Thornton's Budgens nurtures local producers with market stall

Thornton's Budgens is offering local producers of food and arts and craft the once-in-a lifetime opportunity to sell direct to the public outside the new-look store in Crouch End on 30 June and in Belsize Park on 6 July.

The Community Market Stall is the brainchild of Thornton's Budgens owner Andrew Thornton and  demonstrates his commitment to community food growers and sustainable supermarket shopping and is supported by Capital Growth.

Capital Growth’s community food growing sites are excited to be the first to sell their locally grown produce at the launch of the new Thornton’s Budgens market stall. The Capital Growth project, a partnership between London Food Link, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the Big Lottery Fund’s Local Food Programme, will have a regular pitch outside Thornton’s Budgens giving the local community an opportunity to buy food grown in the borough by the borough.

Since Thornton's Budgens was founded in 2006 Andrew has been supporting small local producers from  Marine Ices of Chalk Farm and Dunns of Crouch End, to newer   companies such as Stewed and Mammajams. The supermarket now stocks almost twenty suppliers from Haringey and Camden, with many more from other parts of London.

Andrew says: “You can be as green as you want but you will never truly be sustainable unless you harness the community. We at Thornton's Budgens know that local and small produce is the way forward. Not only does it support the local economy and environment but it tastes great too because it is so fresh!”

The smallest of producers of food such as local growers, producers of home made food or original crafts are encouraged to step forward to sell their wares direct to the public.

There will be a nominal fee to cover the basic running costs and any surpluses made will be donated to the Thornton’s Budgens Pennies for Plastic Charitable Trust. However, any profits made will go direct to the seller. Plans are in the pipeline for a community stall at the Budgens store in Belsize Park on 6 July.
 
To get involved simply email Anna at Crouch End: stall4allcrouchend@gmail.com or
Sarah at Belsize Park: stall4allbelsize@gmail.com . Alternatively you can download a booking form from www.thorntonsbudgens.com .

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