contents Good Egg / Issue 1
3 how to eat sustainably even when you live in the city
7 best of London’s markets
11 5 signs the future of food is plant-based
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words by Abi Corbett
how to eat sustainably even when you live in the
You want to eat sustainably. I want to eat sustainably. We all want to eat sustainably.
Good Egg / Issue 1
Farmdrop
While we can do the obvious, (more plants, less livestock; no strawberries from South Africa) if you live in a city, your life is likely to be more 7pm dashes to Tesco Metro, less rummaging at the farmer's market for charmingly misshapen parsnips. You've also probably got half a metre of concrete masqueading as your garden, (as convincingly as strips of butternut squash telling you that they're 'spaghetti') making growing anything that isn't mint pretty hard. Which is why clever ways of delivering food that's been grown well, is seasonal, says ’no' to wastage and pays people who grow it the prices they deserve are flourishing. For you stressed-out urban types, here's a few of our favourites.
Launched in 2012, this ethical grocer is bringing the farm shop to you. "We created Farmdrop to fix what we believe is a broken food chain, perpetuated by the big supermarkets who source from great distances, waste unsold footd, and screw over their suppliers by paying them unfairly," explains Ben Pugh CEO. "I don't think there has ever been a time in history when we have been so disconnected from the people who feed us." With Farmdrop, you place an order online or via their app, your food is picked to order and comes to your door within 19 hours, via an electric van. Deliveries go to homes in London, Bath and Bristol. “The reason we should be so concerned about losing touch with agriculture is because it encourages the major food manufacturers to cut corners and lower welfare standards,� Ben says. Working on a no-waste policy (produce is only harvested when it's been ordered), his business pays farmers fairly and brings local food to busy urban types. "In doing this we are meeting the growing demand for high-welfare and locally sourced food by putting the farmers' market online, and available seven days a week," Ben says.
Growing Communities
A community-led organisation based in Hackney, North London, these lot aim to change what we eat, how we eat – and how it's farmed. Founded over twenty years ago, the goal was to build a community to reshape our food systems. With their organic fruit and vegetable bag scheme, (you can get one from £7.75 a week) fairly priced local and seasonal ingredients are yours. Available at various pick-up points in London, or selling at a farmers' market every Saturday, 10am-2.30pm, by St Paul's Church, N16 7UY, these lot are a great choice if you live in the capital. Alison, a digital marketer and Growing Communities devotee says: "I discovered Growing Communities as they supply Esters, my favourite cafe. They've made it so much easier to source local farm supplies, without losing valuable time at the weekends."
Au Bout Du Champ
Over in Paris, Au Bout Du Champ is changing the way locals shop for their daily fruit and veg. Until recently, they sold locally-grown produce out of vending machines, making picking up the fresh stuff easier than ever. Now, they’re selling out of five permanent spaces. All produce comes from within 100km of Paris and is harvested from the organic farmers who grew it – who get 50 per cent of the sale price right back. By reconnecting their customers with the farmers, (from Como & Xavier Morize from Saint-Nom-La-Breteche who provide carrots, cucumbers, onions and more, to Angel MoioliI from Montesson, who specialises in mushrooms) they are getting city types seeing food as a labour of love, rather than something you hastily grab in a plastic wrapper. “If we don’t support local farmers we will have less affordable healthy options in the future,” explains Isabel Martin, a Paris-based designer and frequent shopper at the store. “It’s much easier to find great local produce outside Paris, as that’s where the farms are. Having someone bring the produce in to the city and to make them readily available and affordable is magnificent.”
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This Is How to Eat Sustainably Even When You Live in the City
Good Egg / Issue 1
words by TimeOut London
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farmers’ markets London is bursting with urban life, but it also a known hotbed for many farmers’ markets where locals and vistors alike can get fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious hot food from all over the world, and a colorful selection of vintage goods.
