Herne Hill market

My odyssey around London farmers' markets is proceeding at a somewhat snail-like pace. The trouble is that there are always so many other things to do in the city at the weekend.

But as luck would have it Herne Hill market coincided nicely with Lambeth Country Show, just an apple's throw away.

This market is run by City and Country Farmers' Markets, but it doesn't actually call itself a farmers' market. Alongside the normal farmers' market-type stalls there are stalls from local craftspeople and other local businesses.

The result works quite well, I think. I was impressed by the number of stalls, though I don't know whether this was a larger market than usual.

Cheese was well represented, with Goulds Cheddar from Somerset and Bath Soft Cheeses, both extremely good cheesemakers. There were cakes galore, including Miss Poppy Cakes from Blackheath, who does very glamorous-looking chocolate cupcakes as well as a gloriously squidgy chocolate brownie (check out her beautiful website). There was beer from Sambrook's brewery in Wandsworth and English wine and country wine.

The first English apples of the season made a welcome appearance, with their variously blushed skins and old-fashioned names - Windsor and Katy and Worcester Pearmain. 

And there was even Morris dancing, though I suspect this may not happen every week.

Vital stats:

When: Every Sunday 10am-4pm
Where: Railton Road, (In front of Herne Hill Rail Station) Herne Hill, SE24 0JN
Number of stalls: 25 (approx, number varies)
Range of produce: Excellent (you can even get newspapers!)
Value for money: 8
Marks out of 10: 9