Italian farmers deli

coling · November 2013

Nothing to do with the deli - where is Tony's? Sounds like a good place to check out.

Mirandola · November 2013

Opposite Piccolo Diavolo on Crouch Hill

emine · November 2013

It's so expensive - small jars of pasta sauce for around £7, bags of pasta for £4+! I'm sure it's very nice, and it doesn't usually take much to make me part with cash for any old tat but I had to walk out empty-handed. Seems more expensive than anything you'd get in Islington. I reckon Fortnum's is cheaper. The shop is lovely and good luck to them, but I just can't imagine who will be buying stuff there.

quince · November 2013

Nice looking shop, friendly staff, curiously limited selection of produce and very, very pricy. Nice to see Lardo di Colonnata on the shelves, but it's at nearly £50/kilo... Vallebona do it at £29.40. No wine at under £10 a bottle. Tiny jar of artichokes in oil at £7-ish.<div><br></div><div>Didn't see any coarse polenta, salted anchovies or mustard fruits either... Good on them and all that, it's an admirable venture and I do wish them well, but overall a bit too dear for me.</div>

krappyrubsnif · November 2013

I've had a chance now to look into the Italian Farmers shop, and it turns out there's quite a story behind it - this particular shop is pretty much unique in Britain. A pity it's so pricey.<br><br>It's an outlet for an Italian 'Farm Direct' type chain, run by one of the biggest unions of Italian farmers, called Coldiretti, under the slogans 'Campagna Amica' and 'Made in Italy'. Campagna Amica has scores of shops and farmers markets all over Italy and Coldiretti is a collectivr og thousands of small farmers who have signed up. The watchword is authentic food straight from the farm, ecologically sound, minimal food miles, etc.<br><br>This is their first and only shop in Britain - it might be the only one anywhere outside Italy. The reason for choosing Britain is interesting - apparently this country is the world leader in 'fake Italian food', from spaghetti to bolognese, parmesan and 'Italian wine' kits. The web sites describe a massive recent hike in 'contraband food' (prodotti taroccati) which is claimed as Italian, but actually made somewhere else like Tunisia, Spain or here in the UK. (I know this is a big problem with 'Italian' olive oil.) It's a racket that unsurprisingly the Italian mafia may have got into, but big international food companies are just as guilty by mislabelling and misdescribing. As usual, it's the bottom line that counts, not quality.<br><br>So their mission is to counter this with genuine, authentic farmers market food straight from Italy, all very noble, Quite a welcome addition to Stroud Green Road.<br><br>And they have chosen Stroud Green, apparently, because it is a hub of the Italian community in London and close to Arsenal stadium.<br><br>So there - no longer any need to zip over to the Campagna Amica farmer's market at the Circus Maximus in Rome. (Though at these eye-watering prices, it might be cheaper to do so.)<br>

poxy · November 2013

So, it's not affiliated to the organic place four doors up the road?

andy · November 2013

great story @krappy

krappyrubsnif · November 2013

Nothing to do with the Organic place at all - they are competitors for the Stroud Green food pound. @Andy - thanks, my Italian lessons are paying off.

therattle · November 2013

I don't mind spending money on good food but the prices there are utterly ludicrous. Passata for £7? They do have some small jars for less than £3 of things like olive paste/tapenade, artichoke paste, etc - I got the olive one, which is really very good. But it's about the only affordable thing in the shop. I can't see who will pay for those things outside of Chelsea, Mayfair, etc. <br>

kreuzkav · November 2013

@ Arkady. You mention a man in red trousers in the shop. Did he have a bush beard? If he did, there's no hope for humanity. Bring on the nearest comet and may it hit us hard and wipe us out.

miss annie · January 2014

From the Londonist http://londonist.com/2014/01/londons-best-food-shops-italian-farmers-stroud-green.php

TimS · July 2014

I asked for some Taleggio and when I got home and unwrapped it I found I had been sold a lump of something that looked like Feta. I went back and got a refund but clearly I was sold a lump of whatever because they didn't have the right thing in stock. The coffee is also terrible. Better get your Italian supplies over the hill in Spiazzo.

conformable_kate · July 2014

Spiazzo has stopped trying to be a deli - the deli counter has gone. Annoying; I didn't go there often but it was nice to have a place for the occasional splurge. Another victim of the Crouch End cafe plague. I do wonder how so few streets can support so many cafes. Who has the time and the money? (Answer: residents of Crouch End, I know.)

checkski · July 2014

And me!

checkski · July 2014

Where is Spiazzo?

TheMimsy · July 2014

In Crouch End, near Hornsey Town Hall.<div>Never liked it, to be honest....</div>

checkski · July 2014

Oh, that one. Subtitled Italian Somethig Or Other, with loads oftables outside. Mediocre coffee, I thought; and they grossly overcharge for ordinary little cakes, like BBM, in both respects. Give me the much more modest Brioche, anytime.

Ali · July 2014

Strange you got the wrong cheese. Every time I have bought any I get to taste and to smell it.<br>

TheMimsy · July 2014

I got a sandwich with cheese and mortadella the other day from Farmer's Deli, it was good.

conformable_kate · July 2014

yes indeed, spiazzo has always been a bit too pleased with itself and not good enough to justify it. But it was there as a deli after the lamented Crouch End Bunces went, and Tony's on the corner of SGr and Tollington - we have had a few deli-starved years around here. Deli prospects looking up now in SGR/ Hornsey (and not in Crouch End - ha, your time is past!). I just need to tweak my shopping routes.

miss annie · July 2014

The ArtHouse Deli in Crouch End has closed. Wasn't there very long at all. Also Haringey Farmers market is closing, I think next week, due to lack of venue and declining trade.

TheMimsy · July 2014

@ Comformable_kate<div><br><div>I used to love both Bunces and Tony on the corner of SGR and Tollington.<br></div><div>At one point he opened an Italian restaurant, I think it used to be where Mexicali is now...</div><div><br></div><div>I had a party there for my child's christening: it was lovely, great menu & food.</div><div><br></div><div>From memory I think this place was called "Four Seasons" (though may be wrong) and briefly was really trendy and popular on SGR.</div><div><br></div><div>The same people from Spiazzo at one point took over Tony's (now it's La Forchetta) and had a deli on Hornsey Road for a bit (now it's Devran Food).</div></div>

quince · July 2014

The quality of the produce at Italian Farmers is excellent, so it's a shame that the range is as limited as it is. The spicy anchovies they sell are utterly delicious.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Top Posters

Italian farmers deli

Comments