seasonal - Goodtrippers

Bloomon beautiful! Get seasonal blooms to your door

A new way to enjoy fresh flowers has arrived from the Netherlands to the UK – Goodtrippers experiences Bloomon…

We received a beautiful pick-me-up at Goodtrippers HQ this week – a beautiful fresh floral bouquet from Bloomon. This is a florist with a difference – a company that wants to reconnect us to nature, shake-up the floristry industry, innovate with style and imagination, and bring a smile to everyone’s face via the simple pleasure of receiving pretty flowers straight to your door.

Bloomon, founded by industry “rebels” (their words) Patrick, Bart and Koen, cut out the middle man by dealing direct with growers. They source their flowers from expert growers, only selecting seasonal blooms and ensuring they are picked at the best time. This ensures extra days of freshness.

Enter Anton, their floral artisan, to help design some of the most original bouquets you’ll find via a delivery service. Taking inspiration from the Scandinavian school, Bloomon bouquets make the most of individual flower and leaf shapes, colours, movement and scent. The ‘New Bohemian’ bouquet of the week that Goodtrippers received was loose and romantic, full of blues, purples and pinks including peony, rose and brodea.

We love the ‘cheeky’ branding – the recycled wrapping (extra points there) is covered with positive phrases and cute reminders about how science says that flowers trigger happy emotions. The accompanying card also waxed lyrical about ‘the butterfly effect’ which inspired the bouquet design – a reminder of how small acts of kindness, words or gestures can have a wonderful knock-on effect. This really is a ‘feel good’ florist!

Bring fresh flowers to your home – how it works

Bloomon works on a subscription model – select your preferred size (small, medium or large), choose how often (weekly, fortnightly, monthly – you can pause if you’re on holiday), select a convenient delivery time (morning, afternoon, evening), then receive your new seasonal bouquets direct to your door. Prices range from £20.95 to £31.95 and you can also request the matching hand-blown glass vase.

Exclusive workshops – how to design your own

This summer (July-August) Bloomon are also running a series of exclusive flower arranging workshops in London. For £25 you can learn a new skill, enjoy complimentary refreshments and take home your very own bouquet and vase. However, be quick, at time of writing workshops were almost all sold out – keep your eyes peeled for possible future dates.

For more information on Bloomon and to order your own bouquets (or buy a one-off gift), visit www.bloomon.co.uk.

How to eat your way through London’s food markets in a weekend

This post is sponsored by London Serviced Apartments

Food markets – street food, real food, slow food or farmers’ markets – are enjoying boom time right now.

The capital boasts dozens of food markets, from newbies to the well-established, meaning you can barely make it through a weekend without sipping a craft beer while wolfing down a grass-fed lamb burger with truffle coated fries ‘on the go’.

Here’s our pick of London’s food markets to try in one weekend:

Friday lunchtime

KERB – A favourite with office workers in its regular locations of Spitalfields and at The Gerkin in the City. But it’s at Cubbit Square, King’s Cross, where you can find KERB 12-3pm every weekday including Friday. From the regularly changing line-up of stallholders, you could be grabbing lunch from Spit & Roast, Fundi Pizza, Club Mexicana, Oli Baba’s, Moto Yogo, Original Fry-Up Material, Vinn Goute, Horn OK Please, and many, many more! An outdoor swimming pool is also promised to accompany KERB at this location….!

Friday evening

Summer Tales – The tropical pop-up from the Night Tales crew, Old’s Street’s Summer Tales runs throughout summer with street food, five bars and renowned DJs. Enjoy the jungle surroundings featuring hammocks, rope swings and a large sun terrace. Sample the cocktails at the Lazy Flamingo Bar before feasting on fare from Burger & Lobster, Forza Win, Bonnie Gull and Morty & Bob’s.

