsiteorinMelroseandMorgan’sproductionkitcheninChalkFarm.Deliveriesaremadewiththecompany’selectricvan.Acommitmenttoqualityandsustainableandlocal

foodisreflectedinthestandardofproduce.Allthemeatisfree-rangeandorganic,thesamegoesforeggsandmilk.AndatMelroseandMorgan,therereallyisnocod–theirfishpiecontainspollackandorganicfarmedsalmoninsteadoftheover-fishednationalfavourite.FamiliarnameslikeNeal’sYardCheeses,MonmouthCoffeeandChegworthValley(applesandjuices)arealsostocked.Regent’sParkhoneyisproudlyonsaletoo–acaseofmeasuring‘foodyards’not‘foodmiles’.Nicksaysthattheopeningoftheoriginalstorereceived

quitealotofpress,asoneofanumberofestablishmentsblazingatrailforBritish,local,seasonalfoodsixyearsago.“Weweresocommittedto‘Britishness’werefusedtosellcroissants,andmadeourownChelseabunsinstead.”ButMelroseandMorganalsopridesitselfonlisteningtoitscustomers,andheconcedesthatabalancealwaysneedstobestruck:“Chicken,leekandprunesteweventuallygavewaytocoqauvin,andwedonowsellcroissantsandthingslikechorizo.Wecouldn’tbeallaboutboiledbeefandcarrots.”

OrielHall,OrielPlaceNW31QNwww.melroseandmorgan.com

broadWater’s harmony gardens n17 At the end of last year, the public decided to award £50,000 to Harmony Gardens, a Haringey community gardening project, as part of The People’s Millions – a partnership between the BIG Lottery Fund and ITV. The project, run by charity Back2Earth, works with the local community to provide flourishing, local food-growing community gardens, on the empty ground around the Broadwater Farm Community Centre. The project also aims to provide: green gyms and community vegetable growing, with raised beds for easy access; a cordoned fruit tree tunnel walkway; a productive, organic children’s nature garden; beekeeping with beehives; a polytunnel for propagation; and a potting shed/eco building.

www.back2earth.org.uk

Melrose and Morgan

tufnell Park balCony garden Provides £669 of food n19Can you grow £500 worth of food without a garden or an allotment? That’s the target North London resident Mark Ridsdill Smith set himself in May last year. And by 8 October he’d already beaten it by £169 – all from his 9 x 6 foot north-west facing balcony and six window sills. “Few people realise just how much you can grow in a tiny space” said Mark. “My balcony and window sills produced the equivalent of 100 bags of salad, 120 packets of herbs and 92 punnets of tomatoes – as well as runner beans, courgettes, mange tout, carrots, potatoes, blueberries and strawberries.” He added: “A big advantage of balcony growing is that you can keep a constant eye on your crops and harvest your food five minutes before you eat. It doesn’t get fresher than that!” Even if you have only a few windowsills, you can still grow several hundred pounds of food a year. Mark estimates that over £200 of food came from his four south-facing window sills.

www.verticalveg.org.uk

tufnell Park

Photo: Terrie Schweitzer. Creative Commons http://bit.ly/gDEvBr

To market what’s in JAnuAryCrab A surprising starter for dinner with friends. Buy a whole crab and honour the crustacean with pride of place on the kitchen table. Roll up your sleeves, then get cracking with a hammer and skewer. Look for pot-caught crabs over 14cms wide, and buy whole crabs rather than crab claws (claws are often removed from live crabs, with the clawless crabs then

put back in the sea to starve). Also avoid egg-bearing

females to give them a chance to breed; crabs tend to spawn in the winter months. Also in season beetroot, celeriac, horseradish, Jerusalem

artichokes, leeks, red cabbage, rock oysters,

scallops (choose dive caught), swede.

FeBruAryForced Rhubarb More pricey than outdoor rhubarb, with tender stalks of vivid pink. Roast until tender in a moderate oven, adding a generous sprinkle of brown sugar, lemon zest, and squeeze of orange juice. Also in season Brussels tops and sprouts, cabbage, kale, mussels, onions, pollack, purple sprouting broccoli, rock oysters.

MArCHChicory Often paired with nuts and blue cheese, but your best bet is in the oven. Cut in half lengthways, dab with butter and honey, season and then roast until golden. Bacon, thyme, and hazlenuts are optional extras. Also in seasoncauliflower, kohlrabi, outdoor rhubarb, radishes, wild garlic.

Tom Moggach

Sutton farmers’ market

seasonTownSquareandMillenniumGardensHighStreet,SuttonSM11DU9.30am–1.30pmFourthSaturdayofeverymonthwww.ecolocal.org.uk/markets

E verymonthahoardoflocalfarmersandproducersdescendsontheleafySouthLondonboroughofSutton,bearing

freshlocalproduce,includingfruitandvegfromPerryCourtandBessboroughFarms,freerangepork,chicken,gamefromJAKeeninDorking,pluseggs,cheese,jams,chutneys,bread,cakesandconfectioneryandmuchmore.ThemarketisaccreditedbyFARMA,

theco-operativeoffarmersandproducerssellingonalocalscale,andisorganisedbylocalenvironmentalcharityEcoLocal.Peoplevisittobuyhome-producedfood:

“It’salwaysexcellentqualityandit’sgoodtosupportlocalgrowersandproducers,”saysacustomerbuyingajarofjam.“We’reawareofglobalwarmingandwedon’tlikeourfoodtrekkedaroundtheworld.Ifyouhaveapotoflocaljamyou’lltastethedifference.”Theywereright:thejamnotonlytasted

deliciousbut‘plum,appleandelderflower’isaflavourcombinationunlikelytobefoundontheshelvesofthelocalsupermarket.ItwasproducedbyKushCuisine,

runbyhusbandandwifeteamIanandSadieJennings.Ianisachefwithover20years’experience:“Ioriginallycreatedourrangeofpreservesformyfamilyandfriendstoenjoy,”hesays.“Nowwe’reproducingchutneys,jamsandmarmalades,sauces,spicerubsandmarinades.”TonyfromPerryCourtFarmtookgreat

pleasureinshowingoffhislineofair-driedapplecrisps,ahealthyalternative

tofriedpotatocrisps:“PeoplecometothemarkettobuyBritishandforthefreshnessofthefood,”hesayspointingtohisdisplayoffruitandveg.“Thosesaladswerepickedyesterdayafternoonandbaggedlastnight–that’salmostasgoodasgrowingyourown.Supermarketswantaseven-dayshelflife.”

