With the news that Brixton Farmers Market is under threat and planned to close, there are much fewer options in the area for people who are interested in buying food directly from small, usually British, producers. So it was with interest that Brixton Blog went along to the Effra Social last week to hear about Farmdrop.
This box scheme varies from your usual fruit and veg to the door by linking up with specific farmers and producers to ensure the provenance, breed and regionality of your meat or carrots or coffee and offer a way to bring the country into the city so that customer and producer are acquainted with each other as easily as possibly.
Over dinner, we sampled food from around the London, Kent, Essex and Sussex borders. We started with an espresso martini that had a kick like a mule from Ethiopian beans from Old Spike Roastery in Peckham. A not for profit social enterprise it uses coffee from the developing world to provide jobs for the homeless here in London.
We then tucked into a meal of British wild boar salami, local asparagus and nettle tops, lamb, quinoa from Essex and early season British strawberries amongst other things. Everything was fresh, organic and utterly delicious. The lamb in particular was probably the best I’ve ever eaten. Getting to meet the farmer on his first trip to Brixton was simply an added highlight!
Farmdrop offer a system where you order online and either have the boxes delivered to the door or pick them up from one of their allocation points at shops or pubs. They want to use the internet to support small businesses both rurally and in an urban environment by encouraging people back to the high street at the same time. They don’t seek to replace or replicate the market environment but add further options for Londoners. Founders Ben and Ed are both long term Brixton residents who are keen to add to the community and support independent traders.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Farmdrop, you can sign up online and find out about more dinners they are hosting around London. I was going to suggest going to their Summer Fete in Bermondsey to meet the team, but it turns out it was last night and I can’t read a calendar. Ahem! I’ll just have to order some of that lamb to make up for it.
Brixton Blog were guests of Farmdrop at the Effra Social.
