Authentic Flavored Dishes at The Duke of Cambridge
It's Saturday morning and it feels like the whole city has met at Broadway Market for a snack. Here everything is natural, directly from the farm, without colorants, preservatives, salts or added sugars or, at least, handmade. In addition to tasting homemade delicacies from stall to stall, the grace of these farm markets (there are 15 throughout London) is dealing directly with producers and artisans.
Dozens of bikes create a skein around traffic signs and young couples with their children stroll down the street towards the Hackney's urban farm, a quiet place to have lunch among the plants while the children learn with the animals. In addition, today the sun shines again, will it be a consequence of climate change? The same scene is repeated at this time in Spitalfields, Clerkenwell, Bermondsey, Chelsea Market...
The New Urban Farmers of Borough Market
And it is that lately, who else, who less, cares about what they eat and defines themselves as ecological. From the monarchy to the greengrocer on the corner, passing through the designer Stella McCartney , active advocate of ethical fashion and renewable energy, or actor Colin Firth's wife, Livia , Chiswick shop owner, Eco Age , with clothing, gift ideas and home greening items, everyone wants to do their bit in caring for the planet.
But, despite this daily reality, the truth is that London has never stood out for being a precisely ecological and sustainable city. So much pollution, excessive growth, the pollution of the Thames, the loss of green areas... Things, however, are changing and the trend is clear. The new buildings in Canary Wharf, South Wank or the City are born with green roofs and sustainable designs. Organic food shelves conquer space in large surfaces. London Fashion Week exhibits, to great fanfare, ethically responsible collections, such as that of the always exquisite Christopher Raeburn. And hotels like the Dorchester or the Four Seasons highlight their sustainability. Even the Savoy hotel, with a new foundation and an attitude that has earned it a Green Tourism gold medal, offers a 'green package' and suites with the latest energy saving technology. A few meters away, the architect Norman Foster is putting the finishing touches on what will be a 'biosphere hotel', the new ME London, of the Meliá chain.
The Harlequin Suite at the environmentalist Dorchester Hotel
Even the Greater London Authority has got its act together and has drawn up the first London environmental report where, apart from highlighting the problems and proposing objectives, the success of projects such as the 'Love Clean London' campaign, with which citizens were encouraged to collaborate in cleaning the streets. The most outstanding sustainable development project, in any case, is the Olympic Games. London can be proud to have been the first city in the world to include sustainable solutions as a fundamental part of the Olympic Park. In the construction of the Olympic facilities, most of the rubble has been reused and more than 4,000 new trees and 74,000 plants have been planted, creating 45 hectares of wildlife habitat.
According to the instructions of the authorities, to be environmentally responsible, all you have to do is follow the eco-living mantra: recycle, reuse, consume ethically and responsibly. How? Where? In London there are furniture exchange websites such as freecycle , and businesses such as Melody Rose , in which Melanie Rousevere deconstructs old abandoned porcelain dishes and transforms them into small works of art. The boutique howies only use organic cotton , and model Lily Cole and her partner Katherine Poulton have created The North Circular, a brand of wool clothing exclusively from Wensleydale sheep and 'granny' techniques.
Junky Styling, one of the ecological firms that parades at Fashion Week
Another responsible option is to buy second hand, and the offer here is wide. But for those looking for something more vintage, Marcelle Symons at the One Vintage boutique rescues dresses from the last century and transforms them into wonderful one-of-a-kind pieces that are already glamorous on some red carpets. Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager have been doing something similar in Junky Styling for 14 years: changing what is already done, giving clothes a new chance and that loving craftsmanship. Most of what they reconstruct is clothing from past collections, not used. They have already paraded in Fashion Week and also have a 'wardrobe surgery' service so that customers can wear those 'rags' that they want to rebuild instead of throwing away.
Geetie Singh, founder of The Duke of Cambridge gastropub and her chefs
The East End is one of the areas where more ecological initiatives are being carried out. Arcola Theater is the first 'zero carbon' cinema and on the first Sunday of the month it schedules talks, concerts and screenings with ecology as the central theme. Also original, Farm:shop **is a farm within a shop (they have a chicken coop on the roof!)** that has become a meeting place for urban farmers and all those who want to smell the countryside during a time and check what products are in season. In Shoreditch, where the new cafes seem to emulate the style of the Albion, Terence Conran's British eatery and delicatessen, the opening of the Shoreditch Grind is striking. Probably the best coffee in the area (the blend is from the house) and, best of all, it has a patio for 400 people. At The Duke of Cambridge, the recipes are not only homemade, but also organic. It is the first and only 'gastropub' in the country to be certified by the Soil Association.
Neal's Yard Dairy Artisanal Cheese Shop
But in reality, you don't have to go to the East or meet the farmers to eat delicious food and have a happy conscience (and body). On exquisite Elizabeth Street in Belgravia, The Thomas Cubitt only buys from farms that treat animals ethically and produce fair trade. And, in addition, he participates in community charities. Turned into a local institution, its goal is not to waste anything. But the environmental involvement of this warmly sophisticated venue extends to water and energy consumption, and it continues to incorporate technology to minimize its impact, as well as participating in local charities.
On a perpendicular to Marylebone High Street, roganic (19, Blandford Street; W1U) , Simon Rogan's new restaurant, doesn't want to attract the attention of those who were just passing by. This is a restaurant where diners end up talking about the ingredients of the dishes. The truth is that the recipes are the most imaginative. And healthy, of course. Refreshments are made with fruit from chef Ben Spalding's orchard. Nearby, and also hidden, Content Beauty/Wellbeing is the idealization of an old apothecary, with barber's mirrors, vintage illustrations and bottles with organic "potions" so natural that some, like Dr. Alkaitis Skin Food Facial, are can eat.
Bicycles and parks, inseparable friends
move without polluting London is not Amsterdam, but sometimes it looks like it. Especially on two wheels. More and more citizens are opting for the bicycle to move around the city. Also visitors, who find in the bicycle an ally to discover areas and parks that they would not otherwise go to, such as the route that runs along the course of the Thames or The Greenary, the new bike lane of the Olympic Park. The city council makes it easy and allows you to travel by bicycle, almost without restrictions, throughout the urban transport network. As well as the famous 'Boris' bikes', visit the Visit London and London Cycling Campaing websites for information on bike hire shops and routes around the city. But if you have no choice but to use the car, rent one of Ecoigo's eco-friendly Priuses.
The bright Inn the Park restaurant
A table on the lawn What better plan for Sunday than to buy a little of everything at The Deli and cross over to Regent's Park for a picnic. The Deli is the bakery for York & Albany, chef Gordon Ramsay's restaurant and hotel. Another option is to call Real Food Delivery Daily (tel. +44 (020) 7794 2448; about £35) from wherever you are on the lawn. Behind this phone are the unimaginable delicacies (also for celiacs, allergy sufferers or any special need) from the former Nobu and Hibiscus chef, Natalie Brawley. And if you really want a table and chair, Inn the Park It is an idyllic place among the trees and ponds of St. James's Park in which to have breakfast listening to the birds, have lunch changing moods and, in summer, have dinner with someone you want to impress. The product is the best of the country, coming from farms that deserve to be part of the name of the dish.
Neal's Yard Emporium Natural Beauty Shop