Just in time before tomorrow’s Sunday Market, this piece by Pragya Vijay will prepare you for a truly local shopping eperience. Check out the first part of Chapel Market Stories published by the Islington Storyteller a couple weeks ago!
note from the editor
Meet Windrush Valley Goat Dairy
Windrush Valley Goat Dairy’s co-founder Richard Loveridge is a regular at Chapel Market. He told us the story of how it all came about while showing a whole range of goat dairy produce. They established the business in 2002 and also became members of the London Farmers group. Almost from the very start, Windrush Valley Dairy became part of the Chapel Market. Over 15 years later, Richard, with the team, continues sharing with Islingtonians their carefully crafted products, especially (!) their signature soft goat’s cheese. With an assortment of rich flavours such as black pepper and herb & garlic, these soft cheeses are perfect for jazzing up any meal. Other products available for purchase include yoghourts, kefir, goat’s milk as well as cheesecake.
The ethos of this enterprise is about providing valuable alternatives to shift away from large-scale agribusiness-dominated dairy in favour of environmentally friendly local solutions.
After over fifteen years of being part of the Islington community, Richard continues to value the opportunity to be part of Chapels Market and has a special fondness for our local customers. Curious about giving goat’s dairy a go? The Windrush Valley stall can be found on the second and fourth Sunday of each month in Chapel Market and also every Sunday in the Marleybone market.
Instagram: @officialwindrushvalleygoat
Meet Wild Country Organics
After exploring the dairy offerings of our favourite market, we met up with Ian, a vendor of organic produce. He deals on behalf of Wild Country Organics, a sustainable farming business based outside of Cambridge in Abington. For over 20 years, this business has specialised in small-scale organic produce, certified by the Soil Association. Producing organic vegetables and salads, the farm has a sustainability focus along the full value chain.
To satisfy my curiosity about the details of such specialised farming processes, Ian shared how the farm uses natural heat from the sun and greenhouses instead of the power grid.
What is more, virtually no fertilisers are used, with only a few that are accredited by the Soil Association to verify so.
At wild country organics, Ian especially values the farm’s genuine commitment to sustainability and the variety of produce. Although it is true that some products at the stall were on the pricier side compared to a standard supermarket, knowing that you are purchasing from a local producer with high sustainability standards made it worth the extra penny.
All photos by Pragya Vijay, taken for the Islington Storyteller
