Best farm food shops in London

Buying direct from the farmer was once something only country dwellers could enjoy but in recent years farm shops have sprung up all over the city. And Londoners have been flocking in their droves.

Fuelled by the "Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall effect", shoppers are increasingly keen to buy seasonally grown food from independent producers, something that's hard to track down in the supermarket mega-chains.

Fancy a taste of country life? We donned our Hunters to trawl the urban jungle in search of the best farm-fresh produce.

Chegworth Farm Shop
The vast cabbages and bright bunches of carrots at the Chegworth Farm Shop make supermarket fare look substandard. Produce comes from the family-run Kent farm, which is famous for its rare varieties of apples. They even make their own fruit juices in flavours like pear and raspberry or apple and strawberry. We defy you to walk out without a punnet of cherries, or a bag of the super-sweet Egremont Russet apples.
Chegworth Farm Shop, 221 Kensington Church Street, W8; 020 7229 3016; chegworth.com

Spitalfields City Farm
Grown by green-fingered local volunteers, there's a great selection of affordable fruit and veg at the Spitalfields City Farm shop. There are also fresh eggs, and even plants and gardening supplies should you feel inspired to grow your own. A registered charity, the farm raises rare-breed animals and runs a string of activities including cookery lessons and fruit picking, plus a young farmers' club for children.
Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton Street, E1;
020 7247 8762; spitalfieldscityfarm.org

Sheepdrove Organic Farm
A smart butcher in chic Maida Vale, Sheepdrove specialises in top-quality meat reared on the family-run organic farm in Lambourn, Berkshire. The shop is decorated with pictures of livestock on the walls, and plays a film about the farm on a screen in the background. The delicatessen-style store also stocks the farm's own honey and organic wholemeal flour — but the meat is the main event. We love the new range of sausages which come in varieties including lamb and mint or chicken, honey and herbs.
Sheepdrove Organic Farm Family Butcher, 5 Clifton Road, Maida Vale, W9; 020 7266 3838; sheepdrove.com

Farm Collective
To stock their farmers' market stall in the smart urban café environment between Farringdon and the City, owners Dom and Craig personally source every item from UK farms. Stylish pictures of suppliers line the walls of the constantly-packed shop, which sells home-made salads, sandwiches and sausage rolls as well as fresh fruit, available "depending on what tastes great at the market in the morning". Bacon baps (£2.80) are on offer at breakfast time, as well as excellent coffee (from £1.40) sourced and roasted by the Square Mile Coffee Company.
Farm Collective, 91 Cowcross Street, EC1; 020 7253 2142; farmcollective.com

Franklins Farm Shop
A showcase for some of the ­incredible produce supplying the adjoining restaurant, Franklins Farm Shop has been open just over a year. Currently stocked with stunning Heirloom tomatoes, multicoloured aubergines and sweet Romano peppers, 95 per cent of the produce comes from the UK — some even within the M25. Fans of Franklins restaurant will love the "ready meals" it prepares for the shop. A portion of beef and mutton stew for two is just £6.50.
Franklins Farm Shop, 155 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, SE22; 020 8693 3992; franklinsrestaurant.com/farmshop

Daylesford Organic
The string of Daylesford shops in Pimlico Road are so elegant, you'd never imagine the picture-perfect produce had seen farmyard mud. It is some of the finest you'll find in London, all grown on the Bamford family's land in the Cotswolds and Staffordshire. The farm makes its own organic cheddar cheese, bread from its own grain and provides a selection of fruit and veg. It also keeps Sasso chickens —"the gourmet choice" for exceptional meat and eggs.
Daylesford Organic, 44B Pimlico Road, SW1; 020 7881 8060; daylesfordorganic.com

FarmW5
Part greengrocer, part deli and part café, FarmW5 is the first retailer to be endorsed by Slow Food — an Italian-born movement that promotes seasonal, sustainable and fairtrade food. As well as a decent organic fruit and veg offering, it is a keen supporter of local producers, selling Ealing honey and salads home-made in nearby Acton. There's also a juice bar and café that serves, among other things, cakes from Farmhouse Cookery in West Sussex — the chocolate brownies (£2.20) in particular are insanely good.
FarmW5, 19 The Green, Ealing, W5; 020 8566 1965; farmw5.com