London feels very different from the city it was a few weeks ago. Restaurants are closed, the tubes are empty save for key workers, and Soho is a ghost town. We can’t eat out, or go to bars or pubs; many are struggling to get hold of even basic supplies, like eggs and flour. But a number of food businesses have shown extraordinary tenacity, ingenuity and spirit in the way they have dealt with the daily changes to our lockdown situation, manipulating their business models, and pivoting to delivery services. We’ve collated a list of independent food stores or producers who are delivering in London at the moment. Please visit individual suppliers for delivery time estimates, as most are slightly longer than normal due to the current Covid-19 situation.
Meat
Meat box from HG Walter
Turner and George
Turner and George pride themselves on offering rare, native breeds, meat cut to order, and in-house aging. As well as individual items, they’ve put together a ‘T&G Staples box’ which includes a whole chicken, pork chops, lamb T-bones, sausages, bacon, and ground beef, and are also offering a 20 per cent discount for key workers and those over the age of 70.
H G Walter
H G Walter supplies pretty much everything meaty you could imagine or want, from your standard bangers to Iberico pork and veal sweetbreads. They’re also offering veg boxes, ‘meat survival packs’, and have collaborated with burger restaurant Patty & Bun to create a ‘Lockdown DIY Patty Kit.
Cabrito
Try something different and order some goat meat: Cabrito, run by James Beard award-winning James Whetlor, have been selling ‘kid’ goat meat sourced from British dairy farms since 2012. Prior to the crisis, restaurants were their main trade, but now a whole new audience are trying their hand at cooking goat. As well as goat burgers, sausages, and whole kid legs, you can get your hands on a BBQ box which will equip you with everything you could possibly want for low ‘n’ slow, as well as standard, barbecue. If you’re nervous about cooking with goat, try their ‘starter box’ which includes 2 shanks, 10 chops, 500g diced kid meat, and 500g goat mince. No minimum order.
Cobble Lane Cured
Cobble Lane Cured, a specialist butchery in Islington have brought their charcuterie to the internet, including their Cobble Lane Cured Survival Selection for £25 which includes coppa, bresaola, fennel salami, salt & pepper salami, soppressata, lomo, nduja, and kabanos, all with over a month shelf life, and free shipping (delivery nationwide).
Dairy
Neil’s Yard Dairy – small dairy box
Fen Farm Dairy
Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk are delivering cheese, butter and raw milk nationwide. Their cheese, Baron Bigod, is creamy and farmyardy, and the only brie-de-Meaux-style cheese made in the UK (and they currently have a whacking discount on the 1kg whole cheese) and their butter is the highly regarded Bungay raw cultured butter.
Neals Yard
Neals Yard are offering a mind-boggling array of cheese, but have also put together a ‘dairy box’, which includes Little Bread Pedlar sourdough, Cacklebean eggs, Ivy House Milk, Keen’s Moorhayes Salted Butter, Neal’s Yard Creamery Greek Style Yoghurt, and two cheeses.
Paxton & Whitfield
London cheesemongers since 1797, Paxton & Whitfield are delivering their normal cheese selection, but are also offering a weekend cheese box and a British cheese box, which includes Westcombe Cheddar, Red Leicester and Cote Hill Blue.
Westcombe Dairy
The West Country based dairy are selling their cheddar, caerphilly, Westcombe red, and Westcombe smoked, as well as diversifying into some absolutely excellent looking charcuterie.
Fruit and Veg
Veg box from Nature’s Choice
Nature’s choice
Nature’s Choice is a New Covent Garden wholesaler which has begun supplying directly to customers through online orders and deliveries, it is offering small, medium and large fruit and veg boxes, as well as fruit and veg boxes ‘with essentials’ which include milk, juice, eggs, butter, bread, and more.
First Choice
Another New Covent Garden market business, First Choice are offering small, medium and large fruit and veg boxes, but also separately supply some meat, dairy, and dry goods, and are offering free delivery within Central London and greater London for a £3.50 delivery fee.
Fish
Fresh sea bass
Fresh Cornish Fish
Fresh Cornish Fish source source the best quality sustainable fish from small inshore boats, before preparing them, boxing them in ice-insulated boxes and couriering them anyway in mainland UK overnight. As well as offering individual fish and fish selection, they offer a monthly nationwide delivery fish box for £34.99 plus postage. Each box depends on what’s at market on the given day, but a typical box contains 5 large haddock fillets, 2 large pollack fillets, 1 large ling fillet, 2 megrim sole, 2 large lemon sole fillets, 1 large hake fillet, and 4 red mullet fillets. For this month, you need to order before 6am on 8 April, so don’t delay!
Sole Share
Working with a handful of small-scale British fishermen, Sole Share are a fish box membership scheme supplying directly to the consumer: each week you get the fisherman’s catch of the day. You can choose from 2-8 portions, whether you want it weekly or fortnightly, and whether you’d like the fish whole or oven-ready. Then you choose your pick-up point, which span most of London. Although several of their pick-up points have had to close in the last couple of weeks, there are still a wealth of host spots, with two more due to open this week. Their website has a host of ideas for how to enjoy fish you receive with which you may not be familiar.
Secret Smokehouse
The East London Smokehouse which supplies a host of London’s top restaurants with small batch, hand-crafted, oak-smoked fish are offering everything from fish pie mix to whole-smoked salmon and trout. There is same-day delivery for a small number of Central London postcodes, and 24-48 hour delivery nationwide.
Fish for Thought
Featured on The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain, this online fishmonger prides itself on its ethical and sustainable produce. Choose individual fish or a seafood box that suits the tastes of your household – from lobster through to children’s fish selections – and wait for it to be delivered to your door.
Fine foods, delis, and pantries
Foreman and Field food delivery
Forman & Field
Forman & Field is part of H. Forman & Son, a family-run smoked salmon business that dates back to the 19th century. Forman & Field have a full online store stocking their renowned smoked salmon as well as a host of other fish, meat, deli items and restaurant-quality prepared dishes for you to enjoy at home.
Brindisa
The Spanish restaurant and deli has a wide-offering on its online store, including Spanish meats, cheese, nuts, olives, and store cupboard items.
Souschef
The online cooking shop has been supplying customers with unusual or hard-to-find ingredients since 2012, but it comes into its own now if you’re unable to leave the house to source certain items. They have you covered for everything from the basics (pasta, rice) to anything you might need for molecular gastronomy.
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