The Allotment - Business Time
The Allotment - the New Cross deli and grocer - enjoyed its first day's trading yesterday. What did you think? Please post your comments and reviews here.
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The Allotment - the New Cross deli and grocer - enjoyed its first day's trading yesterday. What did you think? Please post your comments and reviews here.
19 comments:
Happy Diwali to the Allotment and everyone else!
Happy Diwali to the Allotment and everyone else.
It was great, looks lovely inside and I got a massive leak, brocolli, bag of potatoes and a red onion for just under £2.50. All proved to be v tasty indeed (especially when couple with pies from Wellbeloved butchers).
However they really need to stay open past seven. I got there at 7.05 and sneaked in, but several people who arrived shortly after were turned away. Opening later and closing at 8 would be ideal and mop up a lot of similar going-home-from work business.
Memo to self: learn how to spell broccoli
..........and leek
Popped in there this morning, the fruit and veg all looks pretty tasty and reasonably priced. Didn't see any fresh herbs though, which was what I figured I could pick up there.
I thought they were selling local seasonal produce, hence that is why they are called the Allotment?
Why oh why are they selling Costa Rican pineapple and other imported fruit and vegetables then?
Click on the link in the article to the interview about the plans.
I can't see where they said it would be exclusively seasonal products and she didn't particularly emphasise the local angle. Presumably she's trying to run a successful business by selling want people want to buy.
Re: above Brockley Nick
"The main focus of the shop is to sell fresh fruit and vegetables. As we'll be going to New Covent Garden Market regularly through the week, we can ensure the produce is as fresh as possible, as well as being seasonal"
Yes, so no mention of local. Seasonal yes, but I didn't read that response as meaning she wouldn't be selling pineapples.
Have to say I'm not a puritan when it comes to 'seasonal' and 'local' produce. I want tomatoes in December. Interesting to see how it compares to Deptford which has perfectly good, standard, green grocers at bargain prices. Brockley Market has some resonable prices but is pitched at the higher price/quality end - especially meat & fish.
I'm just glad there is now a range, Brockley Market may have my vote as the best single thing to have happened in the area this year, for me at least.
Re BN:
"We will be able to respond pretty much immediately to customers' requests, and not just for fresh produce - since our suppliers are mainly small local businesses, we are able to receive orders in a day or two."
I'm totally pro-Allotment, but a pineapple from Latin America really is not was I was expecting or really wanting from the shop. If you're reading, Allotment folk, good work but more local please!
Allotment, sell what you gotta sell. Nothing wrong with selling pineapples alongside local produce. Otherwise you'd have a limited line of stock.
Why oh why are people so dismayed at a few overseas products?
A greengrocer who decided not to sell bananas would be committing commercial suicide. The nation's most popular fruit, apparently. Not many bananas grown locally, I'd say.
BANANAS: Bananas would happily grow in London if you would care to plant a tree. My friend has about 4 in her London Garden, only fruits every second year though, so plant a couple.
PINEAPPLES: There is a lot seriously wrong with Costa Rican Pineapples. Not the fact they come from latin america, nor the air miles, but the way the people are treated who work in the industry. I realise that not supporting would be a terrible thing to do, but people choose to ignore a section of various industries when they wish, for example when they choose fair trade coffee over non-fair trade coffee... time to re-think costa rican pineapples.
MISNOMER: I guess the problem with local vs global food supply is that it is really confusing for a shop called Allotment. It is easy to assume it would base its trade on that of an actual allotment. On the plus side, at least it hasn't get any weird apostrophes or lack of, to get people in a twist over......
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2010/oct/01/pineapple-trade-costa-rica
So there's definitely a point in buying fair trade pineapples - good, I shall continue to do so. I already buy fair trade bananas, tea, coffee and chocolate wherever possible.
[paging Lou.... paging Lou...]
Apparently Iceland used to be (a few decades ago) one of the world's biggest banana exporters. They built massive greenhouses in the snow which were heated and powered easily and efficiently by superheated water just below the surface (think of the geysers) pumped through the greenhouses.
Iceland has ready and easy access to natural hot water. Roads in Reykjavik are heated with naturally hot water to make sure they are ice free and household hot water is near enough free.
I don't think Iceland produces bananas anymore because the cost of transporting bananas from the West Indies has fallen dramatically over the years, that and the fact that producers can pay banana pickers $1 per year and ignore health and safety which vastly reduces production and harvest costs in comparison to the same costs in Iceland.
It's great (not so) little shop indeed and they now have a website too http://www.theallotment.uk.com/
here is the link to The Allotment website again text
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