The Edible High Road W4
Abundance London is organising the Edible High Road in Chiswick from 19 May–10 June, to celebrate the first Chelsea Fringe, coinciding with the Chelsea Flower Show. The project plans to create a river of fruit trees in big pots along Chiswick High Road, Devonshire Road, and Turnham Green Terrace. Restaurants, shops, estate agents, dry cleaners, chiropractors, banks, and grocers have already signed up; and the council has asked to plant some of the trees in the streets afterwards. Find out more at http://www.abundancelondon.com and http://www.chelseafringe.com
Natural wine fairs E1
This year, fans of natural wines are blessed with two showcase tasting events. But sip slowly - both run on the same weekend. RAW, organised by Isabelle Legeron, the first French female Master of Wine, will offer around 400 wines from 150 growers. All the producers use natural farming techniques, often organic or biodynamic, with minimum intervention in the wine-making process. RAW, 20-21 May, The Old Truman Brewery, E1. Sunday open to all, 10-6pm, £20/£25 from www.rawfair.com (Monday registered trade only). The Real Wine Fair, with a similarly impressive range, is organised by wine importers Les Caves de Pyrène, also the driving force behind restaurants Terroirs, Brawn and Soif. 20-22 May, Victoria House, WC1B 4DA. Sunday open to all, 10-6pm, £20 from www.therealwinefair.com (Monday and Tuesday registered trade only).
Wine Tasting
We’ve teamed up with Isabelle Legeron MW to offer Eel readers a special evening to taste some of the best natural wines out there, and whet your appetite for the RAW wine fair. The tasting will be held on the evening of 14 May at Antidote, natural wine bar, in Soho. Tickets are £25 and should be bought in advance from www.rawfair.com/content/antidote-tasting
Cutting a swathe NW1
Thinking about rooting out the strimmer or mower and finding the extension cord now the grass is growing again? How about a greener, cleaner, quieter way to keep your small urban lawn in trim – and a bit of exercise thrown in free? Simon Fairlie and Ida Fabrizio are training urban gardeners in mowing and managing their lawns with an Austrian scythe at the London Green Fair, from 9-10 June, in Regent’s Park. If you want to know more, get in touch with Ida at ifabrizio@hotmail.com. www.thescytheshop.co.uk.
First plastic bottle free school W6
West London Free School near Hammersmith has installed commercial tap water dispensers and become the UK’s first 100% plastic bottle free school. www.tapwater.org donated lifebottles free of charge to staff and students so they could fill up with chilled tap water. Besides being environmentally-friendly the whole scheme should save staff and students a whopping £43,750 per year in bottled water costs. www.westlondonfreeschool.co.uk
Grow your own ale SW9
How to get a man who is a reluctant gardener to grow a pot plant? Enter the Brixton Beer Company, and a simple idea courtesy of City Farmers’ blog, to encourage Londoners to grow their own ale. From spring, the project is helping individuals and community gardens to grow and harvest hops. They will then pool the harvest and take the hops to a local brewer to magic them into beer, which the growers will indulge in at a boozy harvest party. Follow them @city_farmers or read the blogs at http://cityfarmers.co.uk
Saturdays at St James Street E17
Every Saturday from 8am-5pm, street food traders will be setting out their stalls on Walthamstow market – the longest outdoor street market in Europe – to entice visitors with the sight, smell and taste of great street food. www.walthamstowmarket.com.
Central Street Cookery School EC1
Bring a friend and get 20% discount on your first class at this fab new cookery school. To book and for information on classes contact the school on 020 7549 8176, email at info@centralstreet.org, or follow @central_st.
www.centralstreet.org
West Norwood Feast SE27
The Feast is back after its winter hibernation. This monthly pop-up street market is held on the first Sunday of the month across four sites: Gardeners’ Corner, Artisan Market, Food Fair and Retro Village. If you want to get involved, contact: hello@westnorwoodfeast.com; enquire about a stall at: food@westnorwoodfeast.com; or follow @wn_feast. www.westnorwoodfeast.com
Going Nose-to-Tail
From 30 April, restaurants around London will be showcasing nose-to-tail menu specials, as part of a fortnight-long event being organised by the Ethical Eats project. See On the Menu for details
