Like the grammatical symbol that it is named after, Ampersand cultured butter is the perfect combination of jersey cow milk, himalayan rock salt and lactic cultures. Lovingly handcrafted by Grant Harrington on Lords Farm, Bicester, Oxford, this is butter like no other: rich, dense and creamy. Available at Druid Street and online. We can't wait to taste the cultured cream and cultured butter milk. 

IT'S one of our favourite fortnights of the year, when London celebrates it's homegrown produce and producers. That's right: everything that is grown, baked, brewed, fermented, preserved and cured in the city from Islington to Hackney, Tottenham and beyond.

This will be the fourth Urban Food Fortnight, where the city will play host to over 100 events and special menus using London produce. Organised by London Food Link (an independent network of people, businesses and organisations) promotes and campaigns for good food in the city.  The event has run annually since 2012 and this year is funded through Urban Food Routes and supported by The Mayor of London.

One of the highlights of the fortnight is the Urban Food Awards hosted by the Mayor of London’s Food Team with categories ranging from’ London Leaves’ to ‘Best Banger’.

Nominations include:
Beautiful Brew
The Smoked Brown by Anspach & Hobday
Strange Brew Pale Ale by Clarkshaws Brewing Company
Queen of Diamonds IPA by Wild Card Brewery

Best Banger
Forty Hall Farm sausages by Forty Hall Farm
Sparkes Guv'nor by GG Sparkes Traditional Butchers
Daz's by Green & Fortune Cafe

The Big Smoke’s Big Cheese
Graceburn by Blackwoods Cheese Company
Bermondsey Hard Pressed by Kappacasein Ltd
Napier by Wildes Cheese

Heavenly Honey
Postcode Honey by Barnes & Webb
Bermondsey Street Honey by Bermondsey Street Honey
London Wandsworth Honey by The Hive Honey Shop

London Leaves
Market Garden Mixed Salad by Forty Hall Farm Market Garden
Hackney Salad by Growing Communities
Organic Mixed Salad Leaves by OrganicLea

The Londoners’ Loaf
Wellfield Rye by Elephant Bakehouse
Pecan and Sultana Bread by Ma Baker
Danish Sourdough 100% Organic Rye Bread by SNAPS + RYE

Visit the website for more details.

There's nothing better than some mutual food bonding over a love of Southern food and the shared discovery of that Southern belle - Garden & Gun Magazine. And so it was with Decatur London at this weekend's Druid Street Market. Bringing to London some all round Southern hospitality, Decatur serves up classic Louisiana fare including coffee and beignets, boundin, catfish and straight from the chargrill - oysters.  Absolute perfection and celebrating the soul of the South. Decatur are regulars at Druid Street Market and trade with KERB. 

London is a long way away from the picturesque rural community of the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia. Yet for cheesemaker, Dave Holton, it's proved the perfect place to co-found a small micro-dairy.
Blackwoods Cheese Company is in many ways a classic Antipodean story. Well almost. 

Three Aussie mates find themselves in London, eager for adventure, and decide (and this is where the story deviates) to set up a micro-dairy in a light industrial estate in south-east London. Having all worked together at the Yarra Valley Dairy, Dave Holton, Cameron Rowan, and Rory Holwerda saw the opportunity to specialise in raw milk soft cows cheese, starting with their version of the dairy’s signature Persian Fetta: a soft cheese marinated in garlic, fresh thyme, bay leaves, peppercorn and olive oil. (Cam has since returned to Australia with Tim Jarvis coming on board in April last year.)

North, West, East and Village: welcome to the many faces of SE21 south of the Thames. We have always had a soft spot for Dulwich. To the west, you’ll find pioneer coffee roaster - Volcano, whose seasonal roasts are worth travelling for. In the village is the very quaint Romeo Jones - the perfect cafe with its fresh pastries and cakes and seasonal offerings, such as wild garlic harvested from nearby Dulwich Park. On your way to East Dulwich, stop by Dulwich Picture Gallery before taking a leisurely stroll down Lordship Lane. Here the selection of things to see are numerous from cult-favourite Roullier White,  Franklins Farm Shop, and of course, Toasted, for some great take home wine. 

Volcano Coffee Works, 62 Tritton Rd, London SE21 8DE
Romeo Jones, 80 Dulwich Village, SE21 7AJ
Roullier White, 125 Lordship Lane SE22 8HU Tel. 020 8693 5150
Toasted, 36-38 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HJ
Franklins Farm Shop, 155 Lordship Lane, SE22 8HX

Other D's that we like include: Darling Damson with Stones by England Preserves; Dalston Cola, and Druid Street in Bermondsey for St John's Bakery, and O'Shea's Butchery.