The fertile soils of the London countryside provide nutrients to some of the tastiest produce you will ever want to taste. Add to this the unpretentious honesty of a good farming attitude that relies on family traditions rather than the latest chemicals to enhance size, shape or taste of products, and you have a recipe for the most mouthwatering nuggets you can hope to find.
Of course, unless you are granted direct access to one of the many produce generating farms in the country, you will have to become hip to London’s best kept secret: famers markets. It is there that autumn raspberries mingle with new season pears, freshly gathered wild mushrooms and borlotti beans. Ducks, geese, fresh eggs and hares rub elbows with oysters.
It is true: while run of the mill tourists head out in search for the most photographed landmarks the city has to offer, the insider traveling to London on holiday seeks out local farmers markets. So where does s/he head to?
o Find the coveted contributions of Kingcup Farm and the Lincolnshire Poachers at the Pimlico Road Farmer’s Market. The Poachers only show up on the fourth Saturday of the month, so make sure you are there! This market is located on the corner of Pimlico Road and Ebury Street, and if you stay at one of the London hotels in central London, this is a hop, skip and a jump for you.
o A newcomer is the Whitecross Street Food Market – it is uncertain if this locale should not be double listed as an adventure in gluttony as well as a farmer’s market – where fresh made burritos jostle for space with fresh picked fruits and veggies.
o Visitors on holiday booking hotels in London close to King Street and Kensington Place might want to explore Acton or Notting Hill Farmers Markets. Unfortunately they both only operate on Saturdays from 9 AM to 1 PM, so get ready for a whirlwind tour of unbelievably fresh produce.
o London hotels in the north western portion of the city accommodate visitors to the organic Queens Park Farmers Market while hotels on London’s eastside accommodate holiday travelers with a penchant for the widely popular Billingsgate Fish Market on Trafalgar Way. No matter where you stay in the city, put this locale on your list of “must visit” venues.
Do you have to stay at one of the London hotels while shopping the bargains at farmers markets? Not if you travel with a refrigerator or cooler; if you plan on sightseeing and a leisurely day and night on the town, the availability of a fridge is an absolute must.