❋ Featured stallholderJ A Keen & Son Dorking, SurreyThisisafamily-runbusinesssituatedonEtherleyFarmatthefootofLeithHill.It’saNationalTrusttenantfarm,managedwithintheCountrysideStewardshipSchemetopreservethenaturalhabitatandbeautyofthesurroundingcountryside.Itspecialisesinproducingpoultry:“chickensandducksareavailableallyearround,whilstturkeysandgeeseareproducedseasonallyforChristmas,EasterandThanksgiving,”saysCharlieKeen.“Wehaveasmallfarmshopwhereallofourproductscanbebought,includingfreerangechickenandduckeggsandarangeofhomemadepreserves,andacampsite,perfectlysituatedforarelaxingweekendinthecountry.”Thelatestadditiontothefarmisthereinstatementofanoldorchard.YoungtreeswereplantedinJanuary2009,withtheintentionofhavingfruitforsaleinthecomingyears.http://etherleyfarm.co.uk

ByMichaelDees

Food markets around London

8 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org

JAKeen&Sonʼspoultrystall

Photo: G

arry Knight. C

reative Com

mons http://bit.ly/dJfM

nF

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Bowl over povertyhold a Super Soup lunch Friday 25 March 2011

Complete and return this form to: Super Soup Lunch, Christian Aid, Freepost, London SE1 7YY

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Bowl over povertyhold a Super Soup lunch Friday 25 March 2011

Complete and return this form to: Super Soup Lunch, Christian Aid, Freepost, London SE1 7YY

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If yes, my daytime telephone number is

Christian Aid will not pass your details on to any other organisation. If you already receive information from Christian Aid we will continue to send it, unless you tell us otherwise by writing to us at Supporter Relations, PO BOX 100, London SE1 7RT. If you are new to Christian Aid, please tick if you do not want to receive information from us

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To register, visit www.christianaid.org.uk/ super-soup-lunch or text ‘soup’ to 88802*UK registered charity no. 1105851 Company no. 5171525 Scotland charity no. SC039150 NI charity no. XR94639 Company no. NI059154 ROI charity no. CHY 6998 Company no. 426928 The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid; Poverty Over is a trademark of Christian Aid. © Christian Aid December 2010.

I would expect 1-10 10-25 25-50 50-plus

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Londonmaybeoneoftheworld’sleadingfoodiedestinations,butbehindthefaçade,variousprojectsareworkinghardtotacklefoodaccessproblemsthatstillblightthecity.ByKellyParsons

Ten years after the issue was highlighted some projects have made a genuine difference, but food deserts are still a problem in London

taking awayhealth inequality

D espitebeingonlyafewmilesapart,ifyoutraveleastontheJubileelinefromWestminstertoCanningTown,eachofthetubestopsrepresentsayearoflifeexpectancylost.That’seightyears

inlessthan20minutes.AndwhenyoualightintheboroughofNewham,youʼllbesurroundedbyover250hotfoodtakeawayshops,athirdofwhicharefried-chickensellers.

Itwasstatisticslikethesethatpromptedafloodofresearchandproposalson‘fooddeserts’and‘foodaccess’tenyearsago,aspolicymakersattemptedtoaddresssomeofthecapital’sfoodinequalities.Butadecadelater,London–oneoftheworldʼstopgastronomiccities,withitsthrivingsustainablefoodmovementandFairtradeaccolades–isstillhometosomeoftheworsthealthdeprivationinthecountry.TheHealthMinister’srecentlyannounced

plantooverhaulourpublichealthpolicyismoreevidencethat,despitesomanyprojectsaimedatimprovingaccesstohealthyfood,thesameissuespersist,andeducationaloneisn’thavingabigenoughimpact.Governmentinitiativeslike5-a-day,Change4Life,andtheFoodStandardAgency’ssaltandfatcampaignsmayhaveraisedpublicawareness,buttheyhaven’tchangedthefactthatincertainpartsofthecity,ninepercent

ofmenandsixpercentofwomenstilleatnofruitandvegatall.Tacklinghealthinequalitiesusedtomeancommunity

foodco-opsbeingparachutedintoareasofLondonbypublichealthdepartments.Butmorerecentlythere’sbeenashifttowardsmoresustainablesolutionstofoodaccessproblems.

Andwherebettertostartthanthelocalcornershop?Oftenlocatedatheartofdeprivedareas,localshopscanhaveahugeinfluenceonhowpeopleeat.Buthowoftenhaveyoupoppedintothecornerstoreforsomeveg,onlytobefacedwithacoupleofshrivelledcarrotsandsomeoverripebananas?Notexactlyinspiringifyouarelookingforsomethingtocookfordinner.BuywellandEatwell,twostrandsoftheWell

Londonproject,havebeenhelpingretailersandcommunitymemberstouptheirgame,linkingtogethertheneedforgoodfoodwiththerightsuppliers.OneofBuywell’saimsistoconnectshopswithproviders

ofaffordableproduce,andencouragethemtosellmorelocal,seasonalfruitandvegetables.IthasworkedwithstoresinneighbourhoodsalloverLondon,witheachretailerreceivingpersonalisedbusinesssupport,freshproducetraining,Change4Lifemarketingmaterialsandalauncheventtohelpthemsellmorefreshproduce.AndEatwellhascomplementedtheretailworkbyintroducingcookingclubs,andcommunityfeasteventstogetmorepeopleinthecommunitycookingandeatingfreshproduce.Thecurrenteconomicclimatemeansthat,nowmorethan

ever,theabilityofcommunitiestobuyhealthyaffordablefoodisunderpressure.Tenyearssincetheissuesoffoodaccesswerebroughttoourattention,somegreatprojectshavemadeagenuinedifferencetopeople’slives.Butultimately,theproblemsinthesefooddesertsare‘systemic’.Ratherthansolvingtheproblem,theworktodatehashighlightedthescaleanddifficultyofthesechallenges,andreinforcestheneedforgovernmenttotakethisissuemoreseriously.www.sustainweb.org/buywellwww.london.gov.uk/welllondon/projects/eatwell