This Is How to Eat Sustainably Even When You Live in the City
Berwick Street Market Berwick St, Soho, London W1F 8ST
Situated on the stretch of Berwick Street between the Soho strip joints of Walker’s Court and the elegant Yauatcha restaurant, this fruit and veg market is one of London’s oldest. Its roots go back to 1778, and at one point the thriving market ran the length of Berwick Street. While the friendly and vocal grocery hawkers have thinned in recent years, they have been joined by a clutch of hot food and sandwich sellers during weekday lunchtimes, including Pizza Pilgrims – a pair of dough-spinning brothers famous for their Italian treats. Berwick Street is also blessed with good shops and cafés, including several vintage boutiques (look out for Reign and a branch of Absolute Vintage), renowned fabric store the Cloth Shop, coffee house Flat White and brunch favourite Foxcroft & Ginger.
Good Egg / Issue 1
Ridley Road has been home to this market in the heart of Dalston since the end of 1880s having started with about 20 stalls it now playing an important part in Hackney’s history and heritage with over 150 stalls offering a diverse range of quality goods at very competitive prices.
Ridley Road Market Ridley Road, London, E8 2NP
Opposite Dalston Kingsland Train Station and beside Kingsland Shopping Centre, Ridley Road Market is one of the most vibrant in East London, offering a unique combination of international flavours from around the world. With the fusion of AfroCaribbean, Asian and European goods, there is something there for everyone. Visitors to Ridley Road Market, centered in Dalston town centre, are greeted with a warm and pleasant atmosphere, the energetic sound of reggae music and the natural blend of cultures. Apart from serving fruit and vegetables to generations of families, the market also offers a wide range of household goods.
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London Farmers’ Markets
Good Egg / Issue 1
Borough Market 8 Southwark St, London SE1 1TL
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London’s best, and best-known, food market is chock-a-block with takeaway choices, should all that prime produce make you hungry on the hoof. The food hound’s favourite market is also London’s oldest, dating back to the 13th century. It’s the busiest too, occupying a sprawling site near London Bridge. Gourmet goodies run the gamut, from fresh loaves and rare-breed meats, via fish, game, fruit and veg, to cakes and all manner of preserves, oils and teas; head out hungry to take advantage of the numerous free samples. A rail viaduct, vigorously campaigned against, is now in place, which means restored historic features have been returned and works disruption should now be at an end. As if to celebrate, a new Market hall, facing onto Borough High Street, has been opened: it acts as a kind of greenhouse for growing plants (including hops), as well as hosting workshops, tastings and foodie demonstrations. You can also nip in with your snack if the weather’s poor. London Farmers’ Markets
5 signs the food industry thinks the future of food is plant-based
How have consumer behaviors in recent years transformed the food industry? First, let’s jump back five or ten years ago. At one point, the simple task of purchasing a high-protein veggie burger or plant-based protein bar was something that could not be achieved without taking a trip to the health food store — and often, the findings were so unsatisfactory that one would never dare share them with friends and relatives. But today, the same situation plays out very differently. Most grocery stores now have entire freezers dedicated to plant-based protein options, from vegan burgers that look, cook, and taste like meat to meat alternatives that mimic chicken strips or crumbled beef. It’s a similar story if you’re looking for protein supplements. It’s no longer a question of finding the only tub of plant-based protein powder Good Egg / Issue 1
or a single protein bar — options are so plentiful that it is now a question of which kind of plant-based protein you prefer. How did we arrive at this point? For the past few decades, meat consumption in the U.S. has seen a steady decline. According to recent studies, 30 percent of Americans are not only leaving meat off their plates, but also seeking out plant-based meat alternatives. We also know that this trend is largely driven by Millennials, who are more inclined than Baby Boomers to seek out food that is healthy, organic, and in line with their ethics. As a result, we are seeing a drop in meat and dairy consumption and an increase in demand for brands that have a positive social and environmental impact while
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still commanding the same amount of protein that can be gotten from animal-based sources. Thanks to growing consumer demand for cleaner, environmentally friendly, and animal-free sources of protein, we have seen an increase in the number of plant-based meat substitutes on the market — and apparently, in 2016 there was a 90 percent increase in the amount of Google searches for the word “vegan.” According to some estimates, the plant-based meat market is set to reach $5.2 billion by 2020 and could make up one-third of the market by 2050. Not only is the popularity of plant-based meat on the rise, pea protein, a high source of clean, plantbased protein, is emerging as a new contender in the global protein market.
