MARKET REPORT FOR MAY 2024

We have the first good French apricots. In fact, all the stone fruit is underway including cherries and white and yellow peaches. Nectarines are not sparkling yet but will get better. Wild asparagus has started - it really is beautiful. All the other asparagus has started although it is not easy to find the very best quality white and green in Rungis - our buyers are working hard on that. Our Isle of Wight asparagus is running a week late this year due to cold weather but is imminent.

Annabel’s strawberries will be starting mid month. We also have gariguettes, frais de bois and green strawberries for use in chutneys etc. As a pre-order, we can offer white strawberry, pineberry, golden and black raspberry.

Amalfi lemons are large and high quality. Melons include Charentais and black-skinned watermelon (superb).

Jersey Royal potatoes are still going and excellent value now. Artichokes are good: Calico and bunched from France.

Lovely beans include Borlotti and yellow beans. We are working French broad beans and peas which are better than Italian and Spanish.

Lots of salads such as red mustard frills, true pousse, bulls blood, baby kale, mesclun (17 varieties of leaf), green mizuna, land cress, escarole, batavia, friseline, dandelion. Red mache and red and yellow baby chard are available as a special order. English mini Bonnizzi rocket is superb. We are also working large leaf spinach from the grower Beausse.

Lovely herbs from Rungis including savoury, peppermint and lemon verbena later this month.

For tomatoes, we have a new partnership with a grower called Polène in the south of France who are sending us some excellent tomatoes and courgettes.

For Le Marché Wild, this month brings wild garlic with flower, elderflower (mid May) and nettles.