Photos: www.londonshopfronts.com

The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org 13

KellyParsonstalkstocampaigners,caféowners,caterers,councillorsandevenavisitingKenyanteagrower,abouttheirexperiencesofFairtradefoodinthecity

theotherendofthesizespectrum,saysGilesBurton,hospitalitymanagerforAvenance,catererforastaffrestaurant,12kitchensand37meetinganddiningroomsatCitylawfirmBaker&Mackenzie.“WehavegonefromoneFairtradeproducttwoyearsagotoarangeofhousewines,fruitjuices,teas,coffee,bananas,sugarsachetsandmore,andmanagingthattakestime,”hesays,“butpeoplearesurprisedtoheartheproductsaren’tnecessarilymoreexpensive.”Thecoffeeandteadon’tcostanymore,neitherdocoffeebeansusedbyitsinternalbranchofStarbucks,anditsFairtradeorangejuiceisactuallycheaperthannon-Fairtradeequivalentsitusedinthepast.“Largecorporationsaren’tsilly,”

hesayswhenaskedwhythefirmisembracingFairtrade.“Theyknow

theyhavetotakeactionlikethisnoworthey’lllagbehindcompetitors.Andasacontractcaterer,whenwedosalestendersweareincreasinglyaskedaboutourapproachtocorporatesocialresponsibility.”

Keep drinking

ButperhapsthemostconvincingargumentcomesfromteagrowerAndrewEthuru,boardmemberofsocialenterpriseCafédirect,andchairmanoftheMichimikuruteacompanyinKenya,whichbecameFairtrade-certifiedin2007.“WhenIflytoLondonitmakesmehappytoseeourteabeingsold,”hesays,“knowingthefundswillbeploughedbackintomakingbettertea,byimprovingourenvironmentalpracticesandincreasingqualitycontrols,”thoughheiskeentopointoutthatnotallFairtradeorganisationsreinvest

profits,asCafédirectdoes.But,hewarns,Londoners

shouldn’tassumetheirworkisdone–hisplanstogetotherproducersinvolvedrelyonuskeepingupoursupport,throughplentyofqualityFairtradeteaandcoffee-drinking.“ThereisanimpressionthatFairtradeisasuccessandhasnowdoneitsjob,butinfactourorganisationissellinglessthanacoupleofyearsago,mainlybecauseofunscrupulousfactoriesproducingmachine-pickedbulkblendedteasinthenameofFairtrade.”Hisadvice:lookbeyondthelabelandgobytaste.Ifyoulikeit,buymore.“Ilovedrinkingourtea,ifyouhavetencupsadayyouwillbejumpingupanddowningoodhealth,butIcan’tdrinkitall,soI’mhappyforthepeopleofLondontobuyandenjoytherest!”

irstofall,let’sgiveourselvesapatontheback:Londonisofficiallytheworld’s

largestFairtradecity.Twenty-oneoutofits33boroughshaveachievedcertifiedstatus.It’salsohometosomeofthemovement’smostsuccessfulorganisationsandcompanies,includingTwin-trading,thepioneeringorganisationinitiallyfundedbyKenLivingstone’sGreaterLondonCouncil25yearsago,DivineChocolate,Cafédirect,andnowLiberationnuts.That’snottomentionthemanyindividualsandgroupsaroundthecitypromotingfairlytradedfoods.Over1,000retailersand600cateringoutlets

inthecapitalnowsellarangeofproductscarryingthefamousFairtrademark,includingiconicLondoninstitutionsliketheBritishLibrary,theLondonEyeandtheHousesofParliament.Butaswithanyrelationship,

there’sarealdangerofusgettingcomplacent,particularlyinlightofthecurrentsqueezeoncouncilbudgetsandconsumerpurses,saysFairtradeLondon’scampaignco-ordinatorMalcolmClark.“NoboroughhasyethaditsFairtradestatusrevoked,”saysMalcolm,“butthechallengeistoensurecouncilsdon’twithdrawsupportforfinancialreasons.Therearealsosomeboroughs,likeBarnet,WandsworthandWestminster,wherethereisgrassrootssupport,butthecouncilisthemainstickingpointtobecomingFairtrade-certified.”Harrowcouncilhasbeenstuck

inFairtradelimboforyears.ThreeyearsagolocalsupporterspersuadedittopassaresolutioninsupportofFairtrade,butachangeinadministrationresultedinlessinterest,andthesteeringgroupfolded.Nowthecounciliskeen

torevivethegroupintimeforFairtradeFortnight2011,saysleadcouncilmemberontheHarrowFairtradeboroughcampaign,NanaAsante.“Today,everybodywantstobeethical,andpayslipservicetojustice,butnoteveryonereallybelievesinitortakesaction,”shesays,addingthatshe’sheartenedbythewaypeopleintheboroughhaveembracedtheidea.AcampaignhasbeenunderwaytoencouragelocalstoincludeFairtradeitemsintheirshopping,andlocalbusinessestoconvert.Aborough’sFairtradestatus

dependson:thecouncilpassingaresolutionsupportingthecauseandagreeingtoserveproductsin

meetings,officesandcanteens;arangeofproductsbeingavailableinshopsandservedinlocalcafésandrestaurants;andworkplacesandcommunityorganisationssupportingFairtradeandusingproducts.

