St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes

St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes

Save Our Shops

Thursday May 25th 2006

London boasts a rich and varied heritage of food shops and markets, ranging from vibrant street markets offering cut-price fruit and veg to splendid emporiums such as Fortnum and Mason’s or Harrods. London’s cosmopolitan nature is reflected in its fascinating diversity of food shops: one can shop for spanking fresh sushi and sashimi in orderly Japanese supermarkets, buy bargain boxes of juicy Alphonso mangoes from spacious Indian cash and carry stores or freshly baked bagels from a bustling Jewish bakery.

The recent renaissance of London’s Borough Market – once solely a wholesale market now also a hugely successful quality food market open to the public – demonstrates the current appetite for good food. Dotted around the capital, farmers’ markets, selling food grown or produced within a 100 miles of the M25, are proving that people value fresh, seasonal, traceable food.

Yet, despite this newfound appetite for good food, many food shops are struggling to survive. High rents and rates make it hard for small, individual businesses to stick it out on our high streets; often a ‘rent review’ results in a massive rent increase, which simply make it impossible to continue. Many central London businesses have seen a notable loss in trade since the congestion charge was brought in. Paddington’s vintage fishmonger Blagden’s cited the charge as a major factor in their closure. Throughout London punitive parking controls combined with zealous traffic wardens have impacted heavily and negatively on retail businesses. So-called ‘development’ too is a double-edged sword. Across London, traditional street markets are being forced out by councils keen to ‘develop’ these sites. Despite being a popular tourist attraction, Chinatown last year suffered a blow when, despite vocal opposition from the Chinese community, developers forced out a number of shops, among them two Chinese foodshops and a fishmonger all of which had traded busily and happily for many years.

Londoners love their city’s variety and diversity and want to see this protected and preserved. The increasing homogenisation of British high streets, so-called ‘clonetown Britain’, is a chilling glimpse of a possible, very dull future. Everyone can do their part by supporting local shops and these days it’s vital that we do so. Even if the bulk of your food shop is done at a supermarket, why not buy your meat from a decent butcher or fish from a fishmonger if you’re lucky enough to still have one? Take the kids to visit a farmers’ market at the weekend so that they can get a sense of the seasons. Stop off at a delicatessen on your way home to buy a treat, whether olives to nibble on or fresh pasta for a quick, easy meal. Here at Harbour and Jones we really care about good food and we want our food shops to survive so we are putting together an on-line petition which will be added to our website very soon. Watch this space!

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