Notthinghill (London) Sat. Farmers' Market

While I was in London in April, 2008 I visited the Nottinghill Gate farmers’ market a small neighborhood market with wonderful vendors. All of these vendors, in addition to the markets they attended had a box scheme for customers as well as a farm shop which made up 100% of their income. They were very friendly and happy to discuss their operations while at the same time serving their customers.

A few vendors that stood out for me was Shabden Park Farm from Surrey who farm on 420 acres of land and have a wonderful and very informative website.


Since they were so transparent in theie operations at the market I am not surprised to see the wealth of information on their website. So do check it out at www.shabdenparkfarm.com. Their lambs are bred from Suffolk cross ewes using a Charollais ram, and from North Country Mules using a Suffolk ram and are reared on grasses, herbs and wildflowers free from chemical fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides. They employ traditional, extensive sheep farming methods.

Another vendor that I liked was Twelve Acres.

Dan Green is a fifth generation farmer whose expertise is in organic pig farming. He raises Tamworth, Large Black and Middle White all traditional breeds on 12 acres of land.
His is a much smaller operation so their website is rather basic. www.12greenacres.co.uk

Olive Farm in Somerton has 140 Guernsey cows (my favorite along with Jersey’s) on 300 acres. In 2007 they won the prestigious Taste of The West Awards for the Best of Dairy with their untreated Guernsey Cream. They were doing a very brisk business at the market selling raw milk and cream.

Clare’s Organics was run by a young couple, Paul and Clare Sykes who are tenant farmers on the border of Wiltshire/Oxfordshire. They raise 2,000 Hubbard chickens on 7 acres of land and rotate the birds on a three month cycle. The birds are outside three quarters of the time (required to be certified organic) and they are killed at a local (4 miles away) organic slaughterhouse every Wednesday. At the Saturday market they sell around 80 birds. Check out their website at www.claresorganics.co.uk

There was wonderful buffalo cheese being sold by ALHAM WOOD FARM, along with raw milk and yoghurt with live bacteria. When I last checked their website was not interactive but here is the link. www.buffalo-organics.co.uk

And last but not last a farm whose name I might have spelt wrong since I cannot find a link to them at all and that is Roakedy Farm in West Sussex.

They had 20,000 laying chickens on 60 acres of organic land along with another 17 acres that they lease. There chickens are Colombia, Black Feather and Gold Line (all hybrids)