Tiny price to pay

OnebusinesshelpingEnfieldboroughqualifyisMyCoffeeStop,acaféontheplatformofEnfieldChasestation.Co-ownerKarenMercerhadn’tevenheardofFairtradeuntilshehappenedacrossaleafletthreemonthsbeforeopeninghernewventurelastyear.Shewassoldontheconceptinstantly,shesays,andhassincebecomeoneoftheborough’smostardentFairtradesupporters,sittingonitssteeringgroupandputtingonpromotionaleventsforFairtradeFortnight.“Youwouldn’tbelievehowfarpeoplewilltraveltosupportFairtrade,”saysKaren.“We’remeanttobeforcommutersbutpeoplearesodrawntheyvisitusratherthanthehighstreet,andIhaveonecustomerwhocameallthewayfromChingfordtotryourtea!”And,shepointsout,theinvestmentrequiredtotake

anethicalapproachismoreabouteffortthanmoney.“Findingproductstakestime,becausethereisnoonesupplierwitheverythingweneed,butfinanciallyforeachcupofcoffeethepricedifferenceislessthan1p,whichmakesyourealisewhatatinypriceitistopaytosupportFairtrade.”Time,ratherthancost,isalsothe

biggestinvestmentforbusinessesat

12 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org

havering

Camden

barnet

enfield

Waltham forest

redbridge

barking & dagenham

bexley

bromley

greenWiCh

neWham

leWishamWandsWorth

brenthaCkney

ealing

harroW

haringey

hounsloW

Croydonsutton

merton

kingston uPon thames

riChmond uPon thames

hillingdon

1

2

3

4

5

6

78

In some boroughs like Barnet, Wandsworth and Westminster there is grassroots support, but the council is the main sticking point to becoming Fairtrade-certified

Malcolm Clark, Fairtrade London

Fairtrade Foundations

1 hammersmith & fulham2 kensington & Chelsea3 Westminster4 islington

5 City of london6 toWer hamlets7 lambeth8 southWark

fairtrade borough

soon-to-be fairtrade borough

non-fairtrade borough What you can doThoughFairtradehasbecomeentrenchedinLondon’seatinghabits,asalways,there’smoretobedone.Twelveboroughshaven’tyetmadetheFairtradegrade,soit’simportanttokeepthepressureuptoensuretheydo,saysHarrow’sNana.“Residentsmusttelltheircouncillorstoleadbyexample,”shesays.“IfLondonisaFairtradecitythenallboroughsshouldbecertified.”TheforthcomingOlympicsalsoofferanopportunity

toincreaseFairtradecommitments.“TheOlympiccommitteehasalreadyshownwillingnesstosethigherstandardsonethicalproducts,andtobereceptivetopublicpressuretogofurther,”saysFairtradeLondon’sMalcolmClark.“That’showcommitmentsweresecuredforalltea,coffee,sugar,bananasandchocolatesnacksusedinofficialOlympiccateringtobeFairtrade.Now,wewanttoencouragecaterersinandaroundthesitestobuyFairtrade,andmakesurethereisnobacktrackingfromtheseoriginalcommitments.”

SignuptotheFairtradeLondonmailinglistatwww.fairtradelondon.org.uk

14 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org

H enryDimblebyisoneoftheco-foundersofLeonRestaurants,whichhaseightoutletsaround

London.Therestaurantshaveabuyingpolicythattakesintoaccountflavour,quality,provenanceandsustainability,withapubliccommitmentthatstates:‘Anyfishthatweuseisfromsustainableshoals’.Inpractice,thismeansthattheLeon

menuavoidsusingendangeredspeciesofwhitefish,andfeaturesmoresustainablespeciessuchasmackerel,anoilyfishthatisalsobetterforhealth.Likemanyfoodoutletsandcaterersacrossthecity–bigandsmall,sellingluxuryandeverydayfoods–ithasshownthatsustainablefishisachievableandaffordable.Henryisalsoafounderofthe

SustainableRestaurantAssociation,whichhelpsotherrestaurantsandcatererstoadopthealthandsustainabilitystandards.Astheassociationexplains,‘Sustainabilityisgoodforbusinessandtheplanet.Sustainablefish,recycledwaste,energyefficiency:itʼswhatmoreandmorecustomerswant’.Leonisnotaloneincallingforaction.

Concernforfishstockshasbeenrising,withapeakofactivityinLondonlastyear,offthebackoftheEnd of the LinedocumentaryandtheEvening Standard’scampaigntogetBlueFintunaoffthemenu(thoughalas,high-endrestaurantNobuisstillservingit!).WhileJamieOliverandaplatterofothercelebchefsaregearinguptotackletheplightoffish,Londonhasacampaignofitsown,aimingtobecomethefirstcapitaltoriditselfofunsustainablefish.Sustain’sKathDalmeny,who

isworkingontheSustainableFishCitycampaign,explainswhythisiswhatLondonneedsrightnow:“Fishneedourhelp.Thereisareal

dangerthatwecouldlosethispreciousnaturalresourcefromouroceansforever.Weneedtohelpfish,fishermenandmarineenvironmentsbyinsistingonbuyingseafoodonlyfromsustainablespecies,stocksandfishingmethods.Theadviceonsustainablefishisquitesimple:avoidtheworst,promotethebestandimprovetherest.SustainableFishCitycanshoweveryonehow.”Thecampaignhasarangeofhigh-

profiletargetsagainstwhichitwilljudgeitssuccess,andaimsforallLondoncouncilstoservesustainablefish.AtitslaunchinJanuary,the

campaignalreadyhadanumberofinfluentialsupportersincludingtheNationalTrust,Sodexo,GreenwichUniversity,TheSchoolofOrientalandAfricanStudies,GoldsmithsUniversity,ImperialUniversityandtheGreaterLondonAuthorityfamily(MetropolitanPolice,theLondonFireBrigadeandTransportforLondon),aswellasaveritableshoalofsmallerfoodcompaniesandindividualsupporters.TheJellied Eelisbackingitscallfor

commonsenseandweimploreyoutojointhisvitalcampaigninwhateverwayyoucan(seebox),whetheryou’reapunter,companyfoodbuyer,orworkforanorganisationthatcatersformeetingsorevents.We’rekickingoffinthisissuebylookingatthestateofthecity’ssandwiches(seepagethree),andwillbekeepingyouuptospeedonthecampaignasitprogresses.

The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org 15

What you can do

1Changethefishyoubuy2Influencethefishthatotherpeoplebuy3Inspireotherstojoinin!

