It might sound strange to talk about foodie villages in a city as big as London. But if you’ve ever walked along The Pavement in Clapham with a bag of M Moen & Sons’ artisan sausages and a spelt boule from Venn Street in one hand, and a bouquet of flowers from Birksen in the other, you’ll know exactly what we mean.
As London grew and developed over 2,000 years in an unplanned fashion, it absorbed dozens of villages, including Clapham, Hampstead, Dulwich and Blackheath. This explains why so many of the city’s neighbourhoods have their own distinct look, demographic and sense of community – something its food and drink producers and purveyors play a huge role in maintaining.
These foodie locales have all the hallmarks of a real country village – charming pubs, open spaces used for community events such as farmers’ markets and food festivals, a high street lined with independent shops, restaurants, bars and cafés – but retain the advantages of living in a big city in terms of employment and culture. So it’s no surprise that people want to make their home in spots such as leafy Greenwich, with its neoclassical grandeur and daily food and antiques market, which opened in 1737. Here you can get your fix of ramen or freshly shucked oysters without having to make the 25-minute journey into central London.