How else do we know that plant-based protein is ushering in the future of food? Here are 5 signs: 1 Tyson Foods invests in
plant-based meat. Late last year, Tyson Foods, the world’s largest meat processor announced that it would be taking a five percent ownership stake in plant-based startup Beyond Meat. Major news? You betcha. But the good news didn’t stop there. Not long after that, Forbes wrote that the meat giant announced the launch of Tyson New Ventures LLC, a $150 million venture capital fund that would “complement its existing investments and will focus on companies that are developing ‘breakthrough’ technology and business models.” In a statement, Tyson executive vice president Monica 5 Signs the Future of Food is Plant-based
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McGurk said, “This fund is about broadening our exposure to innovative, new forms of protein and ways of producing food.” If you’ve pegged the rise of the plant-based meat substitute market as just another passing fad, think again. 2 Major Beef Supplier Cargill Sells Its Last U.S. Feed Lots to Invest in Alternative Protein
Cargill is the largest privately held food and agriculture company in the world. In addition to peddling commodities like palm oil, grains, and other common food ingredients, they are one of the four largest beef producers in the United States that control 70 percent of the U.S. beef market. They also provide cold cuts, hot dogs, and other processed meats to public schools across the nation. But, the company sold off its last remaining feedlots in the U.S. Not only that, Cargill spokesman Mike Martin explained to Reuters that the company plans to expand its North American protein business to include fish, insects, and plant-based protein. Now, the question is, does this mean that Cargill plans to provide kids in public schools with plant-based protein.
Benecol and Pure are just some of the dairy-free brands available at most grocery stores
Good Egg / Issue 1
3 Maple Leaf Foods Buys Lightlife Foods
Earlier this year, Lightlife Foods, maker of plant-based meat substitutes like tempeh, sausages, and burgers, was purchased by Maple Leaf Foods Inc, one of Canada’s largest meat processors, for $140 million and related costs. Why? In 2016, Lightlife reported approximately $40 million in sales and just so happens to have a 38 percent stake in the U.S. refrigerated plant protein market. According to Michael McCain, President and CEO of Maple Leaf, “expanding into the fast growing plant-based proteins market is one of Maple Leaf’s strategic growth platforms and supports our commitment to become a leader in sustainability.” That’s what we’re talking about. 4 Pea Protein is Taking Over
Sports Nutrition Here’s a whole trifecta of good news. MusclePharm, one of the leading companies in the sports nutrition industry, recently released its first entirely plant-based line of products such as powders and bars featuring none other than pea protein, a clean, plant-based source of protein. This news closely followed the release of Evolve, a line of vegan bars and readymade shakes made with pea protein made by CytoSport, Inc, the makers of dairy-based sports nutrition brand Muscle Milk. Not only that, General Mills recently purchased D’s Naturals, maker of plant-based protein bars and nut butters, all of which are made with pea protein. No whey.
Vegan burgers from Big V at Borough Market
5 Restaurants Are Embracing
the Impossible Burger and Beyond Burger The Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger are two plant-based burgers that are practically indistinguishable from a traditional beef patty. Late last year, the Impossible Burger, famously known as “the burger that bleeds,” debuted at restaurateur David Chang’s Momofuku Nishi. Soon after, it was added to other high-end restaurant menus such as Crossroads Kitchen, Saxon + Parole, and Public. But it didn’t stop there. You can now find the Impossible Burger on the menu of chains like Bareburger and Umami Burger — and CEO Patrick Brown hopes to produce enough Impossible Burgers to match the U.S. demand for beef burgers. The Beyond Burger, a vegan burger made from pea protein that looks and cooks like a beef burger and is the first veggie burger to be sold alongside meat at the grocery
store, has also been making similar strides. You can find it on the menu of all-vegan chain Veggie Grill, which will soon expand to new locations across the U.S. It’s also since been added to the menu at a dining hall at Yale University and brought to a location in Hong Kong, the nation with the highest meat consumption in the world. There are just a few examples of why we think that companies believe what we already know: protein from animal-based sources is becoming obsolete and the future of food, without a doubt, is plant-based.
5 Signs the Future of Food is Plant-based
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