Wanttofindouthowtodothis?Gotowww.sustainablefishcity.net

Giveover-exploitedoldfavouritesarestbytryingsomeofthesedeliciousalternatives:

Oldfavourite

Alternatives

Haddock ❋ Coley–oftensoldassaithe ❋ MSC-certifiedhaddockfromScotlandorNorway

Cod ❋ Line-caughtpollackfromCornwall ❋Coley ❋ MSC-certifiedAlaskanPollock ❋ MSC-certifiedcodfromtheArctic,AtlanticandPacificoceans

Plaice ❋ Flounder,daborlemonsole–caughtbyottertrawlorseinenet ❋MSC-certifiedplaice ❋MSC-certifiedDoversole

Skate ❋ Starry,spottedandcuckoorays

Halibut ❋Red,greyortubgurnard ❋ MSC-certifiedPacifichalibut

JanuarysawthelaunchoftheSustainableFishCitycampaign,whichasksLondonerstotakeactiontosavefishstocks.BenReynoldsfindsoutwhatit’shopingtoachieveandwho’sbackingit

Fins can only get better

SUSTAINABLE F ISH C ITY?

W henJamesDeeblewentback-packingaroundSouthAmericainJanuarylastyearheendedupinColombia,moreparticularlythenorthernSierraNevadamountainregion.

Itwasajourneythatledhimtodiscoveragroupofuniqueindigenouscoffeefarmers,andresultedinhimbringingtheirFairtradeorganiccoffeebacktoLondon.Hehadalreadydecidedtostartabusinessonhisreturn.

“Iwantedacompanythatcombinedmypassionforcoffeewithaninterestinexcitingculturesandtheenvironment.”hereflects.“ColombiaisthebiggestArabicacoffeeproducerintheworld,andthere’salotofgoodcoffeesthereIcouldhaveimported,butIwantedacoffeethatalsotoldastoryaboutwhereitwasgrownanditsfarmers.”

Inhiscoffeequest,hegotpermissiontovisittheprotectedcommunityoftheArhuacoIndiansbasedintheSierraNevada.Historically,theindigenousfarmershaven’thadaneasyride,Jamessays,andovertheyearshavehadtodealwitheverythingfrombattlingwithSpanishcolonisers,totheColombiandrugwaraffectingtheirhome.Butthecommunityhasmanagedtomaintainitstraditionsandfarmingpracticesforhundredsofyears.“Theirorganiccoffeeisgrowninsmallfarms,1,300metresabovesealevel,andharvestedbyhand.AllthecoffeeisFairtrade-certified,andtheadditionalpremiumhelpsthecommunitycontinuewithitstraditionalfarmingpractices,andsupportsthefamilies.”Jamesexplains.TheArhuacoareaninterestinggroupwiththeirown

languageandspiritualbeliefs,whichfocusontheprotectionoftheSierraNevada,whichtheycall‘motherearth’.Theydothisthroughmaintainingtheirenvironmentwithsmall-scalesustainableagriculturethatdoesn’tdamagetheland.Theyhaveneverusedchemicalfertilisersorpesticides,andthewaterusedinthefarmingprocesscomesfromlocalmountainsprings,soallthecoffeetheygrowiscertifiedorganic.James’snewcompany,ProvidenceOrganics,basedin

Richmond,WestLondon,importsthegreencoffeebeansdirectlyfromColombia,andtheyarelocallyroasted.“Wearedifferenttoalotofcoffeecompaniesinthatweimportthegreenbeansourselves,”hesays,“whichcansometimesbedifficultbecauseoftheworkinvolvedinimportinggoodsintotheUK,butitwasimportantformetomeetthefarmersandbuythecoffeefromthesource.”Whileheishappytotalkaboutthedifferentissues

surroundingexportingandimportingofthecoffee,itisclearlythesocialsidethatreallyenthusesandrewardsJames.HeisproudforhiscoffeetobecertifiedorganicandFairtrade,andisinregularcontactwiththefarmerstokeepupdatedontheircommunityandcurrentcoffeecrops.“IcanreallyseehowFairtradeworkstohelpthegrowersinvolved.I’vewitnessedfirst-handthedifficultiesfarmersfaceinpoorcountries,andknowtheadditionalpremiumtheyreceivecanreallymakeadifferencetotheirlives.”

ToreadmoreaboutthestorybehindProvidenceOrganicsandforsalesvisitwww.providenceorganics.co.uk.YoucanalsofindJamessellinghisFairtradeorganiccoffeeatvariouseventsinandaroundthecapital.

A taste of the Colombian mountains lands in West LondonMichaelWalediscovershowoneman’stravelstothecoastalmountainsofColombialedtoaspecialityFairtrade-certifiedcoffeebeingdrunkacrossthecapital

local to london

Photos: Elizabeth Waight

16 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org

MichaelDeesinvestigatesthesustainability,andscience,behindourannualJanuary‘cleanse’

I fyouoverdiditwiththemincepiesandsherrythisfestiveseason,youmightfindyourselftemptedbythepromisesofthe

manydetoxprogrammesonoffer.Butbeforeyoupartwithyourhard-earnedcash,takeamomenttoconsiderhowethical,orevenhownecessary,yourdetoxmightbe.Forstarters,muchofthefruitor

vegsuggested–suchasstrawberriesorsalads–islikelybeoutofseasonintheUKatthistimeofyear,inwhichcasetheymayhaveeitherhavetravelledthousandsofmiles,orbeengrowninheatedpolytunnels–bothofwhichuselargeamountsofenergywhichbumpsupyourecologicalfootprint.Bettertogoforrootveg

likecarrots,parsnipsandbeetroot:allavailableatthemoment.Beetrootishighinvitaminssuchasbetacaroteneandfolicacid,andsomepeopleclaimthatregularlyeatingbeetrootisgoodfortheliverandevenhelpsreducetheincidenceofheartdisease.Therearealsolotsofgreenvegetables

