A forward-thinking food collective which brings the local community together with the farmers who grow their food has just launched in Haggerston.
The Food Assembly, whose slogan is “Yes to local!”, held a launch party at TripSpace Projects in Acton Mews on Monday, 6 October. Entry was free to meet and get to know the 14 producers involved in the collective, and sample their products.
The trendy wooden space in a converted railway arch was thronged with people of all ages, from business workers to young couples and families with children.
All of the food and drink on offer was local, ranging from organic fruit and vegetables to fresh, natural fruit sodas; from vegetarian cheese to music-inspired beer brews. Through The Food Assembly, Londoners can order the products online during the week before collecting them directly from the producers every Monday evening.
The Food Assembly is based on a model which has had great success in France, and is now beginning to crop up in different forms across England.
Ellie Woodcock of Brambletye Fruit Farm was cautiously optimistic about the new model, which she said was “changing the mindset” of consumers when it came to buying their food.
“It’s very new; who’s to say if it’ll work in England?” she said.
Esther Booth of The Roasting Shed, which sells specially selected hand-roasted coffee beans, was more confident about the future of The Food Assembly in Haggerston.
“People seem genuinely interested in buying a product that they know the history of. People coming here are very specific about why they shop here.”
As for trying new ways of selling food and connecting with the community, she said: “We’ve got to keep our minds open.”
You can sign up to The Food Assembly Network and find an assembly near you at https://thefoodassembly.com/
Featured image: Emerika
