I hope you had a good weekend; apologies for last week’s missing update and this week’s delay, I have been recuperating from tonsillitis at my parent’s farm in Shropshire, but back and fighting fit now.
Wild Mushrooms and Truffle:
St George mushrooms have had a great season but we are now approaching the last week for these lovelies, and the last fortnight for Mousseron. Morels have shifted from Turkey to North America; most chefs will be happy to hear that they will be smaller and the season may well last into July.
Over the coming months, however, it will be all about Girolles; clean and fresh with mushrooms from small to medium sizes coming straight from the forests of Bulgaria. As we step further into the season we expect further price drops. Macedonian Girolles have started and will probably be our next hunting ground before Poland and Scotland kick in for the beginning of July.
Black Italian Summer truffles are abundant, affordable and beautiful.
Seasonal Fruit & Vegetables:
- Asparagus: Green English asparagus and French White & Wild asparagus
- English Peas & Broad Beans are now abundant
- Jersey Royal Potatoes are now excellent value for money
- An assortment of Baby Vegetables are now at their best from France, including the elusive baby fennel
- Sea Aster, Sea Beet, Sea Purslane, Nettles and Elderflower foraged from Norfolk
- Hogweed, Sweet Cicley & Wood Sorrel foraged from Scotland
- A spectacular variety of high quality tomatoes are pouring through our doors from France & Spain
- Fragrant Charentais Melons
- Alfonso mangoes
- Excellent, keenly priced English Strawberries from Somerset. Regular shape, fresh, bright red, sweet & succulent
- Apricots from Italy
- Superb Cherries from Spain
- We are anticipating the return of Wild Strawberries from Kent, after a little refreshing rain, and their larger, similarly perfumed hybrid relations, Mara du Bois – keep updated on twitter to find out when they’re back in our warehouse
- Gooseberries are so close; we have some French varieties for an office taste test on Monday, we shall let you know how they go, but will only sell when they are perfect for your dishes
- We have sampled other stone fruit, including Flat Peaches, but they are still too hard, dry and acidic to be on any use; again we will keep you updated, but rest assured we shall be filling our chillers with Blood Nectarines, Vine Peaches et al very soon
- Parsley & Chervil Root have now finished until autumn, as have Golden and Candied Beetroot
As always, follow us on twitter to keep to date with the latest photos, news and seasonal information and if you wish to add your colleagues to our seasonal update list please email me their details. If you have any further questions please do get in touch, or speak to your account manager. I look forward to speaking with you soon; have a great service chef.
Best wishes,
Louise Thomas
[email protected]
Tel: 0207 498 5397