suchaskale,spinachandpurplesproutingbroccolionofferintheearlymonths.KalecontainsvitaminsA,CandE,mineralsincludingmanganese,iron,calciumandpotassiumandphytochemicals(chemicalsthatnaturallyoccurinplants)linkedtocancerprevention.Fruitsuchasapplesandpearsarealsoavailable.Applescontainusefulamountsoffibre,vitaminCandpotassiumandguercetin,aflavonoid(anothertypeofnaturallyoccurringplantchemical)thatmayhelpprotectagainstheartdisease.Anddon’tforgetthecustomary

herbaltea.Manyteasrecommendedfortheirantioxidantpropertiesare

availablefromFairtradebrands,soyoucanguaranteetheproducerafairdealatthesametimeastreatingyourselftoarefreshingdrink.Anewyear’sresolutiontoeatlocalfreshfruitandveg,aspartofalong-termplan

ofdietandexercise,andtobuyFairtradeproductsfromfurtherafield,willhavelonglastingbenefitsregardlessofthechoiceswemadeatlastyearʼsstaffChristmasparty.Itcouldalsopotentiallysave

wastinganythingfromtenstohundredsofpounds,ondetoxsystemswhichpromisecleansingandtoxinflushing.AsDrBenGoldacre,full-timedoctorandauthorofBadScience,warns:“Anyonewhotalksconfidentlyandauthoritativelyaboutdetoxismisleadingyou,andyoushouldbeverycautiousaboutalltheotherthingstheysaytoo,asitʼsquitelikelytheyarebasedinfantasy,ratherthanevidence.”Hemaintainsthatdetoxsystems

arenothingbutamarketinginvention:“Thewholenotionofdetoxisfoolish,”hesays.“Itʼsamarketingtermratherthanamedicalone,anditdistractspeoplefromtherealthingstheycandotoimprovetheirhealth.”Eatingmorefruitandveg,

gettingsomeexercise,drinkingless,andlosingweightarethingsthatimproveyourlong-termhealthoveralifetime.Doingthemforthreemagicaldays,orsixdays,ortwoweeks,isworsethanuseless,becauseyouarefalselyreassuredthatyouʼredoingsomethinguseful.”

Photos: Elizabeth Waight

Food Safari gives you behind-the-scenes access to some of Suffolk’s best loved food and drink producers. We specialise in Field to Fork days: farm walks, fishing trips, and wild food forays; cookery and butchery workshops; and fabulous feasts.

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100 stockists across LondonForamediapackcontactJamieFordjamieford@mac.comorphone07900496979

April 2011

next issue

Jellied EelOUR BREADKNEADS

YOUWant to be a part of the rise of the national

movement that is fighting for better bread in Britain?

www.realbreadcampaign.org

how ethical is your detox?

The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org 19

capital growth

Give bees a chanceMichaelDeesexplainsthathelpingourtroubledbeepopulationisnʼtjusttheresponsibilityofthoselivinginthecountryside.

JAnuAry❋ Orderyourseedfortheseasonahead.Jotdownaroughplantingplan,thenorderonlineinonebatchtosaveonpackaginganddeliverycosts.❋ Tryforcingrhubarb.Chooseanestablishedplant,clearweeds,thencoverwithacontainer.Harvestinfiveweeks,tuggingoffthestems.

FeBruAry❋ Takethislast,preciousopportunitybeforetheseasonkicksofftofinishoverdueprojects.Orderinseedpotatoes,especially‘firstearlies’.Thesecanbechittedandplantedoutaroundmid-March,weatherpermitting.

MArCH❋ Startoffchillies,astheyrequirealonggrowingseason.Theseedneedsextraheattogerminate–around21°C,souseaheatedpropagatororsnugspotsuchasanairingcupboard,thengrowtheminyoursunniestspot.❋ Foranearlycropofstrawberries,coveryourplantstowardstheendofthemonth.withfleece,bellorrecycledbottlecloches.Whentheplantsareflowering,removetheclochesduringthedaytopromotepollination.

TomMoggachofCityLeaf*

GROWING CALENDAR

(London’s)

A sthewinterfrostcastsasilverblanketoverLondonʼsurbanapiaries,thebeesarehuddledtogetherinclustersthatkeepthemwarmataconstant35ºC.Thequeensareprobably

alreadylayingtheeggsthatwillmorethandoublethesizeoftheircoloniesbyspring,readyfortheseasonofforagingwhichpollinatesoneinthreemouthfulsofthefoodweeat.Ourbeesareunderalotofpressurewiththeglobal

populationindramaticdeclineand,asAlbertEinsteinisbelievedtohavesaid,ifthebeedisappearedthenmanwouldonlyhavefouryearsoflifeleft.Nomorebees,nomorepollination,nomoreplants,nomoreanimals,noman.Helpisathand.CapitalBee,partoftheCapitalGrowth

campaigntocreate2,012newgrowingspaces,aimstopromotecommunitybee-keepinginLondonandcampaignsforabee-friendlycity.InDecemberlastyear,abeesummitattheSouthbankCentrebroughttogetherbeekeepers,organisationsandprojectstodebatewhatishappeningtothehoneybeeandwhatLondonerscandoaboutit.“Thereʼslotsofthingspeoplecandotohelpbees

andotherpollinatorsinLondon,”saysPamelaBrunton,CapitalBeecampaignofficeratSustain.“Wecanmakesurewegivethemallthefoodtheyneedandsomewheresafetolive,byplantingwildflowers,floweringherbsandfruittrees,eveninpotsonthewindowsill;andbyavoidingusingtoomuchconcreteandchemicalsinyourgarden.Buyingbee-friendlyfood,likeorganic,ormakingabeehoteloutofoldlogs,canhelpwildbeestoo.”Gardeningorganicallyisalsoimportant,aschemicalscan

sometimeshaveanadverseeffectonbeesandotherwildlife.Urbanenvironments,likeLondon,areparticularly

goodforbeesbecauseofthevarietyofforageavailabletothemyear-roundinparksandgardens,andlotsofpeoplearebecominginterestedincitybeekeeping.Ifyoureckonkeepingbeesisforyou,startbycontactingyourlocalassociationandgoingalongtooneoftheirbeginnersʼcoursesbeforeyouinvestinyourhivesandequipment.

