Hackney-grown salad praised in national food awards

Growing Communities' organic salad leaves.

Salad leaves produced by social enterprise Growing Communities on their organic market gardens and Patchwork Farm in Hackney have been “highly commended” in this year’s Soil Association Organic Food Awards.

“We are really pleased that our salad has done so well in the Organic Food Awards – it’s a bit of a triumph for urban growing and for our hardworking growers, apprentices and volunteers” said Sara Davies, Growing Communities’ grower.

“It makes sense to grow produce like salad as close as possible to where we live – this award shows that urban produce is delicious as well as sustainable!”

Much of Growing Communities’ salad bags go into their community-led organic box scheme which has been running for over 15 years.

The salad leaves are grown in three market gardens, all based in Hackney parks, (Clissold, Springfield and Allens Gardens) and four micro-sites that make up the Patchwork Farm.  The sites are situated at the Castle Climbing Centre, St Paul’s Rectory, St Michael and All Angels Church and Hackney Tree Nursery.

In addition to the box scheme, Growing Communities now supplies over ten local restaurants, cafes and shops, including the E5 Bakehouse, the Three Crowns in Stoke Newington, Organic and Natural in Clapton, Happy Kitchen in London Fields and the Duke of Cambridge pub in Clerkenwell.

Further information about the box scheme, the Stoke Newington Farmers’ Market and how to join the volunteer programme is available from Growing Communities.

Related: Stoke Newington Farmers’ Market to move