Saturday morning

Broadway Market – A favourite with London’s Field’s residents, this lively market can get crowded but it’s more than worth a visit. Buy organic fruit, veg, eggs, meat and more from local producers, take away delicious homemade cakes and pastries, and snap up one-offs from clothing and gift stalls. Artisan street food vendors cover everything from Scotch eggs to Persian tagines, and don’t miss ordering a Vietnamese coffee from Ca Phe VN. The market is also home to a host of cool indie shops, cafes and the infamous Cat & Mutton pub.

Saturday afternoon (from 5pm)

Street Feast – The mighty Street Feast is going from strength to strength. With ‘Feasts’ in Lewisham, Dalston, and the brand new 1,000 capacity Dinerama in Shoreditch, this is one hip street food happening you really need to experience! Depending on the market you plump for, you’ll have around 20-50 street food vendors to work your way around including Mother Clucker, Yum Bun, Up In My Grill, Crabbieshack, Meringue Girls, Killer Tomato, Som Saa, Luardos, Mama Wang’s Kitchen, and dozens more. The plentiful bars serving crafts beers and cocktails and the “vinyl gooves” keep up the good vibes.

Saturday evening

Urban Food Fest – If you’re not staying at Street Feast into the evening (and you can if you haven’t had your fill), hot foot it to Shoreditch for the Urban Food Fest until midnight. Described as “achingly cool” and an “amazing street food party” in the press, this Shoreditch night market boasts free entry and plenty of amazing global gastronomy to feast on. Chow down on Chinese jian bing crepes, pulled pork burgers, Austrian specknoedel, Mexican tacos, Portuguese desserts, fresh gyoza, Spanish tapas and much more… Live music and entertainment accompanies the feasting.

Sunday morning

It’s Sunday so let’s bring the pace down a bit…

Alexandra Palace Farmers’ Market – What better way to spend a lazy Sunday morning than by strolling along to your local farmers’ market for a great coffee and to pick up some local outdoor-bred pork sausages for brunch? This lovely market is full of local stallholders meaning you get to grab fresh veg, meat and fish to take home, or sample delicious treats from small artisan food producers – homemade granola and local honey anyone?

Most areas of London, particularly in the suburbs, will have a small farmers’ market so check your council website for details.

Sunday afternoon

Slow Food & Living Market – This new market in the serine courtyard of the Rosewood Hotel is an absolute gem. The organisers aim to recreate the sense of community that a local market brings by featuring local producers and artisans selling top quality, fresh produce that is in-season, free from GMOs, responsibly farmed or caught, and grown to high environmental standards. Sustainable gifts are also on sale, and a children’s area keeps little ones entertained. Shop from stalls including Oliver’s Bakery, Moonroast Coffee, Seaforth Chocolate Co., Greedy Goat, Chef & Butcher, Petersham Cellar, Wild Country Organics and Being Sophie.

If you eat like a local, why not live like a local? If you’re visiting London book yourself a stay at an apartment through London Serviced Apartments and really make a weekend of it. With access to over 1,400 luxury private homes, serviced like a hotel, you can rest any full stomachs in real comfort!

The Kings Head, Norfolk, England

The King’s Head

Holt Road, Letheringsett, Norfolk NR25 7AR

T: 01263 712691 / E: kingshead@flyingkiwiinns.co.uk

www.kingsheadnorfolk.co.uk

I love this pub – plain and simple. It could be the award-winning food; it could be its own brewed ‘Kiwi Ale’; it could be the beautiful rural location (maybe I’m biased – it is my home turf). But I’m not the only one – The King’s Head was awarded ‘Norfolk Dining Pub of the Year 2011’ by the Good Pub Guide. The King’s Head is one of five ‘Flying Kiwi Inns’ across Norfolk run by Master Chef and New Zealander Chris Courough. His passion for local, seasonal food dictates the brilliant menus.

Food: The menu makes the most of the North Norfolk location with fresh seasonal produce direct from local fishermen and farmers dominating the dishes (Chris’ ‘Food Heroes’ who specialise in some of the finest quality produce in the country). Naturally, the menu changes daily but expect dishes like caramelised pork belly with scallops, fillet of seabas with crab risotto, pan fried pigeon breast with beetroot, followed by homemade gooseberry fool or Kel’s chocolate brownie with pistacio semi-freddo. The pub rears its own herd of cows for the menu (best not to look at them in the adjacent field if you’re planning on ordering the beef…).