*CityLeafprovidesfood-growingtrainingtogroupsandschools.Formoreinformation,call02074859262orseewww.cityleaf.co.uk

CApITAL Bee COMpeTITIOnAspartoftheCapitalBeecampaign,acompetitiontowin50hivesandtrainingisbeingrun.Thecompetitionopenedon16December2010andfinaldateforcompletedapplicationsis5pmonFriday28January2011.Thewinnerswillreceiveabeehive,protectiveclothing,basictools,training,mentoringandsupporttoenabletheircommunitytosetupbeekeepingbyspring2012.www.capitalgrowth.org/bee_competition

0845 519 2415www.farm-direct.com

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20 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org 21

hearomaoffreshlybakedcookiesinJemima’skitchenisagiveaway.“Thislookslikeasetup,”shesaysalmostapologetically.“It’snotlikethiseverySaturday,butIreallydolovebaking.”Onthebench,plumphazelnutandginger

cookiesvieforspacewithtraysofcrunchygranolaflavouredwithmolassesandcinnamon.Lateron,sherevealscupboardsfilledwithjarsofhomemadepearandchilli,andbeetrootandhorseradishchutneys.Jemimasaysshebuysvirtuallyeverythingorganic,and

likesmakingmostmealsfromscratch.Butsurelymostpeopledon’thavethetimeand/orfundstodothis?Sheisbemusedbythequestion:“Yesitcantaketime.ButIchoosetospendtimeonthatratherthansomethingelse–inshort,whatelsewouldIratherbedoing?Iworkfromhome;Ilovecookingandapproachitasapleasuremorethanachore.”Onthesubjectofcost,sheisresoluteaboutlookingatthe

biggerpicture:“Organicfoodmoreexpensive?Therealityismorecomplicated:oftennon-organicissubsidised–taxpayersfundingagrochemical-dependentagriculture,forexample.”It’shelpfulthatJemimalivesastone’sthrowfromStoke

NewingtonFarmers’Market,promotedasUK’sonlyall-organicfarmers’market.Thisalsomeansusuallynothavingtochoosebetween‘organic’and‘local’.TherestofhergroceriesarefromnearbyMotherEarth,awholefoodshopinAlbionRoad.Shealsousesitsfruitbagandvegboxscheme.Jemima’ssustainablefoodknowledge,andfervour,

haveundoubtedlybeenshapedbyherstintatseaasanassistantchefforGreenpeace,experienceworkingforfoodco-opsandanidyllic-soundingchildhoodinruralWales,withaveggiepatch,fruit-ladenhedgerows,andajerseycowcalledBronwen.Whenshe’snotbakingtreats,everydaymealsareanother

chancetoexperimentwithingredients.“I’mthesortofpersonwhocouldwakeupinthemiddleofthenightwith

ideasforwhattodowithbeetroot.”ʻBarlotto’–abarley-basedversionofrisotto–withbeetrootandgoat’scheese,androastedbeetrootborscht,aretworecentcreations.AtthemomentJemimaiscookingjustforherself,

asherpartnerisawayatsea.“Ifanything,I’mguiltyofover-cateringsometimes,I’musedtocookingforlotsofpeople.ButitmeansIalwayshavesomethinghomemadetosharewhenIseefriends,orIfreezethesurplus.”ItseemsJemimahasleftvirtuallynostoneunturned

whenitcomestosustainableeating,whileenjoyinganinterestingrangeoffoodthatcontinuestoinspireher.Butshepointsout:“Animportantthingmissingformeislandtogrowfood,there’snooutdoorspacehereattheflat.I’mplanningtoreturntoWalesandputdownmyrootsthere,I’dreallylikesomeland.”Fromthesea,tothebigsmokeandthentothe

countryside,thenextchapterinJemima’sfoodadventuresiscertaintobewellcatered-for.

JemimagetsafreegoodybagfromthesplendidladiesatHappyKitchenasathankyouforlettingusthroughherdoor.

Ifyouwouldlikeustoconsiderputtingyourkitchenunderourmicroscope,pleasecontactben@sustainweb.org

Reader’s kitchen

ClareHillenjoysascentedspinaroundthekitchenofkeenbakerandorganicenthusiastJemimaRoberts

Scorecard

High scoresforbuyingnearly

everythingfromfarmers’markets

andindependentshops,andfor

buyingorganic.

Slight deductionsforsometimes

over-catering.

“I couldn’t live without...anoccasional

Alphonsomango.”Renownedfortheir

superiorflavourandfragrance,they

areripenedonthetreeinIndiaand

haveashortshelflife,soare

likelytobeair-freighted.

baking

London food linkA sanoverseastraveljournalistandreviewerformanyyears,JulieBundyalwaysenjoyedvisiting

farmers’marketsandfoodfairs.BackinLondon,shewasequallytakenbythecapital’spopuprestaurantsandmarkets,whichfurtherinspiredhertodevelopherloveofgoodfoodintoabusiness.TheresultishercompanyWestminsterArtisans,whichrunstwomarkets:MaidaHillinW9andTachbrookStreetinPimlicoSW1.MaidaHill,runningsincelate2009,isa

regularstreetmarketwithlocalandregionaltraders,andanoccasionalfarmers’marketonaSaturday.Juliewasinstrumentalindevelopingthemarketandthepopularpop-upcoffeeshop,MaidaHillCaféGallery,bothofwhichhavehelpedincreasevisitorstothearea.TachbrookStreet(pictured,withJuliethird

fromleft)wasrelaunchedinOctober2010,andismanagedbyWestminsterArtisansonbehalfofWestminsterCouncil.Themarketisamixofestablishedtradersandmodernnewfoodstallsthathavebeenahitwithlocalresidentsandbusinesses.Julie’smarketfoodepiphaniesincludeMasihMasala’stakeawayIndianfood(anotherLondonFoodLinkmember)andLondontraiteur(cateringbusiness)MadameGautier’s‘LaBoucherie’.

