MARKET REPORT FOR AUGUST 2024

English plums arrive this month. First variety is Opal followed by Victoria. Also greengages, damsons and Mirabelle from France.

Fantastic UK soft fruit including Annabel’s strawberries, raspberries, currants, blueberries, blackberries and red gooseberries.

Stone fruit at its best including - for the first time at Le Marché - Kentish peaches, nectarines and apricots.

Muscat grapes have now started from France.. Charentais melons are at their best. We are also offering Italian smooth-skinned melons from Zerbinatti with the wax tip.

Lovely figs. Black are typically from Spain; green from Italy. French ‘Solliès’ figs will be mid / end of August.

August is a month for fresh / green / wet nuts including cobnuts, walnuts and hazlenuts.

Scottish girolle readily available at time of writing but weather dependant. Ceps starting again.

The first English apples later this month starting with Discovery variety. Looks like a good crop this year.

English cherries tail off this month but superb right now. Special mention to Piper cherries in Kent who have been supplying the Market for more than a hundred years.

Squashes include summer squashes such as Patty Pan, Acorn, Harlequin and French Onion squash.

We are working tomatoes from Polene in France including Cornue Red Marmande, Pink Marmande, Red Zebra (very popular), Green Zebra, Blue Raf, Couer de Boeuf and Pineapple.

Bunched lemon verbena will run all month - both leaf and flower. Fig leaves are available.

Among the veg highlights is new season celeriac with their green tops. Beans include yellow French beans, Coco beans, UK runner beans and Borlotti from France and Italy.