Drink: The pub offers an extensive wine list (specially selected by Chris and UK Master of Wines John Atkinson) but as with all good country pubs, the real winners for me are the beers. Norfolk grows some of the best malting barley and local microbrewer ‘Jo C’ brews two ales for The King’s Head, ‘Norfolk Kiwi’ (my favourite) and ‘Bitter old Bustard’.

Additional information: The pub was extensively renovated in 2007 and is at the smart end of gastropub decor – leather club chairs, Farrow and Ball paint, cosy snugs and the ‘Shoot Room’ (available for private hire). It has a very large beer garden (with big play ‘castle’ for kids). Alongside lunch and dinner, the pub also serves morning and afternoon cakes and coffee, and ‘kid’s high tea’ midweek during term time.

Recommended for… A pint of the ‘Norfolk Kiwi’ local ale with your Sunday lunch

Be aware that… Vegetarians are well catered for with the lunch menu but less so for dinner with maybe only one or two dishes suitable (but an early word with the kitchen on booking could result in some dishes being adapted).

‘Good’ credentials:

Emphasis on local, seasonal produce direct from farmers, fishermen and producers
Specialist microbrewed ales
Own herd of cows reared for menu in adjacent field (zero food miles!)
Menu ingredients include produce such as ethically-reared quail

Date of visit: April 2012

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The Duke of Cambridge, London

The Duke of Cambridge

30 St Peter’s Street, Islington, London N1

T: +44 (0)20 7359 3066

www.dukeorganic.co.uk

This wonderful pub is tucked away from the busy thoroughfare of Islington’s Upper Street and Essex Road, located on a quiet corner, quietly getting on with being the UK’s first (and still only) officially certified organic pub. But don’t let the quietness deceive you – this is an incredibly popular gastropub thanks to its fantastic menu created around seasonal, local and organic produce.And with a bar full of organic drinks on offer, there’s less chance of any ‘morning after’ feelings if you overdo it (what’s not to love?)!

Food: 80% of their ingredients(all organic) come from the Home Counties, their fish is Marine Stewardship Council certified wherever possible, their meat comes from small farms with the highest animal welfare standards, and everything is seasonal so if it’s not in season, you won’t see it on the menu which changes regularly. A sample of summer dishes that could be on offer when you visit, include starters such as pan-fried cuttlefish with gremolata, beef carpacio with radish or house pickled herring with potato caper. Mains may include asparagus and confit summer garlic risotto with ewe’s cheese, sardines with lentils and braised radicchio, or hearty rack of lamb with jersey royals and salsa verde. Puddings include lavendar creme brulee, apricot cheesecake or a mouth-watering British cheese board.

Drink: When the Duke first opened in 1998, there were no organic brewers in London – so they persuaded two brewers to make them some! Freedom and Pitfield Breweries have been supplying them ever since and the pub now has four real ales, two lagers and one cider on tap with plenty of bottled drinks to choose from (all organic, of course). The wine list includes organic and biodynamic wines from both Europe and the New Worlds – with bottles from South Africa and New Zealand being shipped over (never air freighted) to reduce the carbon footprint. Organic spirits and liqueurs are also on offer.

Recommended for… A relaxed lunch on a Sunday afternoon for delicious food and local beers

Be aware that… A Sunday can also be very busy – try and visit on a weekday afternoon for a quieter time

‘Good’ credentials:

UK’s first (and only) organic pub (officially certified by the Soil Association)
Organic, seasonal and local food and drink
Beers brewed by small, independent, artisan brewers in or close to London
Fish buying policy approved by the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)
Meat from small farms maintaining high animal welfare standards
Nothing is ever air-freighted
Re-use and recycle wherever possible
Electricity generated by wind and solar power

Date of visit: June 2012

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