Featured London Food Link memberWestminster Artisans

Love the Jellied eel?JoinLondonFoodLinkandhaveacopydeliveredtoyourdooreveryquarter.LondonFoodLinkisanetworkoforganisationsandindividuals:farmersandfoodwriters,caterersandcommunityfoodprojects,restaurantsandreviewers.WeworkonincreasingtheavailabilityofsustainablefoodinLondonthroughtraining,adviceandcampaigning.TheJellied EelisafreemagazinewepublishtoraiseawarenessofethicalfoodissuesinLondonandLondon’sgrowinglocalandsustainablefoodmovement.Weareacharity.

Member benefits❋ getourmagazinetheJellied EelwithLondonnewsandarticlesdeliveredtoyourdoor❋ makeusefulLondonfoodcontacts❋ findoutwhat’sgoingonaroundLondonwithourregularemailupdatesincludinglocalfoodnewsandfundinginfo❋ invitesanddiscountedentrytoourregularLondonFoodLinksoiréesandaffiliatedtraining/events–greatfornetworkingandaccessingexpertise

How to joinOnline:Gotowww.sustainweb.org/londonfoodlink/membership,completetheformandsendittogeorgie@sustainweb.org,thenclickthe‘makeapayment’link.Post:Completethisformandsenditwithachequemadepayableto‘Sustain’,to94WhiteLionStreet,LondonN19PF.

Membership form London Food Link

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£20–individualornot-for-profitcommunityproject £40–charity,socialenterpriseorcompanywithlessthan£100,000annualturnover £70–publicbody,orcompanywith£100,000–£1,000,000annualturnover £100–companywithmorethan£1,000,000annualturnover

RateIfthefeeisnot,forwhateverreason,afairreflectionofyourabilitytopaymembership,thenpleasegetintouch.Ifyouareacommunityproject,foodbusinessorlocalauthority,contactgeorgie@sustainweb.orgformoreinformationonhowyoucanbeinvolvedwithLondonFoodLink.

London Food LinkJoin us!

❋ DidyouknowthatasatraderwithWestminsterArtisansyou’renotpermittedtoswear?

H ousedinaformerdairy,Unpackagedretainsanauthentic,

traditionalandlocalcharm,despitehavingopenedonlythreeyearsago.Overthattime,ownerCatherine

Conwayhastransformeditintoaveryforward-thinkingandunusualcornershop.Thecluetoitssingularityisinthe

name–everythingissoldwithoutwrapping,bulkyfoamtraysorunnecessarystuff:justpure,organicandFairtradeproduce.Customersareencouragedtobring

alongtheirowncontainerstofillwithavarietyofwholefoods,freshproduce,chutneysandpreserves,environmentally-friendlyhouseholdcleaningproducts,herbs,spices,andevenwine!TheUnpackagedmodeltacklesseveralsustainabilityissuesheadon–reducingCO2emissionsbyusinglesspackaging,reducingfood

wastage(becauseyoucanchoosehowmuchyouwant),andreducingthematerialbeingsenttolandfill.Youcan,ofcourse,stockupontheJellied Eelheretoo–nopackaging,justgoodstuffinside!http://beunpackaged.com

TheJellied EelwouldliketothankUnpackagedanditsstafffortheircontinuedsupport.

Areyouashop,restaurant,café,traderorcommunitycentrewithsustainablefoodatitsheartthatwantstohelpusspreadthewordaroundLondon?Getintouchwiththejelliedeel@sustainweb.orgaboutstockingtheJellied Eel.

what’s onCapital Growth A.B.Seed education competition 17 JanuaryLondon-wideChallengeseducationalinstitutions–frompre-schooltocollegesanduniversities–togetgrowingtobeinwithachanceofwinningsomefantasticprizes.www.capitalgrowth.org/schools/abseed

Capital Growth funding round17 JanuaryLondon-wideLaunchoffundingroundfornewgrowingspaces.Deadlineforapplications:14February.www.capitalgrowth.org

Get your hands dirty – grow food26 January11–2pmSpitalfields City FarmFood-growingcourseheldmostweekswww.spitalfieldscityfarm.org/what-s-on

Grow, pick, cook & eat garden course 29 January 2–3pm every SaturdayKingʼs CrossLearnbasicgardeningskillsattheCalthorpeProject.Coursesforparentsandchildren.www.calthorpeproject.org.ukCity Shoots : sprouting sustainable action in schools 8 FebruaryCity HallAneventpromotingsustainablefoodinprimaryschools,providinganopportunityforteachers,headteachers,parenthelpersandcommunityorganisationstolearnmoreaboutfoodgrowing.Registrationessential.http://cityshoots.wordpress.com

Seeds glorious seeds Family fun food-growing activitiesFebruary 23, 25 & 27 half-term CarshaltonPlantingpotatoesandseeds,allageswelcome.Advancebookingneeded.www.ecolocal.org.uk

London Food Link network do23 February 4.30–7.30pmFARM:shop, DalstonGatheringoffolksinterestedingoodfood.Hearfromsomeofthemostexcitingethicalfoodenterprisesandinitiativesinthecapital.£15(£10forLFLmembers).georgie@sustainweb.orgwww.londonfoodlink.org

Fairtrade Fortnight28 February–13 MarchThethemeforthisyearis‘showoffyourlabel’,sotelltheworldaboutyourcakemadeextraspecialbyusingFairtradesugarandspice,yourmosttemptingbottleofwine,yourcomfiestpants!www.fairtradelondon.org.uk

youth enterprise event March, date and location TBCwww.capitalgrowth.org

real Food Festival Markets4–6 FebruarySouthbank, 25–27 MarchBrent Cross Moredetailsatwww.realfoodfestival.com

star jellied eel stockist

22 The Jellied Eel www.thejelliedeel.org

unpackaged

PRODUCE MARKETT H E B E S T L O C A L , S E A S O N A L A N D S U S T A I N A B L Y P R O D U C E D F O O DSourced Market brings the best from local and artisan producers to the heart of St Pancras International. Open seven days a week, bursting at the seams with a fantastic range of carefully sourced produce.

w w w . S O U R C E D M A R K E T . C O M

is not about making big profits for shareholders but creating value for its members.

is not about making big profits for shareholders but creating value for its members.