London: Tea Time in Wonderland

Strolling through the Real Food Festival, we put some of those on our shopping list:

* The Seriously Italian Company ‘s pestos – richly flavoured and organic products made in London. We just could not resist the walnut and pistachios ones. use them on pasta, as chutneys…

* Those creole soda breads from The Global Fusion are just exquisite – pure happiness at each bite and as beautiful as delicious. How to choose between apple crumble, apple-plum-oats, carrot-cherry, mango? We ended up taking a nice selection back. Bonus point, they’re vegan!

* The rose limonade by Fentiman, for its amazing taste of Turkish delight.

* Doukan‘s Moroccan dishes which tell stories of other lands, other spices. Their exotic chutneys will make you feel like cooking a tajine straight away : aubergine, orange blossom-fig, tomato-cinnamon, lemon-coriander… Visit the restaurant for even more treats.

* The clever alliances by Café On : each macaroon is flavoured (champagne, black pepper, tomato, sakura…) and can be matched to the cheese of your choice, quite a gourmer sandwich. Fennel and goat’s cheese is quite something!

* Sloe Motion‘s elegant gins, vodkas, whiskies: a fabulous sweet drink to finish a meal or add to a cocktail. Very addictive, though. Quite a nice gift for father’s day.

* La Cave  Fromage‘s savoury cheese macaroons. Surprising poetic bites, each flavous keeping its personnality: pear-roquefort, raspberry-parmesan, blueberry-brie, hazelnut-goat’s cheese.

* La Fromagerie‘s new range of crackers, particularly the caraway ones who work marvelously with the nutty cheese as gouda.

* We fell in love with Womersley‘s floral and fruity vinegars: blackcurrant-rosemary, lemon-basil-juniper, lemon-black pepper-lavender… Just in time for summer salads, a wonderful gift for all gourmets.

* The Oreo-green tea sponge cake by My Sweet Tooth Factory -  they never last long no matter how huge the slice is! This year, no doubt, I will order my birthday cake from them.

* British tea – no kidding! This one grows in Cornwall and brings quite a nice brew. Tregothnan also proposes eucalyptus, manuka, nettle infusions.

Ask any Froggie where his cheese heaven is in London, and he will answer Neal’sYard Dairy, La Fromagerie or la Cave a fromages.
Alternatively, the Borough Market is quite an experience (especially if like me, you do stop at every stall to taste).

For a more picturesque time, I love Paxton and Whitfield. They hold a quaint shop in the gentlemen’s quarters, Jermyn street. And trust me, it hides wonders. It used to only be a stall @ Aldwych market in 1742… Thanks to the partnership of Mr Paxton and Mr Whitfield, it could settle here in 1797. So chic royalty fell for it too -  Queen Victoria appointed them official cheesemongers in 1850. And they still have the honour of servir her Majesty the Queen and Prince Charles.

XXth century proved harder – competition of continental cheese, two world wars… Still they made it -  switching to grocery style, adding cream, eggs, milk, butter to their shelves. Even Winston churchill was a fan, swearing that A gentleman only buys his cheese at Paxton and Whitfield…

Just step in and smell… How wonderful! You’ll find here the very best of French and British spcialties… The inside is adorable, the counter is covered with delights, here and there a touch of another time… The team is also so very friendly (even though you’re only taking pictures) and are happy to make you taste this or that novelty.

Fancy a different celebration / wedding? Try this, order a cheese – pyramid!

Sliding to modern times -  you can now order online.  Or join the cheese club for £35 a month and get a special delivery of 4 cheese by courrier…

Paxton and Whitfield
93 Jermyn St
St James
London
SW1Y 6JE