Stoke Newington Organic Farmers’ Market
St Paul’s Church, Stoke Newington High Street, Stoke Newington, London N16
Left-leaning, Guardian-reading Stoke Newington is the perfect spot for an organic farmers’ market, and this splendid venture, located in front of St Paul’s Church, has become a key part of the neighbourhood’s weekly shopping routine. Everything comes from small-scale organic or bio-dynamic producers – most of them within a 60-mile radius – and there’s an excellent variety. Long queues are a staple outside the butcher’s van, where the sausages are a big hit; vegetarians, meanwhile, fill their reusable shopping bags with wonderful seasonal veg, herbs and salad leaves sourced from Kent and Essex. As for the dairy products, these are a bit special – organic raw milk and buffalo cheeses among the selections on offer. It’s a friendly, sociable sort of place, with locals interrupting their shopping to catch up over a coffee and kids playing on the grass. Of the snacks you can pick up at the takeout food stalls, the wild mushroom sandwiches are a hit, as are the Turkish börek, stuffed with piping hot spinach and butter. There’s a little stall selling creole fritters with spicy salsa to eat on the spot, and very delicious vegan tarts, soda breads and cakes to take home, as well as good bacon sarnies and tea.
